https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/W_JSM_210Epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge, belief, truth, rationality and their social and political applications. This course is an active learning course in epistemology, focusing on its applied and social/political dimensions, like echo chambers, conspiracy theories, and propaganda and ideology. Each student is expected to engage in serious self-evaluation and critical self-reflection of their work and their peer's work. The overarching goal is that this will facilitate an authentic learning experience. The individual course goals are: Toapply concepts, arguments, and theories from epistemology to real-world cases. To facilitate self-reflection on your own work and progress in ppe epistemology. To conceptualize and frame debates in public life using the resources of epistemology Todevelop, present, and defend your own arguments and educated judgments in epistemology. To interpret and critically respond to philosophical thinker's in epistemology, via scholarly readings (primary texts) or other media. To interpret and critically respond to your peer's educated judgments about your position and arguments about epistemological topics. To foster ways of thinking, such as a willingness to consider seriously positions you might disagree with; to think carefully, clearly and patiently; and to be willing to engage critically with your own views as well as the views of your peers and others.This course is a critical introduction to epistemology, focusing on its applied, social, and political dimensions. It provides a firm foundation in epistemology and zooms in on contemporary social-political challenges, including questions like: When, if ever, is giving someone a platform to express their views impermissible? Is it irrational to believe conspiracy theories? Why?What is so problematic about filter-bubbles and echo chambers?How can we respond to skeptics—should we?Can beliefs ever be wrongful or unjust? How? Does ideology render our thinking irrational? Do some beliefs signal social identity or group loyalty—if so, how should we evaluate them?Are there racial, class-based, or gender-based standpoints which give certain groups epistemic advantages? Should we even care about 'knowledge' or 'truth'? What are (or should be) the epistemic goals of education?What is the basis of trust? When can we trust what people say? We will first learn about the core concepts of epistemology that are used in many debates—knowledge, truth, justification, evidence, and some of the controversies surrounding these concepts. We will then explore social-political topics in epistemology, where various core concepts are applied and new concepts and controversies are introduced.Lectures and seminars (active learning groups).This course is assessed in two specific assignments: (1) A short critical "defend a position" paper with a peer review of it—students can respond to their peer's evaluation. (25%) (2) An in-class exam of open short-answer and essay questions. (50%) (3) A group project of a podcast, educational video, or pop article (choose one; 3-5 person group project). (25%)To be announced in the course guideSecond year PPE students.Please note that participation in the seminars is mandatory. Lectures are highly recommended. It is hard to excel in the course without attending the lectures, as this is where nuanced interpretations and connections are explored and where deeper insights are developed—the course content cannot be gleaned from the readings alone. For better understanding and to facilitate in-class discussion, the required reading for each lecture should be read in advance.Mandatory courses PPE specialization Track 1: PhilosophyThe course program will be on canvas. All course readings and assignments are on canvas.