Theory of Knowledge (PHIL 335)
Instructor: Gregory Salmieri. This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 – 3:15 in Caldwell 105.
Given that it is possible for us to make mistakes—to think we know something when we do not, what standards can we use to determine when we really do have knowledge; and what methods can we use to acquire it? These are the questions with which we will be concerned in this course. We will begin by considering several early modern thinkers (principally Descartes and Locke) who asked these questions and framed influential answers to them. We will then consider more contemporary answers to their questions and some challenges to the questions themselves.
This is an advanced course and presupposes some prior exposure to philosophy. Students should have completed at least one class in the field.
Gregory Salmieri’s webpage