One of my “fun classes” that I’m auditing is the undergraduate Epistomology class that is offered by the philosophy department. I figured that since the word ‘epistomology’ is tossed around in my rhetoric classes a great deal, I thought it would be good to understand it from a broader, philosophical sense. I was amused by this though:
The teacher, the philosophy department head, scanned the room and asked current philosophy majors to answer, “What is epistomology?”
There was the usual, anxious, first-day looking around, with one boy hesitantly saying, “Cross modal learning?” [I shouldn't admit that I know what that means.] After a hush fell across the room, the teacher slightly waved his hands and burst out with, “No, no, no - that’s too fancy of a description!”
In grad school, everyone would have nodded thoughtfully, written it in our notes, and after class moaned, “What the hell does that mean?”
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August 23, 2007 at 11:32 am
E
Ah, the Q & A opening introduction with the person who maybe read ahead too much. I remember the times fondly.
August 23, 2007 at 1:27 pm
deborahro
My favorite bluff when a show-off said something I didn’t get was, “Well, in a conventional sense, sure, but how do you explain the inherent contradictions?” Usually, not understanding ME, they would elaborate, and I would shrug and nod, as if to say “okay, I see your point and will consider it.” If I got a question back, that was the tricky part, had to just look at the prof and smirk, “Sorry, didn’t mean to sidetrack us.” Ah, education. Technique also works in meetings.
August 23, 2007 at 3:53 pm
firewings
*scribbles that down* I’m going to try that one.
August 23, 2007 at 8:41 pm
eatsbugs
*scribbles that down to use on his 7th graders*
August 25, 2007 at 9:50 am
Sarah
Call me the layman, but what is epistomology? (realzing i’m probably the only non-undergrad/grad on your board and one would probebly not come across it in the day to day life of a single mother of a steak fiend)
August 25, 2007 at 9:51 am
K
haha, that sounds like a good technique! too bad i cant pronounce it.
*runs out to buy hooked on phonics*
August 25, 2007 at 9:51 am
Sarah
well crap I messed that word.
August 27, 2007 at 12:01 pm
K
Definitions of epistemology on the Web:
* The study of what is meant by “knowledge”. What does it mean to “know” something as opposed to merely having an opinion. This issue has been at the core of Western philosophy since before Socrates, since, until it has been answered, all other questions become unsolvable.
academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/virtual/glossary.htm
I is smart.
August 28, 2007 at 6:21 am
Sarah
Thanks!!!
So basically it is a worthless class and she would do better to put her efforts into a class that studies the effects of Spiderman and other such Super Heros on the American youth of today. Because it sounds a bit more hepful than studying something that we probebly can’t explain. But then again to devote an entire class to it…..
August 30, 2007 at 3:16 am
Thebutton
Ok, you can tell labor day is coming soon when I see that word and read it as episiotomy and think, “no, I don’t want one of those!”
So the study of what it is to know…wow…*head thunk*