Bio: I am currently an M.A. student at the University of Bayreuth’s Philosophy & Economics program, set to graduate in December 2016. My most recent research collaboration was with the economics department at the University of Athens where I investigated the economic and philosophical foundations of (re-)distributive justice within the European Union. The project was funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and findings were presented to Yanis Varoufakis and other representatives of the Greek government. My academic interests include epistemic normativity and metaethics. I intend to continue research in one of these areas at the PhD level next year.
Dates of Visit: 3 May – 31 July 2016
Project Title: Understanding in Epistemology: A Conceptual Analysis
Project Description: This project focuses on the similarities and differences between knowledge and understanding. Epistemologists have produced a vast body of literature on the nature and value of knowledge. Yet, we have cases where an agent has knowledge of some matter but lacks understanding of the same. There is widespread agreement that understanding has epistemological import over and above mere knowledge. However there exists no agreement on what understanding actually amounts to. This projects provides a conceptual analysis of “understanding” and also identifies necessary and sufficient conditions for it to obtain.