Course: Epistemology

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Course title Epistemology
Course code KFI/EPHB
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 2
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 5
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Paitlová Jitka, Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Kratochvíl Miloš, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Approaches to knowledge: Dogmatic, critical and scientific epistemology (Plato, Aristotle, Bacon, Descartes, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Comte, Spencer, Mill, Mach, Russell, Carnap, Quine). Rationalism, empiricism, sensualisms, conventionalism, intuitionism, instrumentalism, logical empiricism, falibilism. Problems of modern epistemology. Faith and reason. Mind, consciousness, brain. Theory of truth: correspondence, coherence, pragmatic, redundant, semantic. Necessity, contingency, possibility, validity. The problem of induction. The problem of demarcation in the history and modern epistemology. The image of knowledge, rationality, science in modern epistemology. Rationality in different cultural, historical contexts and value. Language and knowledge (Carnap, Chomsky, Putnam, Quine). Faith and knowledge (Hintikka). Experiment, observation, hypothesis, theory in the exact sciences and the humanities. Problems of scientific explanation (C. Hempel, E. Nagel, C. Levi-Strauss).

Learning activities and teaching methods
Seminar classes, Lecture
  • Contact hours - 52 hours per semester
  • Undergraduate study programme term essay (20-40) - 30 hours per semester
  • Preparation for an examination (30-60) - 38 hours per semester
  • Presentation preparation (report) (1-10) - 10 hours per semester
prerequisite
Knowledge
to introduce the basic characters and themes of the history of philosophy from antiquity to the 20th century
to describe historical and cultural facts of the 19th and 20th centuries
Skills
to use basic philosophical terminology with understanding
to identify a particular problem (thesis) and reproduce the argumentation contained in the text
to use modern technologies, especially information databases
Competences
N/A
N/A
N/A
learning outcomes
Knowledge
to present basic characters and epistemological themes from the history of philosophy and philosophy of the 20th century
to characterize the most important epistemological concepts from the history of philosophy and philosophy of the 20th century and explain their context
to summarize selected important philosophical writings concerning epistemology from the history of philosophy and philosophy of the 20th century
Skills
to analyze source philosophical texts from the history of philosophy and philosophy of the 20th century
to interpret selected epistemological passages of philosophical texts
to follow the argumentation procedures concerning epistemological problems of selected authors or selected texts
to argue and discuss a specific epistemological topic of philosophy
Competences
N/A
N/A
teaching methods
Knowledge
Lecture
Textual studies
Self-study of literature
Skills
Seminar classes
Skills demonstration
Individual study
Students' portfolio
Competences
Skills demonstration
Students' portfolio
Seminar classes
assessment methods
Knowledge
Combined exam
Skills
Seminar work
Individual presentation at a seminar
Skills demonstration during practicum
Competences
Combined exam
Individual presentation at a seminar
Seminar work
Recommended literature
  • Aristotelés; Rezek, Petr. Metafyzika. 3. vyd., V nakl. Petr Rezek 2. Praha : Rezek, 2008. ISBN 978-80-86027-27-2.
  • Descartes, René. Meditace o první filosofii. 1. vyd. Praha : Oikoymenh, 2003. ISBN 80-7298-084-X.
  • Descartes, René. Principy filosofie : výbor doplněný dvěma Descartovými dopisy princezně Alžbětě Falcké : Bilingva. 2. opr. vyd. Praha : Filosofia, 1998. ISBN 80-7007-120-6.
  • Gadamer, Hans-Georg. Pravda a metoda I : nárys filosofické hermeneutiky. Vyd. 1. Praha : Triáda, 2010. ISBN 978-80-87256-04-6.
  • Heidegger, Martin. Bytí a čas. Praha : Oikoymenh, 2002. ISBN 80-7298-048-3.
  • Hume, David. Zkoumání o lidském rozumu. 1. vyd. (v tomto překladu). Praha : Svoboda, 1996. ISBN 80-205-0521-0.
  • Kant, Immanuel. Kritika čistého rozumu. 1. vyd. Praha : Oikoymenh, 2001. ISBN 80-7298-035-1.
  • Lyotard, Jean Francois. O postmodernismu : postmoderno vysvětlované dětem : postmoderní situace. 1. vyd. Praha : Filosofia, 1993. ISBN 80-7007-047-1.
  • Nietzsche, Friedrich. O pravdě a lži ve smyslu nikoli morálním. 2., opr. vyd. Praha : Oikoymenh, 2010. ISBN 978-80-7298-428-2.
  • Novák, L.; Vohánka, V. Kapitoly z epistemologie a noetiky. Praha : Krystal OP, 2015. ISBN 987-80-87183-71-7.
  • Platón. Kleitofón, Ústava, Timaios, Kritias. Vyd. 1. Praha : Oikoymenh, 2003. ISBN 80-7298-067-X.
  • Quine, W. V. O.; Marvan, Tomáš; Dostálová, Ludmila. Vybrané články k ontologii a epistemologii. 1. vyd. Plzeň : Západočeská univerzita v Plzni, 2006. ISBN 80-7043-510-0.
  • Russell, Bertrand. Zkoumání o smyslu a pravdivosti. Praha : Academia, 1975.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester