How is Empirical Knowledge possible?
In this second essay assignment, the task is to develop a philosophical argument with regard to the possibility of knowledge. You have encountered different approaches in the texts and lectures that you studied for Module5.
The basic idea of this philosophical essay is to explore the important question concerning the foundations ofempirical knowledge. The essay entails that you show that you understand the problem of knowledge and then develop an approach that allows you to answer the question. This task involves two aspects, one related to content, the other related to method. In terms of the subject matter, you have to display an understanding of what it means to develop a theory of knowledge. Such a theory is not the science of a certain object domain itself, but it explains how science is possible, i.e. why we can trust or rely on scientific knowledge. Second, in terms of the method, this means that you provide reasons for your points, i.e. you explain which modes of experience can lead to and ground truth claims regarding the external world.
For this reason, the assignment entails that you
- Write an introductory section defining the basic point of epistemology/theory of knowledge
- Distinguish three possible types or sources of knowledge
- Reconstruct how Descartes tries to show that empirical knowledge is possible, and
- Challenge Descartes’ solution by mentioning one or several problems that relate to his theory of knowledge (and draw, if you like, on empiricism here)
- Finally, give a brief assessment of how we should understand the possibility of empirical knowledge (again, use empiricism if you like)
The paper should be 500 - 750 words. Please try to write no less and no more, as this also educates you in being sufficiently articulated and concise (i.e. not too short and not too long).
Deadline isSunday, November 14, 10 pm(as stated in the revisedAssignment Schedule, to be found on Homepage for all assignment deadlines).
The essay is graded according to a 15 point scale: 15 - 14 are in the A range, 13 – 11 in the B range, 10 - 8 in the C range, 7 is D, below 7 F.