Introduction to Digital Epistemology

In today’s digital world, we are constantly bombarded with information — some of it helpful, much of it misleading. This course explores how we, as digital epistemic subjects, can navigate complex online environments shaped by fake news, conspiracy theories, echo chambers, and shifting norms of trust and mistrust. You'll begin by examining the major epistemic challenges of the digital age, including the impact of online storage and information overload. Next, you'll explore two crucial problems: cognitive offloading — our growing dependence on digital tools for knowledge — and digital skepticism, which questions the reliability of online information sources. Building on these insights, you’ll be introduced to virtue epistemology, an approach that emphasizes the importance of intellectual character traits — like open-mindedness and intellectual courage — in acquiring genuine knowledge. Finally, you’ll put theory into practice by reflecting on how cultivating epistemic virtues (and avoiding epistemic vices) can help us meet the unique epistemological challenges of the digital age. By the end of the course, you’ll understand how the digital environment influences what and how we know.