Social Epistemology

AY2023/2024 Semester 2

Epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge and belief. Traditional epistemology focuses on the knowledge and beliefs gained by individuals. However, the reality is that we gain much of this in a social environment, rather than merely by ourselves. In the first half of this class, we will cover philosophical discussions on forming knowledge, beliefs, and credences based on the testimony of others, by comparing one's beliefs and credences to one's peers, and by aggregating group judgments. In the second half of this class, we will address the intersections between epistemology and justice, relationships, ethics, democracy, feminism, and the internet. You are expected to have foundational competence in philosophy. This course is suitable for those who want to expose themselves to the topics above, and investigate them in a philosophically rigorous manner.