Fall 2024 - PHIL 802 G100
Selected Topics in Epistemology (5)
Class Number: 7167
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Bruno Guindon
bguindon@sfu.ca
Description
COURSE DETAILS:
Selected Topics: Epistemic Luck
Important note regarding enrollment: All seats are reserved for philosophy graduate students. Philosophy honours students can access enrollment into this course by contacting the Philosophy Advisor (philcomm@sfu.ca). Enrollments from graduate students in other departments will be considered only upon submission of the Graduate Course Add Form, and with instructor's permission. All such enrollments will be done in or after the first week of classes.
It is a well-worn platitude that knowledge precludes luck. If you know that p, then you believe truly that p, and it is no lucky accident that you believe truly that p. Yet not every kind of epistemic luck is knowledge-undermining. Which kinds of epistemic luck are knowledge-undermining and which kinds are not? This course focuses on the conceptual resources that virtue epistemology has in addressing this question, as well as on the strengths and weaknesses of a virtue-theoretic conception of knowledge.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Successful completion of this course will satisfy the “M&E Stream” distribution requirement toward the MA degree for philosophy graduate students.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Grading
- Five discussion questions (submitted prior to class) 5%
- Paper proposal and bibliography 5%
- Paper draft and peer review 5%
- Two reading presentations 15%
- Final paper 70%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
All readings will be made freely available online.
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.