Social Epistemology PHIL4071

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Humanities
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

In this course, students will evaluate existing frameworks and propose new interventions in the area of 'social epistemology', which investigates socially relevant questions about how knowledge is shared in a community. Key research themes in social epistemology include, for example: testimony, disagreement, fake news, misinformation, group polarization, evidence-resistance, digital epistemology, trustworthy AI, expertise, and the epistemology of mass media.

Timetable

16x1hr lectures; 4x1hr seminars over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

Requirements of Entry

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Philosophy, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

Excluded Courses

None.

Co-requisites

None.

Assessment

Essay (2000 words) - 50%

Essay (end of course, 2000 words) - 50%

Main Assessment In: April/May

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Provide students with the opportunity to gain a detailed knowledge and understanding of debates in social epistemology, including cutting-edge debates about testimony

■ Explore the place of epistemic dependence and outsourcing within epistemology

■ Allow students to develop analytical and critical skills, by considering key arguments and positions, and formulating their own

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 

■ Critically engage with key concepts that feature in contemporary debates about social epistemology.

■ Explain the reasoning that features in arguments for reductionist and anti-reductionist accounts of testimony and conciliationist and steadfast accounts of disagreement.

■ Identify and articulate the key characteristics of particular approaches and viewpoints in social epistemology

■ Construct and evaluate arguments for and against specific theses in social epistemology

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.