Customer Reviews

Theory of Knowledge (Prentice-Hall Foundations of Philosophy Series)

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Roderick Chisholm's "Theory of Knowledge" covers the nature of knowledge, evidence, reason, perception and truth, among other topics in epistemology. The book is therefore quite comprehensive, without sacrificing too much depth.
The book is very well organised and written with the clarity for which Chisholm was legendary. It is rigorous, but not boring. Chisholm illuminates his discussion with many interesting examples drawn from other areas of philosophy, showing the relevance of epistemology to these areas.
Chisholm is influenced by Thomas Reid in many respects. However, he does not consider the problem of scepticism as seriously as does Reid; in my opinion, a major lacuna in the book is the absence of an extensive discussion of the problem of scepticism. The book (or, at least, my edition of it) was also written some time ago, and is not up to date with some recent developments in epistemology. However, Amazon.com seems to be offering a later edition of the book, which has been updated.
Roderick Chisholm was among the greatest philosophers and teachers of his generation, and this little book introduced a generation to epistemology or the theory of knowledge. It remains an excellent introduction to epistemology and a rich source of knowledge. Some, however, have claimed that this book is difficult for those without some previous exposure to analytic philosophy.