Epistemology and Metaphysics

Marianne answers questions from the audience about the four talks in this series. 

In the fourth and final lecture, we examine the notion of ‘objective fact’ on which scientific theories are built; what sort of fact is such that we can build a scientific theory on it? 

In the second lecture we examine first the famous ‘Wilt Chamberlain’ thought experiment that demonstrates a retention between freedom and equality, then arguments for and against two famous moral theories; deontology and utilitarianism. 

The first of six lectures dealing with critical reasoning. In this lecture you will learn how to recognise arguments and what the nature of an argument is. 

Our topic is a subject's knowledge of his own phenomenal experience and of the content of his thought, but I will approach the topic from the outside, treating the subject as an object in the world. The first lecture will characterize, in a general way, this externalist strategy, ... Show More

Part three of a six-part series on critical reasoning. In this lecture we will focus on how to identify and analyse arguments, and how to set arguments out logic book-style to make them easier to evaluate. 

Part five of a six-part series on critical reasoning. In this lecture we will continue with the evaluation of arguments - this time deductive arguments - focusing in particular on the notion of validity. 

Fourth lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series. 

Lecture 1 of 6 in Marianne Talbot's series on critical reasoning for beginners. 

The second of six lectures dealing with critical reasoning. In this lecture you will learn about the different types of arguments, in particular deductive and inductive arguments. 

Part six of a six-part series on critical reasoning. In this final lecture we will look at fallacies. These are bad arguments that can easily be mistaken for good arguments. 

Ryan and Todd examine perhaps the founding text of modern Western philosophy--Rene Descartes' Discourse on the Method. They consider how Descartes articulates an egalitarian philosophy through his conception of radical doubt and examine the influence of this text of subsequent th ... Show More