Readings in Contemporary Epistemology

by Fred I. Dretske

Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, is concerned with how we know what we do and what justifies us in believing what we do. The philosophical literature in epistemology has mushroomed in the past four decades, and interest in the topic continues to be widespread. In this anthology, Fred Dretske and Sven Bernecker have collected the most important and influential writings in epistemology. It provides the fullest review to date of contemporary epistemology, including frequently neglected topics such as dominant responses to scepticism, introspection, memory, and testimony. Forty-one readings are organized into fifteen subject areas that are key to a broad understanding of contemporary theory of knowledge. A readable introduction to each subject outlines the problems discussed in the essays that follow so readers can more effectively focus on analysing them. The book is primarily designed for undergraduate courses on theories of knowledge. It will also be of use to university students in other fields as well as interested general readers.

Genres: Philosophy, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Anthologies, Reference

570 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2000

About the author

Frederick Irwin Dretske is a philosopher noted for his contributions to epistemology and the philosophy of mind. Recent work centers on conscious experience and self-knowledge. He was awarded the Jean Nicod Prize in 1994. Dretske received his Ph.D from The University of Minnesota and taught for a number of years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before moving to Stanford University. After retiring from Stanford, he moved to Duke University where he is now research professor of Philosophy.
Dretske holds externalist views about the mind, and thus he tries in various writings to show that by means of mere introspection one actually learns about his own mind less than might be expected.

Reviews

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting survey of approaches to epistemology (essentially the study of whether it is possible to know that one knows anything), but I ultimately found the readings deeply unsatisfying. True epistemological skepticism (the assertion that it is impossible to know that one knows anything) is my own position and none of these essays or treatises come any closer to overcoming the skeptic's position than "Well, if we ASSUME that what we're experiencing is real and that we're capable of objective, empirical observation...".

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collections of essays on contemporary issues in epistemology.

[Harry Tanama]

The book was difficult to understand but with the help of my professor, he gave me understanding about consciousness. This my textbook for my philosophy class I took at UC Irvine.