Autorentext

Michael Veber is Associate Professor of Philosophy at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, USA. He is the author of Tell Me Something I Don't Know: Dialogues in Epistemology (2019).

Klappentext

Epistemology: What it is and Why You Should Care is an introduction to epistemology written with the student in mind. It provides an overview of basic concepts and problems in the theory of knowledge and directly addresses a question that is often foremost in the minds of students: "Who Cares?"

Author Michael Veber first identifies where epistemology is, locating it within the larger field of philosophy, as well other areas of study and reality in general. He explains how controversial assumptions about knowledge and inquiry are so fundamental and pervasive they can be invisible. Yet they are also unavoidable in life and in any effort to figure things out. The book explains how even the harshest critics of philosophy make assumptions about knowledge-and thus must care about epistemology. This leads to a discussion of the roles of reason and observation in knowledge. That is followed by a discussion of the nature and purpose of inquiry. Along the way, abstract issues are brought to life with concrete examples and historical context.

By the final chapter, readers will understand the key concepts professional philosophers debate-and recognize how one's own thinking fits within these conversations. This book is perfect for a broad range of students and anyone else who is curious about the nature and limits of knowledge and the value of philosophy.

Inhalt

Introduction 1. What's that Even Mean? Short History of a Long Word 2. The Most Fundamental Things 3. Are there Philosophical Facts? Epistemology and The Anti-Philosophy Philosophy 4. What the Anti-Philosophy Philosophy Can Teach Us About Epistemology 5. Empiricism and the Art of Murder: The Epistemology of Armchair Detective Work 6. Knowledge by Reason Alone? Empiricism and the Problem of A priori Knowledge 7. A Fork in the Road: Logical Empiricism and the A priori 8. Epistemology Gets Rad: Mill and Quine 9. Epistemology Gets Trad: Rationalism about the A priori 10. The Theory of Inquiry: Peirce and the Flat Earthers Glossary of Terms