https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/W_BA_EPENThis course is an introduction to epistemology. The Course Learning Objectives are: 1. Analyze Philosophical Arguments: To practice and become more comfortable with identifying, extracting, and evaluating arguments in epistemology. 2. Analyze Philosophical Concepts: To practice and become more comfortable with analyzing key concepts in epistemology using conceptual analysis; and to understand some of the limitations and controversies surround this method (seminar activities and final exam) 3. Explication and Explanation: To clearly state and explain key epistemological theories, their motivations, and certain key challenges from the course lectures and readings—i.e., to demonstrate awareness of what the major epistemological theories are, what motivations there is for them, and what some of the key challenges facing them are thought to be, drawing on the academic literature we read and explore in epistemology. 4. Defend Epistemological Views: To clearly state and defend one’s own educated epistemological views in written and verbal form—i.e., by connecting your own educated judgments with the academic literature we read in epistemology. 5. Apply Epistemology to Contemporary Issues: To apply key epistemological theories, arguments, and objections/replies to cases. This involves some command of many of the previous learning goals, and invites the development and application of your own creativity.Epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge, belief, truth, rationality, and their applications. It asks descriptive questions like "what is knowledge?" as well as normative questions, like "when should a person believe what someone tells them?" This course introduces students to fundamental concepts and key debates in contemporary epistemology, including some of its social, ethical, and political dimensions. We will address the following topics and questions, exploring the main theories and arguments devised to address them:Theory of Knowledge: What is knowledge and what (if anything) is its value? What is the 'traditional' conception of knowledge and what (if anything) is wrong with it?Philosophical analysis: How should we understand epistemological concepts — should they be conceptually analyzed? How do we do that?Theory of Justification: What makes a belief justified or rational? Can you be rational in thinking what you do without knowing that your thinking is rational?Skepticism: Can we refute skepticism? How?Perception: How does perception give us knowledge and rational belief.Testimony: How does testimony give us knowledge and rational belief.Echo chambers: Can we escape echo chambers? Do filter bubbles make us more dogmatic?Disagreement: Does peer disagreement render our moral, political, or religious beliefs unjustified?Ethics of Belief: Are there 'bad' or wrongful beliefs? How can any beliefs be wrong if we can't chose what we believe?The format of the course is: lectures and discussion.Seminar activities: Short writing assignments throughout the course (10%) (Learning objectives 1-2, 4-5)Tiny Ted Talk (presentation) (40%) (Learning objectives 1-5).Exam: An in-person exam (case-study and critical essay question-based examination) (50%) (Learning objectives 1-5).In order to pass the course, a passing grade needs to be achieved for all three parts of the assessment.Textbook: Duncan Pritchard, What Is This Thing Called Knowledge? 5th edition. Routledge. Articles: Articles can be accessed on canvas.BA1-students PhilosophyRead: The Harvard Guide to Writing the Philosophy Paper. Read: Short Guide to Reading Philosophy.Additional information about this course will be posted at Canvas. All readings are available on canvas.