Epistemology (MWF) Spring, 2005
Dr. Lee Office Hrs: MWF: 3-4
Phone: 283-6245 x 2361 TR: 2-3
E-mail:
plee@franciscan.eduWebsite: www2.franciscan.edu/plee
This course examines questions such as, What is knowledge? What are the limits of human knowledge? Can we arrive at objective truth? How can we arrive at truth in perception, memory, reasoning, the sciences? What does the nature of knowledge tell us about, the nature of reality, what we are and how we should live? How are faith and knowledge (or reason) related?
| Jan | 17 | Introduction; Descartes |
| 19 | Descartes | |
| Descartes in Classics of Western Philosophy (hereafter "W"), Preface through Meditation 2 (pp. 452-466) | ||
| 21 | Descartes | |
| Descartes in W, Meditations 3 and 4 (pp. 466-476) | ||
| 26 | Descartes | |
| Descartes, in W, Meditation 6 (pp. 479-486) | ||
| 28 | Critique of Descartes | |
| Leibniz, in W, pp. 567-568, p. 584, #28-29; Berkeley in W, pp. 682-685, #17-32 | ||
| Feb | 2 | Critque of Descartes Continued |
| 4 | Skepticism, Knowledge and Justification | |
| Crumley, 1-10; 18-28 | ||
| 7 | Skepticism, Knowledge and Justification | |
| Russell in W, Ch. III (pp. 1146-1149) | ||
| 9 | Skepticism, Knowledge and Justification | |
| C, 66-76, 79-83 | ||
| 11 | Skepticism, Knowledge and Justification | |
| 14 | Structure of Knowledge: Foundationalism | |
| C, 93-105 | ||
| 16 | TEST #1 | |
| 21 | Perception | |
| C, 252-262; 268-272 | ||
| 23 | Perception | |
| C, 274-278 | ||
| 25 | Hume and Kant | |
| Hume in W, pp. 732-733; 757-765; Kant in W, pp. 876-877 | ||
| 28 | Kant | |
| Kant in W, 878-890-900 | ||
| Mar | 2 | Kant |
| Kant in W, 927-938 | ||
| 4 | Kant | |
| Dohenty on Kant, Internet Assignment | ||
| 14 | Aristotle and St. Thomas: Knowledge in General and Sensation | |
| Dohenty and Aquinas on Internet | ||
| 16 | Aristotle and St. Thomas: Knowledge in General and Sensation | |
| Dohenty and Aquinas on Internet | ||
| 18 | Aristotle and Aquinas on Intellectual Knowledge | |
| Internet Assignment; Aristotle in W, pp. 214-216 | ||
| 21 | Aristotle and Aquinas on Intellectual Knowledge | |
| 23 | Aristotle and Aquinas on Intellectual Knowledge | |
| 29 | Aquinas on Judgment and Truth | |
| Internet Assignment | ||
| 31 | Aquinas on Judgment and Truth | |
| Internet Assignment | ||
| Apr | 1 | Reasoning |
| Internet Assignment | ||
| 4 | Reasoning | |
| 6 | Test #1 | |
| 8 | Historicism | |
| Gadamer, Internet | ||
| 11 | Historicism | |
| 13 | Different Theories of Truth | |
| C, 121-130; 146-153 | ||
| 18 | Different Theories of Truth | |
| 20 | Faith and Reason | |
| Internet Reading (from Fides et Ratio and St. Thomas) | ||
| 22 | Faith and Reason | |
| Internet Reading: Aquinas | ||
| 25 | Faith and Reason | |
| 27 | Faith and Reason | |
| 29 | Faith and Reason | |
| May | 2 | Conclusion |
| 4 | ||
| 7 | FINAL EXAM (10:30 AM) | |
Outline of Paper due: March 30. Paper due: April 18. For more concerning the paper, calculation of grades, and other issues, please see Course Information Sheet.