updated
12/9/03

Text:

• David Edmonds and John Eidinow, Wittgenstein's Poker (HarperCollins, 2001) 
• Michael Williams, Problems of Knowledge (Oxford UP, 2001)

Course Description: An introduction to epistemology that will focus on the concept, sources, justification and scope of knowledge. There will be three exams, a final, and a writing requirement.

Schedule

Date	Day	Topic	Assignment
August
26 & 28	Tue/Thur	Introduction to the Course	Williams Intro, pp. 1-12
September
2	Tues	Wittgenstein's Poker	WP 1-174
4	Thur	Wittgenstein's Poker	WP 175-294
9	Tues	Wittgenstein's Poker
11	Thur	Exam 1
16	Tues	Standard Analysis	Williams, ch. 1, pp. 13-27
18	Thur	Gettier's Counter Example	Williams, ch. 2, pp. 28-37; Gettier, "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?"
23	Tues	The Fallibilist Alternative	Williams, ch. 3, pp.38-47
25	Thur	Gettier Again	Williams, ch. 4, pp. 48-57
30	Tues	Ancient Scepticism	Williams, ch. 5, pp. 58-68
October
2	Thur	Cartesian Scepticism	Williams, ch. 6, pp. 69-80
7	Tues	Exam 2
9	Thur	Foundationalism	Williams, ch.7, pp. 81-93
14	Tues	Fall Break - No Class
16	Thur	Foundationalism (cont.)	Williams, ch. 8 & 9, pp. 94-116
21	Tues	Coherentism	Williams, ch. 10, pp. 117-27
23	Thur	Coherentism as Foundationalism	Williams, ch. 11, pp. 128-37
28	Tues	Deflating Truth	Williams, ch. 12, pp. 138- 45
30	Thur	Diagnosing Scepticism	Williams, ch. 13, pp. 146-58
November
4	Tues	Contextualism	Williams, ch. 14, 159-72
6	Thur	Exam 3
11	Tues	Explaining Appearances	Williams, ch. 15, pp. 173-85
13	Thurs	Scepticism & Contextualism	Williams, ch. 16, 186-200
18	Tues	no class	instructor in Cuba
20	Thur	no class
25	Tues	no class
December
2	Tues	Induction	Williams, chs. 17 & 18, pp. 201-219
4	Thur	Relativism	Williams, chs.19 & 20, pp.220-40
9	Tues		Williams, Conclusion, pp. 241-57
18	Thurs	Take home Final Exam

 

Grade Composition

Exam 1	15
Exam 2	20
Exam 3	20
Final Exam	25
Writing Requirement	10
Participation	10

Grade Scale

90-100 is an A

80-89 is a B

70-79 is a C

60-69 is a D

59 and below is a F

Attendance Policy

Attendance is expected but students will not be directly penalized for failure to attend class or rewarded for attendance.

Participation

Students are expected to contribute to the class. They may do so my making a presentation in class, asking pertinent questions on a regular basis, responding regularly to the instructor's question, organizing a study group, posting class notes on the web, identifying relevant, useful materials on the web or in some other form to be worked out with the instructor, including some combination of the previously named methods. Students are encouraged to keep track of their participation and to report it to the instructor in writing by the end of the course.

Writing Requirement

Each student will, for six different reading assignments in Williams, pose questions about or raise problems with the reading and will email them to the instructor by 5:00 a.m. on the day of the class for which the reading is assigned.  The questions should be in paragraph form and explained, with explicit reference to the text.  For instance, one might write, "Williams says X [X=paraphrase or reconstruction of what Williams has written] on p. x.  Does he mean a or b?  If a, then this is in conflict with what he said earlier on p. y or what you said in class.  But b makes no sense, because . . ."  In other words, one is asking an informed, intelligent, contextualized question about the text.  The instructor will be happy to work with any student to formulate a question, but not during the blackout period--the 24 hours preceding the class meeting for which the question is due.  A signup sheet will be distributed early in the course, permitting students--in six rounds--to identify the chapters for which they will take responsibility.

NOTE

The instructor reserves the right to modify the course and its requirements as conditions warrant. Students will be notified of changes.

Academic Integrity

Students have the responsibility to know and observe the requirements of "The UNC Charlotte Code of Student Academic Integrity" (UNC Charlotte Catalog 2001-3, p. 275). The most recent edition of the Code is available in the Office of the Dean of Students.

Disability Accomodation

Students with documented disabilities requuiring accommodation in this course should contact Disability Services in Fretwell 230.

Philosophy Majors and Others Interested in Philosophy

Students majoring in Philosophy or considering a major in Philosophy are encouraged to retain a copy of their research paper and exams for possible inclusion in the Portfolio required of majors. This information is available on the web at Philosophy Program, and copies are available in the Department of Philosophy (103 Winningham).

Students are invited to participate via email in an electronic philosophy discussion list for students. To join Phil-D, send your email address to mjcroy@email.uncc.edu and request to be added.

                     

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Copyright © 2003, Michael Eldridge