Epistemology

Catalog description

Epistemology is the area of philosophy devoted to the study of big questions regarding the nature and extent of human knowledge. In epistemology, philosophers wrestle with questions such as “Is reality knowable?” “What distinguishes genuine knowledge from lucky guesses and irrational beliefs?” and “What makes some beliefs more rationally justified than others?” They also ask whether we really know what we think we know and consider challenges from philosophical skeptics who contend that our knowledge is much more limited than we ordinarily think. Since knowledge is about knowing what is true, we also examine questions such as “What is truth?” “Is truth knowable?” and “What makes some beliefs and opinions true and others false?” Epistemology thus examines the human epistemic condition - our place in the world as beings who want to know and understand the world but who have important limitations in our ability to achieve these aims.