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What is knowledge? Where does it come from? What kinds of knowledge are there? Can we know anything at all? What is the practical relevance of learning about epistemology?
This lucid and engaging introduction grapples with these central questions in the theory of knowledge, offering a clear, non-partisan view of the main themes of epistemology. Both traditional issues and contemporary ideas are discussed in twenty easily digestible chapters, each of which conclude with a useful summary of the main ideas discussed, study questions, annotated further reading and a guide to internet resources.
Each chapter also features text boxes providing bite-sized summaries of key concepts and major philosophers, and clear and interesting examples are used throughout. The book concludes with an annotated guide to general introductions to epistemology, a glossary of key terms, and a summary of the main examples used in epistemology. This an ideal first textbook in the theory of knowledge for undergraduates coming to philosophy for the first time.
The fourth edition has been revised and updated throughout and features four new chapters on applied epistemology, covering the relationship between the theory of knowledge and technology, education, law, and politics. In addition, the text as a whole has been refreshed to keep it up to date with current developments.
Preface
How to Use This Book
Part 1: What is knowledge?
Chapter 1: Some preliminaries
Chapter 2: The value of knowledge
Chapter 3: Defining knowledge
Chapter 4: The structure of knowledge
Chapter 5: Rationality
Chapter 6: Virtues and faculties
Part 2: Where does knowledge come from?
Chapter 7: Perception
Chapter 8: Testimony and memory
Chapter 9: A priority and inference
Chapter 10: The problem of induction
Part 3: What kinds of knowledge are there?
Chapter 11: Scientific knowledge
Chapter 12: Religious knowledge
Chapter 13: Moral knowledge
Part 4: How Can the Theory of Knowledge Be Applied to Particular Domains?
Chapter 14: Technology
Chapter 15: Education
Chapter 16: Law
Chapter 17: Politics
Part 5: Do we have any knowledge?
Chapter 18: Scepticism about other minds
Chapter 19: Radical scepticism
Chapter 20: Truth and objectivity
General Further Reading
Glossary
Index
Description
What is knowledge? Where does it come from? What kinds of knowledge are there? Can we know anything at all? What is the practical relevance of learning about epistemology?
This lucid and engaging introduction grapples with these central questions in the theory of knowledge, offering a clear, non-partisan view of the main themes of epistemology. Both traditional issues and contemporary ideas are discussed in twenty easily digestible chapters, each of which conclude with a useful summary of the main ideas discussed, study questions, annotated further reading and a guide to internet resources.
Each chapter also features text boxes providing bite-sized summaries of key concepts and major philosophers, and clear and interesting examples are used throughout. The book concludes with an annotated guide to general introductions to epistemology, a glossary of key terms, and a summary of the main examples used in epistemology. This an ideal first textbook in the theory of knowledge for undergraduates coming to philosophy for the first time.
The fourth edition has been revised and updated throughout and features four new chapters on applied epistemology, covering the relationship between the theory of knowledge and technology, education, law, and politics. In addition, the text as a whole has been refreshed to keep it up to date with current developments.
