epistemology - recommendations?

can anyone recommend some good epistemological reads?

and if anyone has time to spare mind putting some interesting epistemological ideas/ theories in this thread, i am quite interested but just don't know how to start.

Reply 1

musicbloke

17

candystrippa

can anyone recommend some good epistemological reads?

and if anyone has time to spare mind putting some interesting epistemological ideas/ theories in this thread, i am quite interested but just don't know how to start.

Why not read Descartes' meditations. It's the birth of modern theories of knowledge, and not too difficult.

MB

Reply 2

gezzar

Jonathan Dancy, Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology (Oxford, Blackwell, 1985)

This is a standard introductory text if you can get your hands on it.

Reply 3

Reema

14

Try the opening chapters of Simon Blackburn's "Think". It's a good and accessible introduction to the subject in general, and well worth a read.

For a classic, Bertrand Russell's "Problems of Philosophy" is relatively recent, and worth a flick through - especially the opening chapters. The entire book, although it appears "introductory" is focused on the epistemological issues, and should be short enough.

Plato's "Meno" is good, and short - and provides an interesting approach to the notion of/distinction between what is now regarded as "a priori/a posteriori" knowledge. Another classic, a very entertaining read and provides plenty of food for thought. That's the thing with these ancient philosophers, some of their theories are so "off-the-wall" that they force you to think for yourself and to develop on their good ideas.

I second musicbloke's recommendation of the Meditations, but Blackburn does an excellent job of summarising *and* critiquing Descartes' argument. There are a lot of logical flaws in the Meditations, and it's good to get an overview of those flaws before jumping straight in. I suggest that you read Blackburn on Descartes first, and then Descartes himself. I just finished the Meditations - worth a read, but I've read more intriguing philosophical arguments. Take this lightly coming from someone a little more on the "empiricist" side though.

Reply 4

candystrippa

OP

2

yep ive actually read the meditations.... but somehow it seemed pretty short... much shorter than i expected... i expected to be like as long as an average novel sth like the first harry potter novel.... have i been reading an incomplete version or what?

Reply 5

Reema

14

No, you haven't been reading an incomplete version. It *is* very short - it's still a small book, even when Penguin published it with his Discourses (of quite a rambly philosophical nature that echoes his argument in Meditations) and with an editor's introduction. Descartes' scope isn't very wide, in any case - considering he's arguing for knowledge from a totally a priori perspective. So yes, it is very short.

epistemology - recommendations?

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