Understanding Knowledge

Description

The world's best introduction to epistemology, Understanding Knowledge discusses basic philosophical problems in epistemology, including such questions as: What is knowledge? How can we know about the world outside our minds? How do we know about things that are unobservable? Are intuitions a legitimate source of knowledge? What justifies any of our beliefs? The text clearly and succinctly explains the most important theories and arguments about these things, and it does so a lot less boringly than most books written by professors. “When I get a little money, I buy [Mike Huemer’s] books; if any is left, I buy food and clothes.” –Erasmus “Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind, and students without Mike Huemer’s books are dumb.” –Immanuel Kant “I think; therefore, I am. Also, buy Huemer’s books.” –René Descartes Michael Huemer is a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, where he has taught since the dawn of time. He is the author of a nearly infinite number of articles in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy, plus eight and a half other amazing and brilliant books that you should immediately buy. Preface Part I: General Issues About Knowledge & Justification 1. Introduction 2. What Is Knowledge? 3. More Logical and Semantic Debates 4. The Structure of Knowledge 5. Grounds of Foundational Justification 6. Meta-Knowledge 7. Taxonomy and Paradigms of Knowledge Part II: Sources of Knowledge 8. Perception & Skepticism 9. Theories of Perception 10. Pure Reason 11. Memory 12. Induction 13. Testimony Part III: Areas of Knowledge 14. Scientific Knowledge 15. Moral Knowledge 16. Religious Knowledge Part IV: Applied Epistemology 17. Rational Irrationality 18. Critical Thinking and Trust in Experts 19. Peer Disagreement Afterword Glossary