Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-01T01:11:10.883Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

EVIDENCE OF EXPERT'S EVIDENCE IS EVIDENCE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2015

Luca Moretti
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

John Hardwig has championed the thesis (NE) that evidence that an expert EXP has evidence for a proposition P, constituted by EXP's testimony that P, is not evidence for P itself, where evidence for P is generally characterized as anything that counts towards establishing the truth of P. In this paper, I first show that (NE) yields tensions within Hardwig's overall view of epistemic reliance on experts and makes it imply unpalatable consequences. Then, I use Shogenji-Roche's theorem of transitivity of incremental confirmation to show that (NE) is false if a natural Bayesian formalization of the above notion of evidence is implemented. I concede that Hardwig could resist my Bayesian objection if he interpreted (NE) as a more precise thesis that only applies to community-focused evidence. I argue, however, that this precisification, while diminishing the philosophical relevance of (NE), wouldn't settle tensions internal to Hardwig's views.

Type
Articles
Information
Episteme , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , June 2016 , pp. 209 - 218
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Almassi, B. 2007. ‘Experts, Evidence and Epistemic Independence.’ Spontaneous Generations, 1: 58–66.Google Scholar
Feldman, R. 2006. ‘Epistemological Puzzles about Disagreement.’ In Hetherington, S. (ed.), Epistemology Future, pp. 216–36. Oxford: Clarendon.Google Scholar
Feldman, R. 2009. ‘Evidentialism, Higher-Order Evidence, and Disagreement.’ Episteme, 6: 294–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fitelson, B. 2012. ‘Evidence of evidence is not (necessarily) evidence.’ Analysis, 7: 85–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaon, S. and Norris., S. P. 2001. ‘The Undecidable Grounds of Scientific Expertise.’ Journal of Philosophy of Education, 35: 187–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardwig, J. 1985. ‘Epistemic Dependence.’ Journal of Philosophy, 82: 335–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardwig, J. 1991. ‘The Role of Trust in Knowledge.’ Journal of Philosophy, 88: 693–720.Google Scholar
Pryor, J. 2013. ‘Problems for Credulism.’ In Tucker, C. (ed.), Seemings and Justification: New Essays on Dogmatism and Phenomenal Conservatism, pp. 89–131. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Roche, W. 2012. ‘A Weaker Condition for Transitivity in Probabilistic Support.’ European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 2: 111–18.Google Scholar
Roche, W. 2014. ‘Evidence of Evidence is Evidence under Screening-off.’ Episteme, 11: 119–24.Google Scholar
Romanos, G. D. 1973. ‘Reflexive Predictions.’ Philosophy of Science, 40: 97–109.Google Scholar
Shogenji, T. 2003. ‘A Condition for Transitivity in Probabilistic Support.’ British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 54: 613–16.Google Scholar
Snyder, L. J. 1995. ‘Is Evidence Historical?’ In Achinstein, P. and Snyder, L. J. (eds), Scientific Methods: Conceptual and Historical Problems, pp. 95–117. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company.Google Scholar