Author: Dan Peterson Categories: Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Logic and Reasoning Word count: 998 Imagine that Beauty takes part in an experiment: on Sunday night, she is put to sleep. Then, the experimenters flip a fair coin. If the coin lands heads, Beauty is awakened on Monday, then is put back to sleep until the … Continue reading The Sleeping Beauty Problem
Category: Epistemology
“I think, therefore I am”: René Descartes on the Foundations of Knowledge
Author: Charles Miceli Category: Historical Philosophy, Epistemology Word Count: 994 If you are reading this, then you are probably looking at a screen or a piece of paper. Think to yourself: “I have some paper in my hand,” “I am in front of a computer” or whatever fits. Is your belief here certain? Is there … Continue reading “I think, therefore I am”: René Descartes on the Foundations of Knowledge
Expertise: What is an Expert?
What is an expert? What is expertise? This essay answers these questions.
Hope
What is hope? A philosophical and ethical introduction.
René Descartes’ Meditations 4-6
A concise version of Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy."
René Descartes’ Meditations 1-3
A concise version of Rene Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy."
Interpretations of Probability
Author: Thomas Metcalf Categories: Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Logic and Reasoning Word count: 996 Consider this exchange from the 1994 American film Dumb and Dumber: Lloyd: What do you think the chances are of a guy like you and a girl like me ending up together? … Mary: Not good. Lloyd: You mean, not good like … Continue reading Interpretations of Probability
The Epistemology of Disagreement: How Should We Respond When People Disagree?
An introduction to the epistemology of disagreement.
Philosophy and Its Contrast with Science: Comparing Philosophical and Scientific Understanding
Philosophy and science are both ways of learning about ourselves and the world. Here we’ll review the two main perspectives on the question of whether and to what degree science and philosophy overlap in their methods and their sources of knowledge.
Modal Epistemology: Knowledge of Possibility & Necessity
Author: Bob Fischer Categories: Epistemology, Metaphysics Word Count: 998 Alice hits Betty, and Betty gets mad. Is her anger justified? Betty thinks so. After all, Alice didn’t need to hit her; Alice could have controlled her temper. This justification for Betty’s anger seems reasonable. However, it isn’t reasonable unless we know that Alice could have behaved differently, and we don’t know that … Continue reading Modal Epistemology: Knowledge of Possibility & Necessity