PHIL 505.01 (Theory of Knowledge)
Murat Baç
Spring 2009

Hours:  W2 W3 W4
 

Course Description:  The general theme of this grad-level course is "knowledge after epistemology."  One striking characteristic of philosophical enterprise today is that a considerable number of the theoreticians of knowledge and truth are seen to have grown suspicious of certain crucial aspects of the venerable field of epistemology and its fundamental presumptions.  The contemporary representatives of the counter movement often draw their inspiration from such philosophers as Hegel, Nietzsche, James and Heidegger who had collectively provided a forceful criticism of the customary rationalist and empiricist perspectives.  The 20^th century philosophy literature also witnessed various radical stances as represented, for instance, by the later Wittgenstein and M. Foucault, stances which now provide a significant discursive axis and a point of departure for the anti-mentalist and/or anti-realist viewpoints.  In this course, we will try to understand the essential features of the movement against traditional epistemology and also assess the tenability and strengths of the pertinent critique through selected readings.  Our main focus will be on Barry Allen's rather unorthodox and controversial account of human knowledge.

Reading material:  A course package will be available at Hisar Copy Shop (Nispetiye Str., 23).  The reader contains the following:

Books:

Allen, B. Truth in Philosophy, London: Harvard University Press, 1995.

Allen, B. Knowledge and Civilization, Oxford: Westview, 2004.

Articles and (selected) chapters:

Davidson, D. Subjective, Intersubjective, and Objective, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2001.

Putnam, H. Realism with a Human Face, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990.

Quine, W. V. O. From a Logical Point of View, 2nd ed., Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1980.

Quine, W. V. O. Pursuit of Truth, revised edition, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992.

Rorty, R. Contingency, Irony, Solidarity, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Wittgenstein, L. Philosophical Investigations, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1958.

Grading:  You will write a single paper for this course, at least 4000 words or approximately 12 pages (60% grade value).  It will be submitted early in the finals period.  You are required to produce a written progress report (10% grade value) several weeks before the submission of paper.  The remaining 30% will come from your presentations and participation in our class discussions.

Reminder: Please read “About Plagiarism” given at the beginning of the course reader carefully.