Scepticism Syllabus

PHI 4935/PHI 6306: SCEPTICISM AND KNOWLEDGE SYLLABUS

Professor: Sam Rickless
Office: Dodd 287
Telephone: 644-0218
Office Hours: TBA
E-mail: srickles@mailer.fsu.edu

Course Description and Course Objectives

Do we know any of the things we ordinarily think we know? In particular, do we know that there is a world of objects independent of our minds? Sceptics answer this question in the negative. Are there good reasons for being a sceptic? If not, is it because scepticism is just plain false or because it is somehow nonsensical? Can we answer the sceptic without giving an account of the nature of knowledge? If not, then what is knowledge? We will examine sceptical arguments provided by Descartes, Berkeley, Lehrer and Unger, and responses to the sceptic provided by Descartes, Austin, Moore, Kant and Nozick.
The purpose of this course is to become familiar with, and evaluate, the arguments on both sides of the issue of scepticism. That is, we will try to determine what these arguments are (i.e., the reasons for, and the reasons against, being a sceptic), and whether they are sound (i.e., whether the premises of any one of these arguments are true and whether they really entail the desired conclusion).

Course Units

Abbreviations:
    SPS: The Significance of Philosophical Scepticism
    CRE: Contemporary Readings in Epistemology
    H/S: on reserve in Henderson Reading Room & Strozier Library

UNIT 1: Descartes’ Challenge
Reading: * Descartes, Meditation I
* Stroud, SPS, Chapter 1 (The Problem of the External World)

UNIT 2: Descartes’ Reply
Reading: * Descartes, Meditations II-VI

UNIT 3: Austin’s Reply
Reading: * Austin, “Other Minds”   {H/S}
               * Stroud, SPS, Chapter 2 (Philosophical Scepticism and Everyday Life)

UNIT 4: Moore’s Reply
Reading: * Moore, “A Defence of Common Sense”   {H/S}
               * Moore, “Proof of an External World” {H/S}
               * Moore, “Certainty”, in Goodman/Snyder, CRE, 257-71
               * Malcolm, “Moore and Ordinary Language” {H/S}
               * Malcolm, “Moore and Wittgenstein...” {H/S}
               * Stroud, SPS, Chapter 3 (G.E. Moore and Scepticism: ‘Internal’ and ‘External’), and 139-40

UNIT 5: Berkeley’s Attack on ‘Material Substance’
Reading: * Berkeley, The Principles of Human Knowledge, Sections 1-40, 45, 48-49, 58-59, 73, 86-91, 135-149

UNIT 6: Kant’s 'Transcendental Idealism'
Reading: * Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Preface to Second Edition, Introduction, Transcendental Aesthetic, Fourth Paralogism [17-91, 344-52]
* Stroud, SPS, Chapter 4 (Internal and External: ‘Empirical’ and ‘Transcendental’)

UNIT 7: Modern Sceptics I - Lehrer
Reading: * Lehrer, “Why Not Scepticism?”, in Goodman/Snyder, CRE, 227-37
* Turner, “Why Scepticism?” {H/S}

UNIT 8: Modern Sceptics II - Unger
Reading: * Unger, “An Argument for Scepticism”, in Goodman/Snyder, CRE, 237-57

UNIT 9: The Nature of Knowledge and Scepticism
Reading: * Gettier, “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”, in Goodman/Snyder, CRE, 4-5
* Nozick, “Knowledge” and “Skepticism”, in Goodman/Snyder, CRE, 26-37 and 280-294

Course Requirements and Grading Policy

* Seminar attendance
* 5 short (3-4 page) papers
* Undergraduates: 1 medium-length (8-10 page) final paper
* Graduates: 1 longish (12-15 page) final paper

* Seminar attendance is mandatory. If, by virtue of factors beyond your control, you cannot attend a particular seminar, you should inform me of the fact ahead of time.

* For the first eleven weeks, you will be asked to write one short paper every two weeks. The topic for each paper will be handed out one week before the paper is due. Each paper is to be handed in at the beginning of the following week’s seminar. A late paper will not be accepted without a valid excuse communicated to me (if possible) substantially before the paper is due.

* Undergraduates: After the last of the short papers is due, you will be given a list of possible topics for the medium-length final paper. I will be happy to look at one or two drafts of the final paper and discuss possible improvements with you before the final version is handed in. The final paper is due in my mailbox before 5pm on *TBA*. For policy on late papers, see above.

* Graduates: You should arrange to meet with me during the week after the last of the short papers is due to discuss possible topics for the longish final paper. You must obtain approval from me for your final paper topic. I will be happy to look at one or two drafts of the final paper and discuss possible improvements with you before the final version is handed in. The final paper is due in my mailbox before 5pm on *TBA*. For policy on late papers, see above.

* Grades for Undergraduates: Each Short Paper: 10%
Final Paper: 50%

The Course Grade may go up or down slightly depending on the overall quality of the papers and on whether the quality of the papers (short and medium) improves or declines. Participation will count in borderline cases.

* Grades for Graduates: Each Short Paper: 5%
Final Paper: 75%

The Course Grade may go up or down slightly depending on the overall quality of the papers and on whether the quality of the papers (short and long) improves or declines. Participation will count in borderline cases.

Important Notes

* All papers will be graded on the normal A-F Grading System. [See FSU General Bulletin: 1996-1997, p. 69, and FSU General Bulletin: 1995-1997 Graduate Edition, pp. 32-33, for a description of the Undergraduate and Graduate Grading Systems.] The grade assigned to any paper is determined by how well the paper meets the Course Objectives (see above).

* The Academic Honor Code must be observed in this course. [See FSU General Bulletin: 1996-1997, pp. 65-66, or FSU General Bulletin: 1995-1997 Graduate Edition, pp. 29-30, for a description of the Honor Code.]

* If accommodations are needed for a disability, please notify me as soon as possible.

* The Course Units, Requirements, and Policies states above are subject to change.