|
SAMPLE SYLLABUS |
SYLLABUS
EPISTEMOLOGY
(0122-316-01)
FALL 2000 |
| COURSE AIM |
| THE AIM OF THE COURSE/SEMINAR IS TO OFFER AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE. THE COURSE WILL INQUIRE INTO THE NATURE OF HUMAN KNOWING AND
ACCORDINGLY WILL ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KNOW? WHAT DO (CAN)
WE KNOW? CAN WE KNOW THINGS WITH CERTITUDE? HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THINGS OTHER THAN
OURSELVES AND OUR IDEAS EXIST? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT SOMETHING? WHAT
ROLE DOES SENSATION PLAY IN KNOWING? THE CONCEPT? JUDGMENT? WHAT IS
COMMON SENSE AND HOW DOES IT RELATE TO PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE? ATTENTION WILL ALSO BE
GIVEN TO RELATIVISM, ESPECIALLY REGARDING KNOWLEDGE IN THE SOCIAL CONTEXT, FEMINIST
EPISTEMOLOGY, AND THE POSTMODERNIST CHALLENGE: CAN WE ATTAIN A TRANSCULTURAL, AHISTORICAL
KNOWLEDGE? |
| READINGS |
- Jacques Maritain, Degrees of Knowledge (Notre Dame Indiana:University of Notre
Dame Press, 1995) Available in the bookstore.
- Selected classical texts; see my website: usfca.edu/philosophy/raymond.htm
- Selected contemporary texts; on the reserve shelf in Gleeson Library
|
| ASSIGNMENTS |
- Each student will give two seminar presentations during the semester. These
presentations will take the form of a critique of the assignment and will consume no more
than 30 minutes; the other students will submit a summary (1/2 page typed) of the
assignment at the end of class.
- Each student will submit a paper, 10-15 typed pp., by 5pm on the date assigned for the
final examination, which is Thurs., Dec. 14. It is expected that the student will consult
with me about the paper’s topic before writing it.
|
| GRADING |
| The final grade for the course will be based on the above
three assignments. |
| Class presentations: |
60% (30% each) |
| Final Paper: |
40% |
| N.B. The summaries are assigned no
percentages; instead generally unsatisfactory submissions by the student will result in a
reduction of one full grade for the course; generally good class participation will result
in ½ grade increase for the course. |
| Office Hours: |
MW 2-3 & by appt.
CA D6; x6456
dennehyr@usfca.edu |
| ASSIGNMENTS |
 | F 9/1: assign topics |
|
| Preface: Has Epistemology Been on the Wrong Track? |
| W 9/4: Lorraine Code: "Is the Sex of the Knower Epistemologically
Significant?" (Reserve Shelf) |
| F 9/8: Immanuel Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, Introduction, Preamble…Secs.
1-5; "How Is A Pure Science of Nature Possible? |
| M 9/11: Kant |
| W 9/13: Kant |
| F 9/15: Richard Rorty: "Dismantling Truth: Solidarity Versus Objectivity"
(Reserve Shelf) |
| M 9/18: Jacques Maritain, Degrees of Knowledge, 86-107 |
| W 9/20: Discussion of topic. |
|
| 1) The Modern Question: Is objective knowledge of the
world possible? |
| F 9/22: Hilary Putnam, "Brains in a Vat" (Reserve Room) |
| M 9/25: Putnam |
| W 9/27:George Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge,
#1-11, 16-20, 25-41, 45-48 ( |
| F 9/29: Berkeley |
| M 10/2: David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Secs. II, III, IV.
(same site) |
| W 10/4: Hume |
|
| QUESTION: CAN DESCARTES’ "METHODICAL DOUBT"
HAVE AN ANSWER TO THE ABOVE POSITIONS? |
| F 10/6 --Descartes, A Discourse on Method, Pts. I,II, IV |
| M 10/9 The Meditations on the First Philosophy, Med. II, VI.
|
| W 10/11: Jacques Maritain, Degrees of Knowledge, pp. 75-85; Raymond Dennehy,
"Maritain’s Reply to Gilson’s Rejection of Critical Realism" in The
Gilson Annual ed. by Peter Redpath (forthcoming) My website under courses:
epistemology 316-01 |
| F 10/13: Discussion of topic |
|
| 2) What is Knowledge? |
| M 10/16: Edmund L. Gettier, "Is Justified Belief True Knowledge?," (handout) |
| W10/18: Plato, Republic, V 473-480;
Theatetus 201- 202 c (handout) |
| F 10/20: No class |
| M 10/23: Plato, VI-VII 507-520 |
| W 10/25: Aristotle, Posterior Analytics, Bk I, chs 1,2 & Bk II, ch
19 |
| F 10/27:Metaphysics, Bk I, chs 1&2, Bk II, ch 1, BkVII, ch
4 |
| M 10/30: Maritain, 118-126 |
| W 11/1: Maritain, 127-144 |
| F 11/3: Discussion: What is knowledge? |
|
| 3)Foundations of Knowledge: Foundationalism &
Coherentism |
| M 11/6: Ernest Sousa, "The Raft and the Pyramid: Coherence Versus Foundations in
the Theory of Knowledge" (Reserve Room) |
| W 11/8: Sousa |
|
| 4) Foundations of Knowledge (II): Externalism &
Internalism |
| F 11/10: Alvin Goldman: "Reliabilism: What is Justified Belief?" (Reserve
Room) |
| M 11/13: Goldman |
| W 11/ 15"Matthias Steup: "A Defense of Internalism" (Reserve Room) |
| F 11/ 17: Steup |
| M 11/20: Jacques Maritain, 215-240 |
| W 11/22: Maritain 215-240 |
| F 1124: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY |
| M 11/27: Maritain Versus Husserl, Degrees of Knowledge (see index for ref. to
Husserl.) |
|
| Conclusion: Is there an epistemology of democracy? Is
there an epistemology of liberal education? |
| W 11/29: Richard Rorty, "The priority of democracy to philosophy" (Reserve
Room) |
| F 12/1 : Rorty |
| M/ 12/4 :Raymond Dennehy, "The Epistemology of Democracy" (Reserve shelf) |
| W 12/6: last class meeting: discussion of research topics |
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