title: Epistemology: A Contemporary Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy, Vol. 2)
author:  Robert Audi 
description: "Easily among the best and most comprehensive introductions to epistemology." -- <i>Noah Lemos, De Pauw University</i>
zlib_text: The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology   
   
   
  Preface  
   
  Epistemology, also known as the theory of knowledge, will flourish as long as we deem 
  knowledge valuable. We shall, I predict, continue to value knowledge, if only for its 
  instrumental value: it gets us through the day as well as the night. Indeed, it's hard to 
  imagine a stable person, let alone a stable society, indifferent to the real difference 
  between genuine knowledge and mere opinion, even mere true opinion. The study of 
  knowledge, then, has a very bright future. 
  In the concept-sensitive hands of philosophers, epistemology focuses on the nature, 
  origin, and scope of knowledge. It thus examines the defining ingredients, the sources, 
  and the limits of knowledge. Given the central role of epistemology in the history of 
  philosophy as well as in contemporary philosophy, epistemologists will always have 
  work to do. Debates over the analysis of knowledge, the sources of knowledge, and the 
  status of skepticism will alone k