LFU:online

Advanced knowledge and reflection of contemporary work on social epistemic practices, including their questions, concepts, arguments and theories

Social epistemology investigates the social aspects of our epistemic practices. Traditionally, modern epistemology took a rather individualistic perspective (see Descartes for a case in point). Though this was not exclusively so, recent decades have witnessed a development within philosophy towards a much more socially oriented perspective, understanding our epistemic capabilities and
our concept of knowledge as socially constituted.

The course presents contemporary texts of social epistemology and is structured along the following three broad topics:
(1) Testimony, in particular in dyadic interactions
(2) Group interaction, belief and judgment aggregation
(3) Epistemic structures and institutions

Topics are among others, the rationality of persistent dissent, the assessment of experts and phenomena of testimonial and hermeneutic injustice.

readings, discussion

active course participation, written term paper