PHIL-312 Truth, Lies, and BS
Philosophers since Plato have thought about the relationship between speech and reality. To coordinate and cooperate in a shared world, humans need to be able to rely on the testimony of others: to trust that, for the most part, what we hear is likely be true, justified, credible, and so on. And yet: the world regularly gives us reason to doubt what we hear from others. How should we resolve this practical dilemma? This course answers by looking at the philosophy of language and social and political philosophy to help us get a grip on how to navigate between representation and reality in an uncertain world.