Professor: Dr. Jennifer Mundale 
Office: CNH 411L 
Ph: Office -823-5076; Dept - 823-2273 
E-mail: jmundale@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu 
Office hours: : Tu Th 2:30-3:45; F 1:30-3 and by appt.
Website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~jmundale

Course description.
Theories of Knowledge, or epistemology, is an upper-level course intended primarily for philosophy majors. We will study the origins of human knowledge; the extent to which we can be secure in our knowledge; the foundations, if any, of our knowledge, the way some forms of knowledge relate to other forms of knowledge, and how the particular background and situation of the knower affects the epistemological framework. We will also address some aberrations in human knowledge arising from psychological and neurological conditions, including delusional states and hallucinations. 

Required texts.
The Theory of Knowledge: Classical and Contemporary Readings, 3rd ed., by Louis P. Pojman
Pathologies of Belief, eds. Max Coltheart and Martin Davies
(Additional readings and handouts may be distributed later in the semester, depending on class progress and interest.)

Web resources. A website for the class is currently under construction and will contain additional information relating to course subtopics, as well as useful links. Please visit it frequently.

Grading. The grade for the course is based on the following components: 
3 Exams - drop lowest exam. - 70% (35% each)
Final exam or term paper - 30%
(I will say more about the term paper option in class. Topics must be approved beforehand, and drafts must be turned in according to the schedule I will distribute later in the semester. Unapproved papers will not be credited. Philosophy majors are strongly encouraged to take the term paper option.)

Requirements. Students are required to read and prepare the assigned materials, attend class regularly, and participate meaningfully in class discussions. The assigned readings are intended to stimulate thoughtful discussion, questions, and observations. Please remember that the professor is not attempting to encourage a specific student viewpoint, but rather to encourage conceptual and verbal clarity. Be respectful and tolerant of others. Disruptive or discourteous behavior, including repeated tardiness, will not be tolerated and may result in a lower grade, failure, or outright dismissal from the course. Excessive absence and/or lack of participation will lower the final grade. 

Test attendance. If you miss a quiz or exam, you will not automatically be granted a makeup. Makeups will be granted at the discretion of the instructor, and only in the case of extreme illness or other dire circumstances, for which you must supply written documentation from a doctor or other competent authority. Unexcused absence from a quiz or exam will result in a score of zero for the missed quiz or exam. If you wish to request a makeup, you must contact me within 2 days of the missed quiz or exam, and if a makeup is allowed, you must take it before I grade and return the quiz or exam to the rest of the class. If you know in advance that you will not be able to attend class on the day of the quiz or exam, see me well ahead of time, and if possible, I will arrange for you to take it early.

Course Schedule (May vary some depending on class interest and progress)
Aug. 20: Student information, general introduction to class.
Th 22: Pojman, introduction, pp. 1-4

Tu 27: Russell, "What can we Know? Appearance and Reality", pp. 5-8
Th 29: Pojman, introduction to skepticism, pp. 19-21; Descartes, Meditations I and II (pp. 22-28)

Tu, Sept. 3: Descartes, Meditations III and IV (pp. 28-39)
Th 5: Hume, "Skepticism Regarding the Senses (pp. 39-48)

Tu 10: Hume, "The Problem of Induction", (pp. 434-439)
Th 12: Class discussion and Review for exam.

Tu 17: Exam 1
Th 19: Coltheart and Davies, Introduction: Pathologies of Belief (pp. 1-46)

Tu 24: Coltheart and Davies, Introduction: Pathologies of Belief, cont'd. (pp. 1-46)
Th 26: Young, "Wondrous Strange: The Neuropsychology of Abnormal Beliefs" (pp. 47-73)

Oct. 1: Young, "Wondrous Strange: The Neuropsychology of Abnormal Beliefs" (pp. 47-73), cont'd, Review
Th 3: Exam 2

Tu 8: Gettier, "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?", (pp. 125-126)
Th 10: Goldman, "A Causal Theory of Knowing", (pp. 129-138) Note: Oct. 11 is the withdrawal deadline

Tu 15: Pojman, Introduction to Theories of Justification I, (pp. 157-162), and Chisholm, pp. 163-174.
Th 17: Audi, "Contemporary Modest Foundationalism", (pp. 175-182)

Tu 22: Bonjour, "A Critique of Foundationalism", (pp. 182-194)
Th 24: Dancy, "A Defense of Coherentism", (pp. 206-215)

Tu 29: Sosa, "The Raft and the Pyramid...", (pp. 222-237)
Th 31: Class discussion and Review

Tu, Nov. 5: Exam 3
Th 7: Pojman, "Challenges and Alternatives" (pp. 557-559) and Code, "Is the Sex of the Knower Epistemologically Significant?", pp. 559-571

Tu 12: James, "The Will to Believe", (pp. 518-526)
Th 14: "Insights into Theory of Mind from Deafness and Autism", (pp. 123-144)

Tu 19: "Imagination, Delusion, and Hallucinations", (p. 167-182)
Th 21: TBA

Tu 26:  Last day of class, review for final exam
Th 28: THANKSGIVING, NO CLASS

Final Exam: TBA