In this course we will critically assess a number of alternative theories of knowledge. We will also examine debates over scepticism, as well as covering disputes about the nature of epistemic justification.

2 lectures per week for 9 weeks, plus 4 tutorials. The course may not run every year. Options running this year are available on MyCampus.

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Two essays, equally weighted, each with a word limit of 2500 words.

The course aims to:

■ introduce students to a number of major issues in the Theory of Knowledge (Epistemology).

■ familiarize students with the main positions and arguments within each topic.

■ enable the students to deploy these arguments for themselves.

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

■ Critically engage with contemporary debates on the definition of knowledge;

■ Critically engage with contemporary accounts of scepticism about knowledge;

■ Explain and assess Internalist versus Externalist, and Foundationalist versus Coherentist Theories of Justification

■ Critically discuss approaches to the problem of induction.

Assessment for this course is at Masters Level.

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