PHIL 360 - Philosophy and Feminisms

This course explores questions at the intersection of feminist philosophy and the theory of knowledge (epistemology). How have gendered assumptions influenced philosophical views about what knowledge is and how knowledge is best pursued? What roles, if any, should considerations of gender play in our theories of knowledge? In addition to these general questions, the course addresses issues in feminist philosophy of science, specifically issues concerning the scientific study of sexual differences in behavior and brain structure. The role of testimony in the transmission of knowledge is also considered. Feminist epistemologists and philosophers of language have explored ways in which gender affects the assessment of testimony as trustworthy. Patterns of acceptance of testimony matter for how the claims people make—in law courts and elsewhere—are heard (or not) by others. The course concludes by considering what this means for the proper philosophical treatment of testimony about personal experience.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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