Understanding Knowledge

The world's best introduction to epistemology, Understanding Knowledge discusses basic philosophical problems in epistemology, including such questions as: What is knowledge? How can we know about the world outside our minds? How do we know about things that are unobservable? Are intuitions a legitimate source of knowledge? What justifies any of our beliefs? The text clearly and succinctly explains the most important theories and arguments about these things, and it does so a lot less boringly than most books written by professors.

“When I get a little money, I buy [Mike Huemer’s] books; if any is left, I buy food and clothes.” –Erasmus

“Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind, and students without Mike Huemer’s books are dumb.” –Immanuel Kant

“I think; therefore, I am. Also, buy Huemer’s books.” –René Descartes

Contents
Preface
Part I: General Issues About Knowledge & Justification
1. Introduction
2. What Is Knowledge?
3. More Logical and Semantic Debates
4. The Structure of Knowledge
5. Grounds of Foundational Justification
6. Meta-Knowledge
7. Taxonomy and Paradigms of Knowledge
Part II: Sources of Knowledge
8. Perception & Skepticism
9. Theories of Perception
10. Pure Reason
11. Memory
12. Induction
13. Testimony
Part III: Areas of Knowledge
14. Scientific Knowledge
15. Moral Knowledge
16. Religious Knowledge
Part IV: Applied Epistemology
17. Rational Irrationality
18. Critical Thinking and Trust in Experts
19. Peer Disagreement
Afterword
Glossary

Michael Huemer is a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, where he has taught since the dawn of time. He is the author of a nearly infinite number of articles in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy, plus eight and a half other amazing and brilliant books that you should immediately buy.