Skepticism
Coursera
Skepticism is about doubt, and doubt is everywhere in the world around us today. There are doubts about whether man-made climate change is real, whether vaccinations are harmful, whether we can trust our politicians or our media, and so on. When is such skepticism warranted, and when does it stray into unreasonable territory? How widespread can such skepticism get while still being coherent? How might a radical skepticism have pernicious social consequences, such as by leading to relativism (and just what is relativism, and what is problematic about it)? These are all questions that we will be engaging with in this course Along the way we will consider some important philosophical issues, such as what the nature of knowledge is, whether there are any good arguments that show that knowledge is impossible, and how a moderate skepticism might accord with an ancient conception of the good life of human flourishing, one that essentially involves the intellectual virtues. This course is aimed at anyone who is interested in learning more about philosophy, along with those who are looking for strategies to combat extremism in their communities. Using these approaches, no matter what your skill levels in topics you would like to master, you can change your thinking and change your life. In this course, learners will: Explore the concept of Skepticism Discuss the role of Skepticism in contemporary society Identify common responses to Skepticism Compare/Contrast various forms of Skepticism Apply knowledge of Skepticism to form a personal stance Recognize why knowledge is more than just true belief
More resources on Epistemology
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Epistemology
A peer-reviewed survey of the theory of knowledge, covering the analysis of knowledge, justification, skepticism, and the internalism-externalism debate. Free and written for newcomers, it maps the field's main positions and the arguments between them.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Epistemology
Stanford's scholarly entry on the theory of knowledge, tracing what knowledge is, how belief is justified, and where the main disputes lie. Denser than an introductory text, with an extensive bibliography for following any thread further.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge
Collected essays and lectures in which Popper sets out falsifiability as the line between science and pseudoscience, argues that knowledge grows through conjecture and error elimination rather than induction, and extends the argument into history and politics.
Knowledge and Its Limits
Williamson's argument that knowledge is a primitive mental state rather than justified true belief, reversing the standard order of analysis. Demanding but influential, it reshaped how contemporary philosophers frame evidence, assertion, and the limits of self-knowledge.
Theaetetus
Plato's dialogue in which Socrates presses Theaetetus on what knowledge is, testing and rejecting three definitions: perception, true belief, and true belief with an account. Reading it clarifies why justified true belief remains contested.