Being and Knowing [2485]

General Information

• Credits: 6 ECTS
• Prerequisites: baccalaureate level or equivalent; proficiency in English
• Learning format: asynchronous distance learning – 100% e-learning
• Language of instruction: English
• Course access: available at any time of year
• Disability liaison officer: Cécile Boucherle

Course Overview

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, sources, justification, and limits of human knowledge. It examines the principal theories of knowledge, beginning with the classical account of knowledge as justified true belief, before exploring the challenges raised by the Gettier problem, evidentialism, reliabilism, internalism and externalism, skepticism, perception, realism, and truth. Through both classical and contemporary philosophical texts, students learn to analyze competing accounts of knowledge, evaluate philosophical arguments, and understand the conditions under which beliefs may be considered justified or known. 

Learning Outcomes

This course enables you to:

• discover the fundamental questions of epistemology and distinguish knowledge from belief, opinion, and truth;
• discover the major theories of knowledge, including Justified True Belief (JTB), evidentialism, reliabilism, internalism, and externalism;
• understand philosophical arguments concerning justification, evidence, skepticism, perception, realism, and truth, including the significance of the Gettier problem; and
• develop the ability to critically compare epistemological positions and construct reasoned philosophical analyses based on primary and secondary texts. 

Course Competencies

This course is linked to the following competency:

• Examine the foundations, sources and validity of knowledge through logic, language and the philosophy of science.

Course Outline

Section 1: The Ethics of Belief

Section 2: It is Wrong to Believe upon Insufficient Evidence

Section 3: The Analysis of Knowledge

Section 4: Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?

Section 5: Knowledge

Section 6: Propositional Knowledge

Section 7: A Proposed Definition of Propositional Knowledge

Section 8: The Inescapability of Gettier Problems

Section 9: Getting "Lucky" with Gettier

Section 10: Where Am I?

Section 11: Personal Identity

Section 12: The Self and The Future

Section 13: The Unimportance of Identity

Section 14: Free Will and Determinism

Section 15: The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism

Section 16: Freedom of The Will and The Concept of A Person

Assessment Methods 

Course assessment is based on:

• tracking and completion of the course and of all learning activities. These activities, designed as essential practice and learning exercises, may be completed multiple times and are not factored into the final grade; and
• the final assessment quiz, which constitutes the graded evaluation.

Learning Format

The course is taught entirely online via the MyDomuni platform, accessible 24/7.
Learning resources include:

• written course materials;
• supplementary documents and, depending on the content, video resources;
• interactive learning activities (quizzes, exercises); and
• a discussion forum with the course instructor and fellow participants.

Prerequisites

This course is open to anyone with a general level of education equivalent to the baccalaureate, or with personal or academic experience related to the topics covered.

A good command of written English is recommended to facilitate understanding of the content and participation in the activities offered.

Accessibility

The course is accessible at any time, from any internet-connected device, via the MyDomuni platform.
For students with disabilities, specific support can be arranged upon request to ensure equitable access to course content and activities.

Disability liaison officer: cecile.boucherle@domuni.eu.

Selective Bibliography

• Mortimer J. Adler, The Four Dimensions of Philosophy: Metaphysical, Moral, Objective, Categorical, Basingstoke, Macmillan Publishers, 1993.
• Reginald E. Allen, Greek Philosophy: Thales to Aristotle. Readings in the History of Philosophy, New York, The Free Press, 1996.
• Marius Backmann, Humean Libertarianism, Hightown, Walter de Gruyter, 2013.
• Soraya Susan Behbehani, The Messenger Within: Discovering Love and Wholeness Through Meditation, New York, Mellen Research University Press, 1991.
• Silvano Borruso, A History of Philosophy for Almost Everyone, Nairobi, Daughters of St Paul, 2007.