HUMAN SOCIETY: PHILOSOPHY 2011
TOPIC 3 - Epsitemology
TERM 2&3 2011 – 8 WEEKS
Set texts, resources, and worksheets found on Wiki
www.philosophymoriah.wikispaces.com
TIME
OUTCOMES
OBJECTIVES- BROAD
(Students learn about:)
OBJECTIVES-DETAILED
(student learn to:)
TEACHING STRATEGIES
3
weeks
A2-examines
and discusses
the work of
key
philosophers
1. philosophers works on
epistemology such as,
Plato, Socrates,
Descartes, Locke,
Berkeley, Hume, PF
Strawson, Paul
Feyerabend, Bernard
Williams, Popper, Kuhn
1.1 define epistemology
1.2 Identify key questions in
epistemology
1.3 Discuss the work of key
philosophers, finding
commonalities and dichotomies
between them
1.4 Communicate their understanding
of, and appropriately use examples
of a key question in epistemology
when discussing ‘How do I know?’
* Give students warm-up activities to use
circle of inquiry to examine the following
questions: What do we know? How do we
know it? What is knowledge? How is
knowledge acquired? What do people know?
How do we know what we know? How does
science help us know? Is there a limit to what
we can know?
*Examine the role of perception
* Perception activity worksheet
*Guardian article on BBC giving too
much weight to fringe views
3
weeks
B1-identifes
sources,
meaning and
purpose of
information
2.
2.1 recognise and distinguish between:
* Use distinction activities to separate ideas
around belief and knowledge, argument and
viewpoint, evidence and opinion.
*Groups of students examine the work of
Locke, Berkeley and Hume and then
respond to philosophical questions as that
philosopher. Can look at similarities and
differences between them.
*Go through PersonCausation ppt.
*Discuss thought experiments from 50
philosophy ideas, the A to Z of thought
experiments and the worksheet on the trolley
scenarios
*Read all or aspects of Plato’s Meno.
*Watch DVD On Socrates including the
section on Socratic questioning in A Guide to
Happiness
*Cut out words and phrases to
use in distinction activities
*Data collecting worksheet on the
comparison of Locke, Berkeley
and Hume.
*Dialogue education ppt on
Causation: PersonCausation.
*Occam’s Razor from Asimov’s
Elephant
*50 Philosophy Ideas you really
need to know (2007) Ben Dupre.
*A to Z of Thought experiments
*Worksheet with the different
runaway trolley thought
experiments.
B4demonstrates
clear
understanding
of
philosophical
concepts and
uses them
appropriately
Key concepts in
epistemology such as:
 Reality, materialism,
naturalism, theism,
pantheism, empiricism,
rationalism, relativism
 What can be known
without direct
experience?
 Critical
reasoning/thinking,
logic, truth vs belief,
relevance/irrelevance,
strong and weak
inferences, doubt,
 Belief and knowledge
 Argument and viewpoint
 Evidence and opinion
2.2 compare and contrast empiricists
Locke, Berkeley and Hume
2.3 examine the meaning and purpose
behind at least 1 key piece of work on
epistemology such as:

Community of Inquiry

Socratic questionings

Descartes’ I think therefore I
am.
RESOURCES
credibility, fallacies,
opinion and evidence

Bernard William’s chapter on
Descartes in The History of
Western Philosophy

Plato’s Meno
2.4 examine epistemological concepts
through at least 2 thought experiments
from examples such as the following:
*Use Horton hears a who to examine belief
and Knowledge
*Read all or part of Lex Newmans essay on
Descartes Epistemology including a
breakdown of I think, therefore I am.
*Have students create their own phrases for
an evidence/opinion distinction activity.
*Plato’s Meno by Adelaide e
publishing.
*DVD Philiosophy:A Guide to
Happiness. Presented by Alain de
Botton.
*DVD Dr.Seuss’ Horton Hears a
Who
*Essay by Lex Newman on
Descartes Epistemology.
*Blank template for examples of
evidence and opinion
*Ask students to think about some of the
major paradigm shifts in science in the past,
and any they predict might occur in the
future. Read and compare to ‘To be
continued…’
*Read article on Popper’s falsification.
*Go through MeaningScience ppt and
discuss issues with students as ideas
progress
*Stimulus reading ’to be
continued…’ P280-282
*Dialogue Education ppt on the
philosophy of science called
MeaningScience.

The brain in the vat, Plato’s
cave, The veil of perception,
Cogito, ergo sum, Reason and
experience, The tripartite
theory of knowledge, science
and pseudoscience, paradigm
shifts, Occam’s razor
2.5 identify own personal methods of
arriving at understanding by examining
influences on cognition and personhood
2.6 identify how approaches to finding
out can shape action by using
examples in literature and everyday life.
2
weeks
3.
Science as a method
of enquiry by
observing, describing,
exploring, predicting,
hypothesizing,
inferring,
testing/experimentatio
n, assessing,
explaining, applying
theories.
3.1 use the scientific method of enquiry
as a way to gain understanding and
knowledge
3.2 discuss the problems with inferring
in science
3.3 compare and contrast science
philosophers Popper and Kuhn
Assessment (20% of total course work):
Thought Experiment Critical Examination
Students choose a thought experiment on the construction of knowledge to examine by reasoning and logic.
Outcomes assessed
A2
examines and discusses the work of key philosophers
B2
build a clear understanding of the key philosophical frameworks and methods
B3
constructs and presents an argument highlighting key questions and dichotomies
C3
considers the responsibilities, challenges and consequences of knowing
C5
appreciate, criticize and balance of opinion when considering what is known