Web Page for Philosophy 6340 - Epistemology (Fall 2011)

Instructor: Brian Talbot
Office Hours: M 2-3, 4:15-5:45 W 12-1, 2-3, and by appointment
Office Location: HLMS 170
Email address: When I put my address on the web, I get tons of spam. So it's a little puzzle... this course is in what department? My email address is the name of that department, @ , and then the name of this website. It's on the syllabus too.

Where the readings or homework below differ from what is listed on the syllabus given out in class, do what is here.
Readings and homework are due on the dates they are listed below.
IF THERE IS NOT A WORKING LINK TO THE HOMEWORK OR READING YOU NEED, FIRST TRY "REFRESHING" OR RELOADING THE PAGE ON YOUR WEB BROWSER. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, PLEASE EMAIL ME ABOUT IT ASAP.

Schedule

Week One, August 22 - Introduction
* Wed, Aug 22: Huemer, "A Version of Foundationalism," from Skepticism and the Veil of Perception
* Look at How to do your homework for this class

Week Two, Aug 29
* Wed, Aug 31: Pritchard - "What is the Swamping Problem?"

Week Three, Sep 5
* Monday, Sep 5 - Labor day, no class
* Wed, Sep 7: Reading: Zagzebski, "The Search for the Source of Epistemic Good"

Week Four, Sep 12
* Monday, Sep 12: Continue with Zagzebski.
* Wednesday, Sep 14: Riggs, "Reliability and the Value of Knowledge"

Week Five, Sep 19
* Monday, Sep 19: Jones, "The Goods and the Motivation of Believing"
* First paper assignment here
* My paper on normative dilemmas is here. It will also illustrate what a conference paper looks like, if you've never seen one before.

Week Six, Sep 26
* Monday, Sep 26: Goldman, Olsson, "Reliabilism and the Value of Knowledge"
* Schedule partner meetings and outline exchanges

Week Seven, Oct 3
* Reading: Kvanvig, the Value of Knowledge and the Pursuit of Understanding, Chapter 5 and Chapter 8 (formalize just one of them)

Week Eight, Oct 10
* Finish discussion of Kvanvig; synthesize last seven weeks of work.
* Oct 16: First paper drafts due to partners

Week Nine, Oct 17
* Reading: David, "Truth as the Epistemic Goal"
* Oct 21: First paper due

Week Ten, Oct 24
* Mon, Oct 24: Reading: Wedgwood, "The Aim of Belief".

Week Eleven, Oct 31 - Halloween!
* Reading: Grimm, "Epistemic Normativity"

Week Twelve, Nov 7
* Mon, Nov 7, Reading: Kelly - Epistemic rationality as instrumental rationality
* Wed, Nov 9 Reading: Kornblith, Epistemic Normativity (you may formalize this for credit, but it is not required)

Week Thirteen, Nov 14
* Mon, Nov 14: Fumerton, Epistemic Justification and Normativity (distributed via email)
* Wed, Nov 16: Copp, The Ring of Gyges (distributed via email)

Nov 21: Thanksgiving week - no class

Week Fourteen, Nov 28
* Mon, Nov 28, Reading: Elga, Reflection and Disagreement

Week Fifteen, Dec 5 - Wrap up the class

Final paper due: Dec 12