The aims of this course are:
- to understand the general epistemic issues surrounding testimony, expert opinion, disagreement and the role of information in society.
- to discuss the special epistemic problems raised by modern social media.
- to reflect on how to become more critical media consumers and creators in one’s personal life.
- to reflect on how institutions should improve access to information while reducing the spread of disinformation.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
On completion of the course, students will be able to
1.1 Apply these concepts to real life cases, such as historic misinformation campaigns or contemporary conspiracy theories.
1.2 Critically evaluate how our knowledge of the world is influenced by media bias
1.3 Assess the ethical issues surrounding fake news, partisan media, free speech, and private censorship.
1.4 Utilize strategies for identifying misleading claims or non-credible sources.