what is knowledge? what does it mean to ‘know’ something? what makes knowledge possible? how do we come to understand things? Are we born with innate knowledge, or is knowledge only acquired through sensory experience? Are our experiences of the world reliable? Do the findings of modern science have secure and logically sound foundations? furthermore, is the potential of human knowledge limitless? Or is it restricted by our sensory apparatus and intellectual capacity?
All of these questions and more form the basis of the branch of philosophy known as epistemology, the study of knowledge. while metaphysics investigates the fundamental nature of reality and reflects on what exists, epistemology asks how we can even know what exists. Do our experiences really give us access to “reality”? Can our judgments about the world be justified?
You are reading: Best books on epistemology
from socrates declaring that all he knows is that he knows nothing, discards worrying if the world around us is real, john locke insisting that there is no such thing as innate knowledge, to today’s more technical arguments about Whether evidence can rationally constrain or inform our beliefs: Philosophers throughout the ages have endlessly debated questions about our ability and access to knowledge.
what is at stake? just the state of everything we know!
This reading list features a mix of primary and secondary texts to give you a broad overview of epistemology. From contemporary introductions and anthologies to epistemological classics by the greats themselves, consuming this list will provide you with everything you could possibly want to know about knowing.
1. knowledge: a very brief introduction, by jennifer nagel
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Published in 2014, Knowledge of Canadian Philosopher Jennifer Nagel: A Very Short Introduction is an excellent starting point for anyone curious about epistemology. In an engaging and thought-provoking style, Nagel explains the formation of the major historical theories of knowledge and frames them through a contemporary lens. Coming in at 152 accessible pages, this is a very good entry point to major discussions within epistemology.
2. epistemology: a contemporary introduction to the theory of knowledge, by robert audi
robert audi is the john a. O’Brien, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, and in his 2010 Comprehensive Epistemology: A Contemporary Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge, offers expanded discussion and clarity around the key issues in epistemology. Considered essential reading for serious students of knowledge, at 432 pages, this is a more in-depth introduction to epistemology that authoritatively presents all sides of the debates.
3. epistemology: an anthology, by ernest sosa
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all things epistemology, look no further than American philosopher Ernest Sosa’s Monumental Epistemology: An Anthology, published in 2008. Sosa joins fellow philosophers Jaegwon Kim, Jeremy Fantl and Matthew McGrath to organize the most important epistemological writings of the past and present by topic. Addressing articles in such a context results in a thoroughly rewarding reading experience, and you’ll gain a holistic understanding of how debates about skepticism, the nature of knowledge, and epistemic justification have evolved over the years. At 736 pages, this anthology is a beast, but you won’t need another.
4. theaetetus, by plato
Moving from introductions and anthologies to primary epistemological texts, where better to begin than with a discussion of knowledge which, although over two thousand years old, is one of the best works on the subject and still provokes debate today? ? Among the best dialogues of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, Theaetetus is a conversation between Socrates and a student focused on the question: what is knowledge? the discussion is entertaining, illuminating, and far-reaching. This particular edition features an excellent commentary by the late scholar Myles Burnyeat, which lucidly contextualizes and enriches Plato’s thought. For anyone interested in knowledge, theaetetus is an essential addition to the shelf.
5. meditations on first philosophy, by rené descartes
René Descartes’s 1641 Meditations on First Philosophy is perceived as the beginning of modern philosophy in the Western tradition, and is still carefully studied in undergraduate philosophy classes as a foundational text to this day. It’s no wonder: in a highly accessible confessional style, Descartes manages to articulate some of the most vexing philosophical issues we face, all in less than 100 pages. An epistemological masterpiece, Descartes’ musings on early philosophy challenge everything we know with gripping literary passages. its historical significance, as well as its entertaining and insightful discussion of skepticism, makes it essential to this list.
6. an essay on human understanding, by john locke
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John Locke’s 1689 Essay on Human Understanding is one of the most important philosophical works of all time. He forever immortalized Locke as the empiricist of philosophy, when he argues that human beings are born blank slates, and that it is experience and experience alone that provides the mind with ideas. this was in stark contrast to his rationalist predecessors and contemporaries, who believed it self-evident that we are all born with innate ideas and knowledge. With this work, Locke formally began an argument that philosophers still have today. its originality and depth make an essay on human understanding a must-read for anyone interested in where our ideas come from.
7. an inquiry into human understanding, by david hume
Given the nearly identical title, 1748 by Scottish philosopher David Hume, An Inquiry into Human Understanding might initially be seen as a kind of act of tribute to Locke’s essay mentioned above. In fact, Hume follows Locke’s general line of empirical thought, but he arguably goes further by declaring that any investigation of what we can know that is not based on evidence-based logic must be “committed to the flames.” ”. if locke is the empiricist of philosophy, then hume is the skeptic: he sets up a series of now infamous problems with our concepts of causality, matter and the self, believing them all to be fictions. A champion of scientifically minded truth seekers everywhere, Hume makes no bones about his skepticism of thinking seemingly untethered from the world of experience. An Inquiry into Human Understanding is not only a central epistemology (and indeed metaphysics) text, but a fantastic introduction to philosophy as a whole, and rewards repeated reading.
8. immanuel kant’s critique of pure reason
German philosopher Immanuel Kant, awakened from a self-styled dogmatic slumber by the provocative writings of David Hume, sets out to rescue our understanding of skepticism in his 1781 masterpiece, Critique of Pure Reason. This landmark book seeks to unite the empiricism of Locke and Hume with the rationalism they criticized, arguing that reason precedes and makes possible our experience of the world. A difficult but staggeringly influential and insightful work, Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason is essential reading for any serious student of epistemology.
9. final questions, by bryan magee
Fast forward to 2017, British philosopher and broadcaster Bryan Magee reflects on his long career of thinking about and popularizing philosophy’s deepest questions with his short but surprising final questions. Nearing the end of his life (he passed away in 2019), Magee writes with a forceful command of the human situation and the limits of what we can know. Referencing the epistemological thoughts of other philosophers on this list, Magee’s latest questions are a poignant meditation on the value of why we question things. It’s 144 pages that anyone, not just those interested in epistemology, would benefit from reading.
further reading
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