Knowledge
By Lisa Mosconi
A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Summary of Knowledge book by Lisa Mosconi
A thought-provoking overview of philosophical theories about knowledge, from the ancient Greeks to the present, diving into profound questions regarding the nature of truth, belief, and reality itself.
Chapters in Knowledge book summary
What do you get from this book? A tour of the myriad philosophical debates around our capacity for knowledge
Epistemology is a deeply rooted branch of philosophy that questions the nature of human knowledge
“Knowing” is not the same as “thinking” or “believing”—it is inextricably tied to truth, another debated concept
Skepticism questions whether we can truly know anything at all, a position that has been difficult to disprove
The ‘brain in a vat’ thought experiment is persuasive, but critics of skepticism give us good reason to trust reality
Rationalism and empiricism emerged in the early Modern period and drew on a new scientific way of thinking
Edmund Gettier shook up epistemology in the 1960s by showing that true, justified beliefs don’t always count as knowledge
Internalists and externalists debate the need for direct, individual access to evidence supporting a belief
Testimony is information that we gain from others; some epistemologists consider it a special, direct form of knowledge
Contextualism argues that what we know depends on our circumstances and criteria, reconciling skepticism with other epistemological theories
We all share a special intuitive capacity to spot knowledge, although those intuitions aren’t always right
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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Knowledge — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Knowledge book
- Humanities students
- philosophy enthusiasts
- curious people
- anyone interested in the concept of knowledge
- fans of Greek philosophy
About the author of Knowledge
Lisa Mosconi
Jennifer Nagel, Ph.D. is a Canadian philosopher and professor at the University of Toronto. She specializes in epistemology and the philosophy of mind, having written about central figures like John Locke and René Descartes. Nagel also founded Room for More, a Toronto-based organization which helps Syrian refugees arriving in Canada.
Books similar to Knowledge
Related books that explore themes found in Knowledge
Stuart Firestein
How It Drives Science. Oxford University Press, 2012.
Samuel Arbesman
Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date. Current, 2012.
Raewyn Connell
Social Science and the Global Dynamics of Knowledge. Polity, 2007.
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away. Pantheon Books, 2014.
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