Knowledge, Individuals and Society
UndergraduateLTU-PHI2KIS2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Enrol today with instant approval and no entry requirements
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 23 Feb 2025
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Knowledge, Individuals and Society
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Research, critically analyse and synthesise unfamiliar ideas and lines of argument, whilst locating them in their historical and cultural context of production.
- Employ rigorous and systematic methods in the resolution of complex philosophical problems.
- Work collaboratively towards the formulation of a shared position in relation to the defensibility of a philosophical idea, claim or argument.
- Write articulate, focused and well-structured essays in support of a philosophical claim.
- The Nature and Value of Knowledge
- Pascal's Wager and Practical Reasons for Belief
- Experimental Epistemology
- Voting and the Wisdom of the Crowds
- Issues in Legal Reasoning
Think of all the different beliefs you hold about various matters. How many of these, if any, constitute genuine knowledge rather than mere opinion? What does this distinction amount to and why is it important? To what extent do the standards for what counts as knowledge depend on context? Can you know something without knowing that you know it? What makes a belief justified or reasonable? Is it ever reasonable to hold a belief if you have no evidence to support it? What is the value of knowledge in our individual lives and in society? These are some of the central questions in epistemology-- the philosophical study of the nature, extent, and value, of knowledge and justified belief. In this course we will explore these and related questions using both historical and contemporary sources. Epistemological questions crop up absolutely everywhere--i n science, the humanities, politics, religion, and everyday life--and this course will give you the tools to tackle such questions wherever you find them.
This is a level 2 subject. This subject includes live sessions with the expectation of student attendance and participation.
- Early Assessment Quiz (equivalent to 250 words) (10%)
- Essay (1000 words) (35%)
- Essay (1,750 words) (45%)
- Online Forum Contributions: x10 short written responses of at least 120 word contributions (1,200 words in total) (10%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
The third university established in Victoria, La Trobe University has a diverse community of more than 38,000 students and staff. Its commitment to excellence in teaching and research prepares students to make a bold and positive impact in today's global community. La Trobe provides Open Universities Australia with its core tenets, entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Learn more about La Trobe University.
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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
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What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
UndergraduateLAT-AHS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
Bachelor of Information Technology
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
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