Epistemology | Philosophy | The University of Sheffield

Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. It is concerned with the mind's relation to reality. What is it for this relation to be one of knowledge? Do we know ... Skiptomaincontent Searchsheffield.ac.uk Closemenu× DepartmentofPhilosophy Undergraduate Undergraduatestudy Courses Howtoapply Alternativeentry Opendays Studyabroad Feesandfunding   Europeanandinternationalstudents WhystudyPhilosophy Careers Studentprofiles Alumniprofiles Staffprofiles Postgraduate Postgraduatestudy Howtoapply Visitus Europeanandinternationalstudents Ourpostgraduatecommunity Whatourstudentssay Masterscourses Fundingandscholarships Mastersstudentprofiles PhDstudy PhDfunding PhDstudentprofiles Research Ourresearch Researchthemes Researchcentresandprojects Researchactivitiesandevents Academicvisitorapplications People Ourpeople Academicstaff CurrentPhDresearchers Administrativestaff   Teachingfellowsandaffiliatedstaff Informationforcurrentstudents Alumni Department Aboutus News Events Philosophyessaycompetition   Equality,DiversityandInclusion PhilosophyHub Contactus DepartmentofPhilosophy Undergraduate Undergraduatestudy Courses Howtoapply Alternativeentry Opendays Studyabroad Feesandfunding   Europeanandinternationalstudents WhystudyPhilosophy Careers Studentprofiles Alumniprofiles Staffprofiles Postgraduate Postgraduatestudy Howtoapply Visitus Europeanandinternationalstudents Ourpostgraduatecommunity Whatourstudentssay Masterscourses Fundingandscholarships Mastersstudentprofiles PhDstudy PhDfunding PhDstudentprofiles Research Ourresearch Researchthemes Researchcentresandprojects Researchactivitiesandevents Academicvisitorapplications People Ourpeople Academicstaff CurrentPhDresearchers Administrativestaff   Teachingfellowsandaffiliatedstaff Informationforcurrentstudents Alumni Department Aboutus News Events Philosophyessaycompetition   Equality,DiversityandInclusion PhilosophyHub Contactus   Youarehere Home DepartmentofPhilosophy Research Researchthemes Epistemology Epistemology Off Epistemologyisthetheoryofknowledge.Itisconcernedwiththemind’srelationtoreality.Whatisitforthisrelationtobeoneofknowledge?Doweknowthings?Andifwedo,howandwhendoweknowthings?Thesequestions,andsothefieldofepistemology,isasoldasphilosophyitself.Answeringthesequestionsrequiresconsideringtherelationshipbetweenknowledge,truth,belief,reason,evidenceandreliability.Itrequiresconsideringthedifferentpsychologicalroutestoknowledge,includingdifferentprocessesofreasoning–logicalandscientific–introspection,perception,memory,testimonyandintuition.Anditrequiresconsideringthenatureoftheknownreality:Howweknowourownmindsdiffersfromhowweknowthemindsofothers;socialrealitiesaredifferentlyknowntomentalones;theroutetoscientificknowledgeisdifferenttotheroutetomathematicalknowledge;andmoralknowledgeisnotmerelyfactual.Andthroughoutthesedebatesthereistheconstantundercurrentofscepticism,whichsuggeststhatwecanneverknowtherealitybehindappearances. Thefieldofepistemologyisthusnowavastonewithnumerousresearchareasandissues.Sheffieldhasanestablishedexcellenceinawiderangeoftheseareas.Wereceivedresearchgrantstoworkontheepistemologyoftestimony,thevalue,rationality,andnormativityoftrust,theeducationandthecivicsignificanceofintellectualvirtues.Wehavereceivedgrantstoputonconferencesonthephilosophyoftrustandtranscendentalresponsestoscepticism.Wehaveaparticularlykeeninterestinthemoresocialdimensionsofepistemology,andintheinterconnectionsbetweenthemoralandtheepistemic.  BothJamesLenmanandMaxKhanHaywardhaveworkedonmoralepistemology,therelationshipbetweenmoralandepistemicvaluesandthewayinwhichepistemicconstraintsimpactonmoraltheory.Thequestionofwhetheryoucanhavemoralorpracticalreasonsforbelief,andhowmoralorpracticalandepistemicreasoninteractisalsoathemethatemergesinPaulFaulkner’swork,whichhasfocusedontheknowledgeweacquirefromtestimonyandtheroleoftrustinthisprocess.PaulhasabookonthisKnowledgeonTrust,whichhadaspecialjournalsymposiumdedicatedtodiscussingit.ThisfocushasledFaulknertowriteextensivelyonsocialepistemology.Whatistheplaceoffriendshipinepistemology?Canwecommunicatemoralknowledge,aestheticknowledgeandourknowledgeofwhatourexperiencesarelike?Whatshouldwesayaboutthemorecollectivedimensionsofknowledge,suchascollaborativescience?Howshouldwerespondtodisagreement?Whatshouldwemakeofotherwaysofthinkingthatseemalienorplainwrong?Isthereanyepistemicrationalitytoconversion?  Oneresponsehereistothinkthatanyconfidencemustbebasedonepistemicvirtues,wherevirtueepistemologyissomethingthatfiguresprominentlyinRyanByerly’swork,givenhisinterestintheintellectualvirtuesandtheirsocialcultivation.RyaniscurrentlywritingabookIntellectualDependability:AVirtueTheoryoftheEpistemicandEducationalIdeal.Relatedtodisagreement,RosannaKeefehaswrittenonwhatisinvolvedinthesuspensionofbelief.Herapproachtothistakesamoreformaldirectionandinvolvesaninvestigationtodegreesofbeliefandthevaguenessthatinfectbelief.  ThisavenueconnectswithDominicGregory’sinterestinmodalepistemologyorthestudyofourknowledgeofthenecessaryandpossible.Heisalsointerestedintheroleourimaginationcanplayingroundingthisknowledge.ThescepticalundercurrentinepistemologyisthenrepresentedintheworkofBobSternwhosebookTranscendentalArgumentsandScepticismdiscussestheefficacyoftranscendentalargumentsinrespondingtoscepticismandscepticaldoubt. Representativepublications: Byerly,T.R.(forthcoming).IntellectualDependability:AVirtueTheoryoftheEpistemicand EducationalIdeal.Routledge. Faulkner,P.(2011).KnowledgeonTrust.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress. Faulkner,P.andSimpson,T.(eds)(2017).ThePhilosophyofTrust.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.  Faulkner,P.(2018).“Collectivetestimonyandcollectiveknowledge”.Ergo. Gregory,D.(2011),“Iteratedmodalities,meaning,andaprioriknowledge”.PhilosophersImprint. Gregory,D.(2017),“Counterfactualreasoningandknowledgeofpossibilities”.PhilosophicalStudies. Gregory,D.(2019).“Imageryandpossibility’.Noûs. Hayward,M.K.(2018).“Non-naturalistmoralrealismandthelimitsofrationalreflection”.AustralasianJournalofPhilosophy. Lenman,J.(2007).“Whatismoralinquiry?”ProceedingsoftheAristotelianSociety. Stern,R.(2000).TranscendentalArgumentsandScepticism.OxfordUniversityPress. Stern,R.(2019).“Transcendentalarguments”,StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy. Relatedinformation Researchthemes Flagshipinstitutes TheUniversity’sfourflagshipinstitutesbringtogetherourkeystrengthstotackleglobalissues,turninginterdisciplinaryandtranslationalresearchintoreal-worldsolutions. Flagshipinstitutes