Important epistemologists/philosophers of science

Describe the person, the approach, and the significance to epistemology (just one is sufficient--if you want to respond but someone has already posted the basics, you'll have to find something new to add):

Larry Laudan

Thomas Kuhn

W. V. O. Quine

Evelyn Fox Keller

Alison Jaggar

Donna Haraway

Karl Popper

Lorraine Code

Michael Polanyi

Vandana Shiva

Reflections on Epistemology

So, what is epistemology? Is it an important subject to study? Why/why not?

What have you learned in the course that surprised you?

What is the most valuable idea/lesson/argument you will take away from class?

What is still confusing to you or never seemed worthwhile?

Multiculturalism and feminist philosophy (Harding)

What do you make of Harding's argument (in the class reading)? Is she making a good argument--to draw on postcolonial science studies as well as global & multicultural feminisms? What do you think about her general claim that modern science has followed the interests of Europeans?

Feminist Philosophy of Science

1. Comment on an appropriate relationship between epistemology and science: should one inform the other? Mutually or just one-way? To what degree?

2. Comment on the feminist criticisms in epistemology and science. Which are persuasive to you? Why? Which do you find hard to understand or unacceptable? Why?

Embodied Knowledge

Please comment on the importance of including the body in an epistemological theory.

Dennett on Brain Research

What do you think about Dennett's talk? Strengths? Weaknesses? What do you think about the prospect of science informing epistemology?

Questions about the reading

Class: Post your questions about the readings here. I encourage you to help each other out with them. You might want to ask focused questions, or big picture questions, or posit objections/concerns.