Postgraduate Course: Epistemology (Online) (PHIL11131)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences | 
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
 
| Course type | Online Distance Learning | 
Availability | Available to all students | 
 
| SCQF Credits | 20 | 
ECTS Credits | 10 | 
 
 
| Summary | The course examines the nature of human knowledge and cognition.  This area is called 'epistemology' and it is among the classic and continuously prominent sub-fields of philosophy.  No previous philosophical or logical expertise is required.  Any technical / unfamiliar terms will be defined as we go. | 
 
| Course description | 
    
    The course covers a range of core topics in epistemology, such as (inexhaustive list): the analysis of knowledge; scepticism; the structure of justification; externalism and internalism about knowledge and justification; feminism and epistemology; contextualism; relativism; knowledge-first epistemology; the norm of assertion; epistemological methodology.
    
    
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
 | 
Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  None | 
 
 
Information for Visiting Students 
| Pre-requisites | None | 
 
		| High Demand Course? | 
		Yes | 
     
 
Course Delivery Information
 |  
| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1) 
  
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Quota:  None | 
 
| Course Start | 
Semester 1 | 
 
| Course Start Date | 
19/09/2022 | 
 
Timetable  | 
	
Timetable | 
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) | 
 
 Total Hours:
200
(
 Lecture Hours 22,
 Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
 | 
 
| Assessment (Further Info) | 
 
  Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
 | 
 
 
| Additional Information (Assessment) | 
Students will be assessed by an essay plan (15%), a 2500 word essay at the end of the semester (85%) and successful participation in the on-line activities associated with the course. How the participation component will be assessed will be made clear to the students at the start of the course. | 
 
| Feedback | 
Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay. The essay cannot be draft of the summative essay but it can be on the same topic. | 
 
| No Exam Information | 
 
Learning Outcomes 
    On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
    
        - articulate central issues, views and concepts in epistemology
 - critically analyze and engage with the contemporary epistemological literature.
 - present arguments clearly and concisely both within a classroom and in a 2,500-word essay.
 - gain transferable skills in research, analysis and argumentation.
 - critically discuss philosophical arguments with peers.
 
     
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Reading List 
| The core text for this course will be Epistemology (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), by Duncan Pritchard. Additional readings will be assigned for each individual topic. |   
 
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills | 
Students can develop their ability for independent learning through online resources. | 
 
| Keywords | Epistemology | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Martin Smith 
Tel: (0131 6)50 3654 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Miss Sabina Ali 
Tel: (0131 6) 50 4400 
Email:  | 
   
 
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