Postgraduate Course: Themes in Epistemology MSc (PHIL11064)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course introduces students to a number of major ideas and themes in contemporary epistemology. We will examine debates about the nature of knowledge and of justified belief, and cover topics including scepticism, contextualism, pragmatic encroachment, knowledge-first epistemology, reliabilism and a little formal epistemology.
The course is shared with the undergraduate version Themes in Epistemology (PHIL10072).
For courses co-taught with undergraduate students and with no remaining undergraduate spaces left, a maximum of 8 MSc students can join the course. Priority will be given to MSc students who wish to take the course for credit on a first come first served basis after matriculation. |
| Course description |
Seminar Content:
Week 1: Uncertainty
Week 2: The Gettier Problem
Week 3: Putting Knowledge First
Week 4: Relevant Alternatives and Closure
Week 5: Contextualism
Week 6: Pragmatic Encroachment
Week 7: Assertion
Week 8: Justification, Knowledge and Probability
Week 9: The Regress Problem
Week 10: Internalism and Externalism
Week 11: Revision
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 8 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Revision Session Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 2,500 word essay.
Assignment deadline: Thursday 21st April 2016 by 12 noon.
Word Limit: TBC
Return deadline: Friday 13th May 2016 |
| Feedback |
- some extra postgraduate-only tutorials will be available.
- students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay by week 6 deadline on Turnitin via Learn. The essay cannot be draft of summative essay but it can be on the same topic.
Formative essay deadline: Thursday 25th February 2016 by 12 noon
Return deadline: Friday 18th March 2016 |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- gain knowledge of some of the key issues in contemporary epistemology
- develop their skills at critical thinking.
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Reading List
The following books provide a good introduction to many of the topics we will cover:
(i) Lemos, N. (2007) An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (Cambridge University Press)
(ii) Pritchard, D. (2009) Knowledge (Palgrave Macmillan)
Both of these are available as E-books through the library. Other useful texts, also available as E-books, include:
(i) Sosa, E., Steup. M. and Turri, J. eds. (2014) Contemporary Debates in Epistemology 2nd ed., (Wiley-Blackwell) [E-book available through the library].
(ii) Bernecker, S. & Pritchard, D. eds. (2010) Routledge Companion to Epistemology (Routledge). [E-book available through the library].
(i) Bernecker, S. and Dretske, F. eds. (2000), Knowledge: Readings in Contemporary Epistemology (Oxford University Press)
Apart from these texts, the readings for this course are drawn from a range of places. In most cases, listed readings will be either freely available online or accessible online through the library.
The full course reading list of core and background reading can be found on Learn.
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Additional Information
| Course URL |
Please see Learn page |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Taught by Dr Martin Smith. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Martin Smith
Tel: (0131 6)50 3654
Email: Martin.Smith@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lynsey Buchanan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: Lynsey.Buchanan@ed.ac.uk |
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