PHIL-382 The Ethics of Belief
Examining the ethical, social, and political implications of belief formation and belief change. Much of modern Western epistemology treats belief as an individual matter. But knowledge doesn’t work like that. We’re not isolated, we’re connected, and interdependent: our knowledge comes, not from reflection, but from conversations, imitation, and observation. Beginning with the Cartesian model of belief and knowledge, this course will survey developments from modern to contemporary social epistemology. Topics may include: arguments for the existence of god and the debate between faith and reason, the epistemology of testimony, conspiracy theories and the production of ignorance, and intellectual virtues and vices.
Writing-Intensive (18)
Credits
1
Prerequisite
one previous course in philosophy