Theory of Knowledge

In a vat, a brain floating in liquid is connected to a computer.  A thought bubble above the brain reads "I'm walking outside in the sun!!"

Hilary Putnam's "Brain in a Vat" thought experiment is a modern version of Descartes' argument of an evil demon feeding false information to the senses. (This image is in the public domain. Source: Was a bee.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

24.211

As Taught In

Spring 2014

Level

Undergraduate

Course Features

Course Description

This course is an introduction to epistemology: the theory of knowledge. We will focus on skepticism—that is, the thesis that we know nothing at all—and we will survey a range of skeptical arguments and responses to skepticism.

Other OCW Versions

Archived versions: Question_avt logo

Declan Smithies. 24.211 Theory of Knowledge, Spring 2014. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA


For more information about using these materials and the Creative Commons license, see our Terms of Use.


Close