Epistemology - 2nd semester
Code
711031005
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Nuno Carlos Venturinha
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. Gain a general view of the problems debated in contemporary epistemology.
2. Relate the problems of knowledge to current epistemology.
3. Understand the fundamental questions of the relationship between philosophy and the various sciences.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
The holding of something to be true
In the Critique of Pure Reason, more specifically in the third section of Chapter II of the Transcendental Doctrine of Method, Kant makes use of the notion of holding for true (Fürwahrhalten), which includes three epistemic modes: opinion, belief and knowledge. We analyze in detail Kants argumentation in this and in other texts, especially in chapters IX and X of the Introduction to the Jäsche Logic. We proceed by focusing on the different employments of the concept of Fürwahrhalten after Kant, namely in Bolzano, Frege and Wittgenstein, each of whom has a distinct epistemological view, one that needs to be considered if we want to respond to the contemporary concerns about the nature and possibility of knowledge.
Bibliography
Bolzano, B. (1985-2000). Wissenschaftslehre, Gesamtausgabe, vols. 11,1-14,3. Stuttgart: Frommann-Holzboog; (2014). Theory of Science, 4 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [§§ 1-45 e 269-321]
Frege, G. (1966). Grundgesetze der Arithmetik, vol. I. Hildesheim: Georg Olms; (1964). The Basic Laws of Arithmetic. Berkeley: University of California Press. [Prefácio]
Kant, I. (1974). Kritik der reinen Vernunft, Werkausgabe, vols. III-IV. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp; (1985). Crítica da Razão Pura. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. [Parte II, cap. II, sec. 3]
Kant, I. (1977). Logik, ed. G. B. Jäsche, Werkausgabe, vol. VI. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp; (2009). Lógica. Lisboa: Edições Texto & Grafia. [Introdução, caps. IX e X]
Wittgenstein, L. (1974). Über Gewissheit / On Certainty. Oxford: Blackwell; (1990). Da Certeza. Lisboa: Edições 70. [§§ 66-192]
Teaching method
The method adopted for the class combines exposition of the readings and commentaries on them along with discussion of student papers.
In class teaching
Evaluation method
Besides a final exam (60%), each student is required to write a paper to be presented and discussed in class (40%).