PHIL 140.002 – Knowledge and Society

IDEAs in Action: Which curricular requirements does this course satisfy?

Instructor: William Conner. This course meets MWF 12:20 – 1:10 p.m. in BI 1014.

According to Aristotle, human beings naturally desire knowledge, and we are also inherently social creatures. In this class, we will take these two fundamental aspects of human nature seriously and examine their consequences. With our desire to know and our inherent sociality always in view, our guiding questions will be: (1) What does it mean to have knowledge? (2) When can and should we rely on others in forming our beliefs? (3) How should we respond to disagreement with our peers? (4) When and why should we trust experts? And (5) how can we form beliefs responsibly in the age of social media? Topics will include the concepts of knowledge and trust, expertise and disagreement, epistemic injustice, polarization, and conspiracy theories and echo chambers. Through engaging with these complex issues, students will develop and refine their philosophical abilities and leave the class better equipped to navigate our increasingly complex information landscape.

Have registration questions? Our PPE Administrators can help! Please email them at ppeprogram@unc.edu for assistance.