Hackett Publishing Co, Inc

"Doug Campbell lays out a comprehensive and fair-minded account of both the benefits and the drawbacks of social media for our era. He attaches these evaluations to both the individual and to society as a whole. The case studies are compelling and exhibit a keen awareness of the current moment. How should we live, now that many or even most of us are at least partially online? Campbell addresses this question from the point of view of privacy, attention, politics, misinformation, online ostracism, online friendship, and the potential benefits of simply quitting social media or at least some of its more pernicious platforms. Along the way, Campbell ties his discussions back to philosophical concerns raised by Plato, Aristotle, and Xunzi, among others. He also connects his discussion with recent work in feminist philosophy. And each chapter concludes with a succinct definition of key terms and suggested case studies and discussion topics that will engage students at all levels. An impressive accomplishment, and one that deserves a place in the classroom." —Mark Alfano, Macquarie University

Human knowledge is fundamentally social. Most of the processes by which we acquire and evaluate information in everyday life—giving and receiving testimony, identifying experts, and relying on them—involve whole communities of people. The successful use of knowledge to solve problems is thus most often a collective achievement. Likewise, the failure to leverage knowledge is seldom the fault of a single individual.Beginning each chapter with a real-life example, Applied Epistemology demonstrates how various concepts of knowledge relate to problems arising in practical contexts. From trusting testimony and recognizing experts, to acknowledging bias and resisting propaganda, Applied Epistemology teaches us how to use theories of knowledge to navigate our complex world.