Mulder, Dwayne H. : Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Trout, J. D. : Loyola University of Chicago
Summary
Written in an engaging and accessible style, The Theory of Knowledge: A Thematic Introduction explains
the main ideas and problems of contemporary epistemology, the philosophical study of knowledge. Comprehensive and
rich in illustrations and examples, it deals with major topics while avoiding technical detail. It introduces traditional
topics in epistemology within the context of contemporary debates about the definition, sources, and limits of
human knowledge. It also relates epistemology to work in cognitive science and defends a plausible version of explanationism
regarding epistemological method. A glossary of important epistemological terms and suggestions for further reading
enhance the volume.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Epistemology: A First Look
1. Why Study Knowledge?
2. Some Doubts about Knowledge
3. Traditional Definition of Knowledge
4. Knowledge and Experience
5. Intuitions and Theory
Chapter 2: Explaining Knowledge
1. The Scope of Epistemology
2. The Concept of Knowledge
3. Epistemology, Naturalism, and Pragmatism
4. Value in Epistemology
Chapter 3: Belief
1. Belief and Representational States
2. Belief and Belief-Ascription
3. Are Beliefs Transparent?
4. Belief and Theoretical Ideals
5. Eliminativism and Prediction
Chapter 4: Truth
1. Relativism
2. Truth and Correspondence
3. Truth and Coherence
4. Truth and Pragmatic Value
5. Kinds and Notions of Truth
Chapter 5: Jusitification and Beyond
1. Justifications, Truth and Defeat
2. Inferential Justification and the Regress Problem
3. Supplementing Justification: The Gettier Problem
Chapter 6: Sources of Knowledge
1. Rationalism, Empiricism, and Innatissm
2. Empiricism, Positivism, and Underdetermination
3. Intuitions and First-Person Reports
4. Memory
5. Theoretical Unification
6. Testimony and Social Dependence
Chapter 7: Rationality
1. Preliminary Distinctions
2. Rational Inference: Normative and Descriptive
3. Consistency and Wayward Beliefs
4. Rationality and Decision Under Uncertainty
5. Integrative Considerations about Rationality
Chapter 8: Skepticism
1. Some Species of Skepticism
2. Some Skeptical Arguments
3. A Reply from Common Sense
4. Skepticism, Naturalism, and Broad Explanation
Chapter 9: Epistemology and Explanation
1. Origins of Contemporary Epistemology
2. Ultimate Epistemological Authority
3. Explanation and Knowledge
