Write your essay on ONE of the following questions. (1) According to Craig, the concept of a knower is conceptually prior to the concept of knowledge because we are primarily interested in finding informants who can reliably tell us whether propositions of concern are true. Critically evaluate this claim, using resources from the assigned readings and your own independent research. (2) O’Connor and Weatherall argue that many of the pathologies of contemporary epistemic life, such as polarization, can be explained without attributing irrationality or arationality to people. Critically evaluate this argument, using resources from the assigned readings and your own independent research. (3) Explain the concept of epistemic injustice as developed by Fricker. Choose one case study: either gaslighting or one of the case studies from Part 5 of The Routledge Handbook of Epistemic Injustice (ed. Kidd, Medina and Pohlhaus); and explain how that context may be seen to involve a form of epistemic injustice. Does the concept of epistemic injustice provide a constructive way to think about the problem or issue you choose, and how to respond to it? You should draw on the assigned readings and your own independent research. (4) Is the epistemic community best served by allowing or restricting free speech? Develop and defend your argument using resources from the assigned readings and your own independent research. (5) What, if anything, is epistemically wrong with conspiracy theories? Develop and defend your argument using resources from the assigned readings and your own independent research. Essays should demonstrate knowledge of the course material as well as additional research beyond the mandatory weekly readings. Please use at least three sources (you can use as many weekly readings as you like but you need to include at least two sources that are not required weekly readings). Some additional readings have been provided for particular topics. There is also a wide range of material available at both the library and through journals accessible through the library online system, and there a number of useful peer-reviewed online sources in Philosophy (try the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Please contact me if you require any of these weekly readings and I will provide you with them.Show more
