From Plato, through Descartes to W.V. Quine and Edmund Gettier, this concise introduction and reference guide explores the history of thinking about 'knowledge'. Exploring what great philosophers have written about the nature of knowledge and about how we know what we know, this is a concise and accessible introduction to the field of epistemology. "Epistemology: The Key Thinkers" tells the story of how epistemological thinking has developed over the centuries, through the work of the finest thinkers on the topic. Chapters by leading contemporary scholars guide readers through the ideas of key philosophers, beginning with Plato and Aristotle, through Descartes and the British empiricists, to such twentieth-century thinkers such as Wittgenstein, Quine, Goldman, and beyond. The final chapter looks to the future, highlighting some of the very latest debates that energise philosophical writing today about knowledge. Each chapter ends with a guide to further reading, encouraging students to explore the key writings for themselves, making "Epistemology: The Key Thinkers" a perfect guide for study, revision, and reference. "The Key Thinkers" series is aimed at undergraduate students and offers clear, concise and accessible edited guides to the key thinkers in each of the central topics in philosophy. Each book offers a comprehensive overview of the major thinkers who have contributed to the historical development of a key area of philosophy, providing a survey of their major works and the evolution of the central ideas in that area.

‘There has long been a serious need for a systematic look at the history of epistemology. This volume, written by experts on the various figures who have done so much to shape epistemology as it now is, will go a long way toward filling that gap. It should be essential reading for epistemologists and historians alike.' -- Baron Reed, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Northwestern University, USA
‘The best history of philosophy is the wellspring of insightful metaphilosophy. This volume is a prime example of both. As these essays so vividly show, the history of epistemology may be a singularly bountiful supply of metaphilosophical insights, for the sharpness of its main problems and the complexity in its most seductive failures.' -- Claudio de Almeida, Professor of Philosophy, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
Contemporary Epistemology is often practised in historical void. This excellent collection of essays broadens the landscape, by tracing its origins from Plato to modern and contemporary philosophers. This healthy historical cure will help a lot of students and teachers in epistemology to see better where their problems come from. -- Pascal Engel, Director of Studies, The School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, Paris, France

Stephen Hetherington is Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia. He has written several books, including Good Knowledge, Bad Knowledge (Oxford University Press, 2001), Self-Knowledge (Broadview, 2007), and How To Know (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011). He has edited two books, including Epistemology Futures (Oxford University Press, 2006).