PHI 341: HOW DO WE KNOW?

This course studies the nature and possibility of knowledge of reality. Epistemology is the branch of
philosophy concerned with the study of human knowledge, of the mind’s relation to being. It deals
with questions such as: What does it mean to really ‘know’ something? What are the sources of our
knowledge? What is its extent? How does knowledge relate to other kinds of awareness such as
sensation, hearsay, belief, opinion, etc.? How does knowledge relate to truth? How is knowledge
distinct from ignorance and error? Throughout this course, students will encounter these and related
questions as they have been raised in foundational texts throughout the history of philosophy.
Readings will include primary texts representing a range of positions such as classical realism,
skepticism, rationalism, empiricism, and phenomenology