Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An exploration of philosophical issues concerning, e.g.: causation, time, modality, or the self; the realism/nominalism or realism/idealism debate; relativism; the concept of truth; naturalized epistemology; global epistemological skepticism or perhaps a 'local' form of skepticism such as skepticism about induction or about sensory belief. May be repeated for credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

Selected Topics: New Work on the A Priori

This Special Topics in Epistemology and Metaphysics course focuses on new recent work on the a priori, while being cognizant of its long history and previous work in its more recent history to which it is reacting.  The compilers of our text, in their Introduction, identify four sets of issues recently taken up and represented in their readings: the would-be evidential role of intuitions in philosophical theorizing -- “…and whether the results of experimental philosophy affect the evidential or a priori status of intuitions.”; the analysis and scope of a priori justification and knowledge;  whether a priori justified beliefs play a crucial role in avoiding certain skeptical worries; and whether some recent challenges to the very existence of the a priori are successful.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

To develop an informed, reasoned, and up-to-date critical perspective on the nature of a priori methods, a priori epistemic warrants, and their contributions to philosophy past and present.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: