Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit in the philosophy of knowledge (epistemology) introduces students to philosophical problems and debates concerning the nature, possibility and limits of knowledge. In examining classical, modern and contemporary theories, students examine questions concerning the sources and objects of knowledge, the relationship of knowledge to belief and truth, problems of justification, and metaphysical debates concerning the mind-world relationship underlying epistemological theory. In exploring influential perspectives regarding those debates, students are required to develop reasoned positions of their own. In this way, the unit aims both to facilitate students' understanding of some key philosophical theories and debates, as well as to enhance their skills in critical analysis.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitLearning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Identify and accurately explain some of the centra...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically analyse selected contemporary debates i...
Learning Outcome 02
Demonstrate appropriate skills in philosophical re...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- definitional issues: types of knowledge, belief, opinion, justification, certainty, scepticism;
- theories concerning the nature of justification, such as foundationalism, coherentism, fallibilism, pragmatism, and sceptical arguments against the possibility of knowledge;
- theories about the sources of knowledge, such as perception, rational reflection, memory, innate ideas, revelation;
- theories about the objects of knowledge, such as physical things, states of affairs, mental ideas, abstract entities, noemata;
- meta-epistemological debates concerning various positions such as realism and anti-realism, internalism and externalism, naturalism and normativism.
In addition, topics such as the following may also be included:
- theories of truth, such as correspondence, coherence, pragmatism, deflationism;
- knowledge, truth and interpretation: the hermeneutic situation;
- knowledge of singulars and universals;
- the possibility of self-knowledge;
- the possibility of religious knowledge.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy for this unit has been designed to examine students’ understanding of the philosophical issues and theories under consideration, as well as their ability to critically analyse those issues and theories. It does so through a series of three graduated assessment tasks. The first two tasks prepare students for the third and principal task of writing an extended research essay. The written analysis and presentation tasks examine students’ understanding of the key concepts and theories, and capacity to engage critically with some key texts in the field. The research essay examines students’ abilities to research and critically analyse an important epistemological issue, and to develop and defend a coherent position of their own in a formally structured argumentative essay.
Overview of assessments
Structured written task Requires students to demo...
Structured written task
Requires students to demonstrate understanding of key concepts and analyse key texts in epistemology
20%
Oral presentation with written component Require...
Oral presentation with written component
Requires students to demonstrate critical thinking skills in dialogue with others
30%
Research Essay Requires students to do further re...
Research Essay
Requires students to do further research, analyse an important epistemological issue, and argue for a coherent position in relation to it
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning, or the equivalent of 10 hours per week for 15 weeks. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials and online learning, The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.
The unit has been designed as a blend of direct instruction and project learning with a strong collaborative component. The direct instruction ensures that students develop a strong understanding of important philosophical concepts and theories, while the project learning enables the students to apply those concepts and theories critically and reflectively to problems in the field of epistemology. The collaborative context of the unit is focused especially on the weekly tutorial, during which the emphasis is on small group discussion of the weekly readings. These forms of classroom instruction and engagement are designed to support students’ attainment of the learning outcomes. Students will be asked to engage in class discussions, provide written critiques of significant theories, and present their reasoned position on matters at issue, after being introduced to them through readings and lectures.