Phil 102: Epistemology

Course Syllabus
Course: Advanced Seminar: Epistemology
Required Books:
Feldman, R. Epistemology
Required Readings:
Various readings will be available on the course web page
Course Description & Goals: What do you know? How do you know the things you know? How do you know you know the things
you know? These basic questions form the basis of a study of knowledge, epistemology. We will explore each of these questions
after we address the difference between certainty (or certain knowledge), knowledge (knowing when you are not 100% certain),
and belief. We will then explore modern definitions of knowledge, justification for that knowledge, and some bits about metaknowledge (knowing that you know) along with knowledge by perception and knowing your own mental states directly.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs):
By the end of this course, student will accomplish the following:
1. Describe epistemology as an area of study and how epistemology is studied in the contemporary era.
2. Analyze the difference among, and importance of, certainty, knowledge, and belief.
3. Define the significance of meta-knowledge, knowledge by perception, and direct knowledge for contemporary philosophical
debates.
To support student success coherently across Philosophy coursework, these CLOs help students to reach the Philosophy Program
Learning Outcomes _____:
[Insert appropriate PLOS here.]

1. Logic: Identify and assess the logic of arguments.

Comment [MV1]: The PLOs that link-up to

the CLOs are not identified.
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Identify arguments, distinguish premises from conclusions, distinguish validity from soundness, assess validity

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2. Topics: Identify and explain the central questions within major topics of philosophical research.

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Identify and explain at least one central question within at least three topics of philosophical research. These include
metaphysics, epistemology

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3. Ideas: Describe the contributions of major thinkers in the philosophical canon.

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Describe at least one contribution for each of three of the major thinkers in the philosophical canon. Descartes and Hume

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Guiding Principles:
This course qualifies as a general education course in meeting the following UC Merced Guiding Principles for education: decision
making, communication, self and society, and development of personal potential. It supports decision making, communication, and
personal development by illustrating the way complex argumentation functions in a philosophical debate and the importance of
justification in coming to hold beliefs. The course will train students in specific reasoning tactics in a dialectical format as well as
specific justification structures, such as deductive and inductive reasoning, which will show students how reasoned responses can
and should be given. This will allow students to effectively interact with any reasonable audience. Finally, the course also supports
the guiding principles of self and society and of development of personal potential by exploration of different theories of knowledge
which will allow students to understand and value diverse perspectives in regard to what knowledge is and various kinds of
justification for a wide variety of beliefs, both within their community and in the world at large.
Grades:
Class Rules: No cell phone or unrelated computer use in class. No significant conversational interchanges. Asking a neighbor what
was said is ok; asking for lengthy clarification, or interchange, from a neighbor is not.

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Comment [MV2]: This is really a great
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Classroom Civility: Each UCM student is encouraged to help create an environment during class that promotes learning, dignity, and
mutual respect for everyone. Students who speak at inappropriate times, sleep in class, display overt inattention, take frequent
breaks, interrupt the class by coming to class late, engage in loud or distracting behaviors, use cell phones or pagers in class, use
inappropriate language, are verbally abusive, display defiance or disrespect to others, or behave aggressively toward others could be
asked to leave the class and be subjected to disciplinary action.
Policy on Academic Integrity: The University of California has outlined a general code of student conduct that can be accessed at
HYPERLINK "http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/coordrev/ucpolicies/aos/uc100.html"
http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/coordrev/ucpolicies/aos/uc100.html. Go to HYPERLINK
"http://admissions.ucmerced.edu/docs/ucm_policies.pdf" http://admissions.ucmerced.edu/docs/ucm_policies.pdf for the UC
Merced code of academic conduct. Chapter 8 outlines policies on academic honesty. All academic work is expected to be in
compliance with this code. In the present class, any form of cheating or plagiarism is a serious offense. Cheating includes any
attempt to defraud, deceive, or mislead the instructor in arriving at an honest grade assessment. Violation of these policies may
result in a grade of F in the assignment, or for more serious violations, a grade of F in the course, at the discretion of the
instructor.
Special Needs: UCM provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs,
activities, and services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in class activities or meet course
requirements should contact the professor as early as possible, and also contact the UCM Disability Services Center to obtain their
assistance and coordination in working with this course.
Make up policy: There are no make ups without valid and documented medical excuse. (valid is sometimes up to the discretion of
the instructor)
Evaluation/Grading Procedures: There will be
Quizzes 1 and 2 Final Attendance will be worth the final 10% - it is your responsibility to sign in every day you are present (once at the beginning of class
and again at the end for full credit).
GRADING SCALE:
99.01-100%
95%-99%
90%- 94.99%
87--89.99%
83%-86.99%
80%-82.99%
77%-79.99%
73%-76.99%
70%-72.99%
67%- 69.99%
63%-66.99%
60%-62.99%
-- 59.99%

A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF

Topics/Schedule of Activities: [subject to revision throughout the semester]

Week 1: Introduction and Descartes ( & )
Class 1: Introduction what is epistemology
Class 2: Descartes meditations easy: 1&2 (and compare to old version); Can I know I am not dreaming, section 1-4 (pgs. 1-9)
section; schick 19-25; wake up 77-79 schick
Week 2: Knowledge vs. certainty and types of knowledge; standard picture (&)
Class 1: Can I know I am not dreaming, section 5 and 8; Lipton IBE;; schick pgs 1-8; feldman ch 2 part 1
Class 2: Feldman ch 1 selection [through to section 2 Q2 paragraph just after a2]; Teatetus selection; schick 50-51; Feldman ch 2
part 2
Week 3: Problems with the standard view; Modifications to the standard view (&)

Class 1: Feldman ch 3 section 1-2; schick 1-4; [more]

Class 2: Feldman ch 3 section 3 (read section C on defeaters but not in depth see defeasibility in schick for help); schick 5-14 (up
to defeasibility theory then SEP 4 6 & 7); on the gettier problem (selection)
Week 4: Justification: evidentialism and non-evidentialism in more depth (&)
Class 1: Feldman ch 4
Class 2: Feldman ch 5; schick section on causal and reliability theory
Week 5: Further modifications of the standard picture (Feb 7 & 9)
Class 1: explanationism schick section; turri 2000 [selection] ;Feldman ch 7 section 2 [[certainty, and proximal vs. distal
metaphysics how to handle Descartes and science historical science section???]];
Class 2:
Quiz 1

[[[[what is a theory of knowledge supposed to do?; its not what you know that counts]]]]
Week 6: kinds of justified inference 1: logic, truth, and providing good reasons
Class 1: sweet reason ch; Walton; valid arguments; extdened arguments
Class 2: Python analysis in depth
Week 7: kinds of justified inference 2: induction (Mar 20 & 22)
Class 1: Hume (schick 25-28); Russell on induction (from schick 71-74
Class 2: : Feldman ch 7 section 1
Week 8: kinds of justified inference 3: analogy (Mar 6 & 8)
Class 1: anaology as reasonable basis for inference (vs. direct proof or empirical support) other minds analogy
immunity to error (kant from schick 2931 [[or 35]]-) [locke berkely in schick ??]
Class 2:
Week 9: logic of burden of proof (&)
Class 1: logic of burden of proof
Class 2:
Week 10: Justification and awareness (Mar 13 & 15)
Class 1: Bergmann ch 1 (ch 3 mentalism; Feldman and conee Having evidence
Class 2:
Quiz 2
Week 11: BREAK (Mar 26-30)
Class 1: OFF break
Class 2: OFF break

Week 12: metaepistemology and metalogic (Apr 3 & 5)

Class 1: problem of the criterion chisholm; Reasoning about reasons things dont happen for no reason apriori vs aposteriori
reasons (schick 9-18?) (holes?? And how we know them) ;
Class 2: Lewis on tortoises / platform problem?
Week 13: further look at skepticism (Apr 10 & 12)
Class 1: Feldman ch 6
Class 2:
Week 14: further look at relativism (Apr 17 & 19)
Class 1: Feldman ch 9
Class 2:
Week 15: Naturalism (Apr 24 & 26)
Class 1: Feldman ch 8 Naturalism about justified belief
Class 2: inevitable illusions ch 1 and 2?

Week 16: (May 1 & 3)

Class 1:
Class 2:
Week 17: Course Final
Class: Final

Final Exam
Friday May