PHI3024S - Metaphysics And Epistemology

Course Outline:

On one widespread conception, metaphysics is a first-order inquiry into “what there is”, whilst epistemology is second-order inquiry reflecting on “what it takes to know what there is.” But the pursuit of epistemology raises metaphysical questions too: what do our ways of knowing tell us about human nature, and the nature of the world? This course explores some core contemporary issues in both areas of inquiry, and considers the relationship between them. Topics in metaphysics may include contemporary investigations into the nature of the mind, its relations to the body and the external world, as well as the nature of causation, space and time. The course may also include some reflection on how, if at all, metaphysical knowledge is possible. Topics in epistemology may include exploring contemporary debates regarding the conception of knowledge, the structure and nature of epistemic justification, the relationship between reasons and beliefs and the value (if any) of scepticism.