Knowledge and Evidence

Catalog description

Knowledge and Evidence provides students with a holistic understanding of the concept of “truth,” along with an effectively developed skillset for thinking critically, and acting creatively, with respect to this concept. The course achieves this by illustrating the intimate connection between data and truth, showing the ways in which one can lead to the other, and also pointing out the fallacies and pitfalls that often obstruct the connection. In part, the course is an introduction to the field of epistemology, addressing the question “How do we know what we know?” The course provides a historical overview of many critical epistemological questions, with examples drawn from the writings of thinkers from classical Greece up through the modern era. It also draws critical connections between these epistemological theories and the scientific method and explains what is necessary for proper experimental design. These concepts are illustrated most vividly through the study of a variety of famous experiments. Experiments are chosen from the fields of psychology, physics, chemistry, sociology, computer science and philosophy. Students are taught to identify the dominant theories of truth in their chosen professions and to think critically about the dominant paradigms they encounter.