Philosophy Roundtable: Epistemology, Belief and Fake News

Please join us this Sunday as we explore Epistemology and Belief. We will meet at the CAPTAIN MELVILLE, 34 Franklin St in Melbourne CBD, at 2.00pm for 2.15pm start. Late arrivals welcome! Kindly ensure you RSVP, even if you are not 100%, so we can prepare the area.

In this session we will continue on from last week, discussing Epistemology and what philosophers call 'epistemic responsibility'. This relates to our obligations around belief formation, whom we trust to ascertain facts, and whether we have a moral burden on our beliefs. We'll be considering all of this especially in the context of the media, misinformation, experts, conspiracy theories, and echo chambers.

There is no pre-requisite preparation necessary, nor a philosophical background; all that is required is a curious mind. These discussions are both a Socrates Cafe style discussion and lively metaphysical dojo, in the spirit of learning and friendly debate, so please feel free to challenge assumptions and be prepared have your own assumptions challenged!

Find below some questions to consider, however these are free-ranging events and the below serve merely as a springboard towards a deeper discussion in waters unknown...

Some points and questions to consider before the event:

• Is empirical evidence necessary for a belief; what is the role of intuition in belief?
• What is a 'justified true belief'?
• How do we sort between fact and fiction?
• What is foundationalism and what is coherentism?
• Should we trust the expert class for information?
• What constitutes a “harmful” belief?
• What are the causes for recent mass distrust in institutions, and are they valid?
• Is it philosophically sound to believe in conspiracy theories?
• Is it philosophically sound to believe in God or the supernatural?

Hope to see you there!