Fall Semester, 2005
Professor: Chienkuo (Michael) Mi
Office: Room #103 ( 教師研究二樓 )
Course: BPH20801
Classroom: B709
Class Time: 1:30 pm. ~ 3:20pm., Tuesday
Office Hours: 1:30pm ~3:30pm, Monday
E-mail: cmi@mail.scu.edu.tw
Course Outline:
Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. It has been occupying a very central position in philosophy since the ancient philosophy, and has even been regarded as the “first philosophy” since the modern philosophy. In the contemporary development,
Epistemology has a new face and a new focus. The theory of justification starts to rise in this subject and overwhelmingly dominates the main stage in the discussions of the subject. So, the nature of knowledge and the nature of justification naturally stand out as two main issues to which almost all philosophers interested in epistemology must pay attention.
In this course, we will spend most of our time in pursuing the answers to the questions regarding “what is knowledge” and “what is justification”, and will also cover many related important problems and puzzles associating with the two main questions. In order to approach the central concerns in the issues, we will follow step by step the questions listed in the required textbook, Pojman’s What Can We Know .
Those questions will include:
(1) What can we know? This is an introductory question, and with this question we will be familiar with some important and basic concepts and terminology involved in epistemology.
(2) Can we really know?
This is a skeptical question, and following this question we will learn some skeptical tradition as well as modern skepticism.
(3) How can we know the external world?
This is a traditional question and the most important question in modern philosophy. We will discuss how the modern philosophers dealt with the concept of “perception” and shed light in the question.
(4) What is knowledge?
We will start with the traditional analysis and introduce the
Gettier problem.

(5) What is Justification? We will go through the contemporary discussions with respect to the issue of justification and the foundationalism/coherentism and internalism/externalism debates.
(6) What is naturalized epistemology? What is virtue epistemology? Is there a priori knowledge? What is the nature of belief?
These will all be the main questions dealt and discussed in next semester.
Required Textbook:
1. Louis Pojman What Can We Know? An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge , second edition, Wadsworth, Thomson Learning, 2001
2. Some outside readings are required and will be assigned
Course Evaluation:
1.
One mid-term exam, 20%
2.
One final exam, 40%
3.
Four home-works, 40% (10% each)
4.
Coming to class meetings is mandatory. If you miss three meetings, your final grade will be failed.
5.
If you fail to turn in any homework or take any exam, your final grade will be failed too.
Schedule:
9/13 General Introduction
9/20 What Can We Know? Chapter 1
9/27 What Can We Know? Chapter 1
10/4 Can We Really Know? Chapter 2,
10/11 Can We Really Know? Chapter 3, Turn in Home-work #1
10/18 How can we know the external world? Chapter 4
10/25 How can we know the external world? Chapter 4
11/1 Selected Questions for Discussions, Turn in Home-work#2
11/8 Mid-term Exam
11/15 What Is Knowledge? Chapter 5
11/22 What Is Knowledge? Chapter 5
11/29 What Is Justification? Foundationalism/Coherentism
12/6 What Is Justification? Foundationalism/Coherentism
12/13 What Is Justification? Turn in home-work #3
12/20 What Is Justification? Internalism/Externalism
12/27 What Is Justification? Internalism/Externalism

1/3 What Is Justification? Turn in home-work #4
1/10 Final Exam