Epistemology: How do we know what is True?

Join us at 2pm, Sunday at the Captain Melville in Melbourne CBD (34 Franklin St) for an interactive discussion on the philosophy of Epistemology.

Socrates Cafe is a collective pursuit to try and think deeply about a topic or question, and to learn from each other. Feel free to BYO way of approaching this topic. These events welcome all viewpoints, questions and opinions and are suited for amateur philosophers and curious minds. No background in philosophy is necessary.

This Sunday we will be exploring 'epistemic responsibility', belief formation, what makes a valid belief, and whether we have an ethical impetus of responsibility regarding the beliefs we hold. This relates to our obligations around belief formation, trusting each other's testimonies and spreading ideas amongst one another. We'll be considering all of this especially in the context of the media, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and echo chambers.

No pre-reading is required, but if you'd like to familiarise yourself with the basics, this YouTube video is a great place to start: https://youtu.be/AYkhlXronNk?si=SwJoQ5VKU5BO8C1b

Some further questions to consider before the event...

• Is it immoral to believe with insufficient evidence? Why or why not?
• What responsibilities, if any, do we have regarding the formation of beliefs? Should we level blame on those who fail to meet their responsibilities?
• Is cancelling or silencing a justifiable response towards someone spreading unevidenced beliefs?
• When should we trust the testimony of others, and how do we determine who is an 'expert' on a topic?
• What should we do in light of others holding beliefs that disagree with our own?
• What constitutes a “harmful” belief?

We would love to see you there 🙂