Day 2: In the Beginning…

•      Questions about the course or my expectations?

•      Important Questions in and summary of the Meno

•      Some Questions we will explore

•      The Meno and Contemporary Epistemology

•      Reading Assignment:

–   (1) “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? ” (E. Gettier)

–   (2) IE, pp. 51-65

Important Questions in and Summary of the Meno

•      Can virtue be taught?

•      What is virtue?

•      How can you look for something if you do not know what it is?

•      Is virtue knowledge?

•      What is knowledge, and how does it differ from opinion?

Some Questions We Will Explore

•      What is knowledge?  How can it be defined or understood?

•      What is the structure of knowledge?

•      Can we acquire knowledge?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

•      The above questions can be asked substituting weaker notions such as “warrant”, “reasonableness”, “justification” and the like

•      Which types of questions form a proper part of epistemology?  Can empirical research (psychological, sociological, …) inform or guide epistemology?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

The Meno vs. Contemporary Epistemology

•      I want to compare and contrast the Meno with contemporary epistemology on the following points:

    – The nature of moral and political virtue

    – Whether such virtue is knowledge

    – The method and cognitive nature of knowledge acquisition

    – The definition or characterization of knowledge

Reading Assignment

•      Please Read

–   (1) “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? ” (Edmund Gettier)

–   (2) IE, pp. 51-65

•      Does Gettier’s critique apply to the Meno?  If so, why?  If not, why not?