Metaphysics and Epistemology.

Catalog description

Metaphysics and epistemology are the two main areas of theoretical philosophy. Metaphysics refers to the study of the fundamental nature of the whole of reality. Epistemology refers to the study of knowledge itself. This course will cover some of the main topics in these two sub-disciplines from the perspective of the Western philosophical tradition. We will begin by considering the philosophical systems of highly influential historical thinkers, such as Aristotle and Immanuel Kant. In the second half of the course, we will turn mostly to recent and contemporary work in analytic metaphysics and epistemology. Typical topics in metaphysics include: the existence (or not) of immaterial entities, material constitution, and identity. In epistemology, typical topics are as follows: a priori knowledge, skepticism, the justification of knowledge, and self-knowledge. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy or instructor approval.