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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Philosophy

Postgraduate Course: Advanced Epistemology (Online) (PHIL11136)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeOnline Distance Learning AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryAs the central issues are discussed we will consider the appropriate methodology for doing so as well as the relationship between epistemology and a broader set of social issues.

Please note auditing is not allowed on this course. Students must only take for credit.
Course description The course will cover the following topics:

Epistemology of testimony:
What is the epistemic status of belief generated by accepting testimony? Under what conditions is testimonial knowledge defeated? How does the epistemology of testimony relate to classical epistemological discussions such as the internalism-externalism debate?

Epistemology of disagreement and diversity:
What is an epistemic peer? What is the epistemically rational response to epistemic peer disagreement? What is the difference between epistemic disagreement and epistemic diversity? Is epistemic diversity epistemically beneficial?

Epistemic injustice:
What are the distinctively epistemic forms of injustice? How do epistemologies of race and gender contribute to the understanding of epistemic injustice? How do issues concerning epistemic injustice relate to the issues pertaining to testimony, disagreement and diversity?
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Epistemology (Online) (PHIL11131)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students must have passed Epistemology (PHIL11131) or equivalent during their previous studies at another institution before taking this course.
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Course Start Date 15/01/2018
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Summative Assessment Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 151 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 85 %, Practical Exam 15 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Students are assessed by a 2500 word essay at the end of the semester (85%) and successful participation in the on-line activities associated with the course (15%). How the participation component will be assessed will be made clear to the students at the start of the course.

Word limit: 2500 words maximum (excluding references)

Feedback 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.


No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Articulate central issues, views and concepts in social epistemology.
  2. Critically analyse and engage with the contemporary literature in epistemology and connect it to broader social issues.
  3. Present arguments clearly and concisely both within a classroom and in a 2,500 word essay.
  4. Acquire transferable skills in research, analysis and argumentation.
  5. Critically discuss philosophical arguments with peers.
Reading List
Available through Talis aspire
http://resourcelists.ed.ac.uk/index.html

Indicative reading list:
The following list contains examples of the kinds of readings that may be set for this course.

Testimony:
Fricker, Elizabeth (1994). Against Gullibility. Chap. 58 in Epistemology - An anthology, 2nd edition, (Eds. Sosa, Kim, Fantl & McGrath). Wiley Blackwell

Lackey, Jennifer (2006). Learning from words. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 73 (1):77-101.*

Goldman, Alvin I. (2001). Experts: Which Ones Should You trust? Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 63, (1): 85-110.

Disagreement and Diversity:

Christensen, David (2007). Epistemology of disagreement: The good news. Philosophical Review 116 (2):187-217.

Jennifer Lackey (2008). A justificationist view of disagreement's epistemic significance. In A. Millar A. Haddock & D. Pritchard (eds.), Social Epistemology. OUP: 145-154.

Goldman, Alvin. (2010). Epistemic Relativism and Reasonable Disagreement. In Feldman and Warfield (eds.), Disagreement (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

Christensen, David (2014). Disagreement and Public Controversy. In Jennifer Lackey (ed.), Essays in Collective Epistemology. Oxford University Press

Epistemic Injustice and the Epistemology of Race and Gender:

Maitra, Ishani (2010). The nature of epistemic injustice. Philosophical Books 51 (4):195-211.

Fricker, Miranda (2013). Epistemic justice as a condition of political freedom? Synthese 190 (7): 1317-1332.

Dotson, Kristie (2011). Tracking Epistemic Violence, Tracking Practices of Silencing. Hypatia 26 (2): 236-257.

Michaelian, Kourken (2008). Privileged standpoints/ reliable processes. Hypatia 23 (1):65-98.

Preliminary reading is available on the Learn Hub page.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Students can develop their ability for independent learning through online resources.
Additional Class Delivery Information Priority for this course will be given to online MSc/Dip/Cert Epistemology, Ethics and Mind students. Students on any other programme must obtain permission to enrol from Prof Jesper Kallestrup as Programme Director.

KeywordsEpistemology
Contacts
Course organiser Joanna Pollock
Tel:
Email: jpolloc2@exseed.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Becky Verdon
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: Rebecca.Verdon@ed.ac.uk
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