Social Epistemology

Catalog description

This course is an introductory survey of philosophical issues in social epistemology. Many of our beliefs are formed on the basis of testimony—by reading or hearing about facts that we have not directly observed. One of the central questions of social epistemology is how we ought to treat testimonial evidence. Should we accept testimony at face value, or should we require further evidence that the testimony comes from a trustworthy source? How can we determine that a source is trustworthy? Questions about testimony naturally lead to questions about epistemic injustice. Do we unfairly inflate or discount the testimony of an individual based on their gender, race, or class? Do current epistemic practices and institutions unfairly advantage or disadvantage particular bodies of knowledge? How can we ameliorate these injustices?