The Philosophy of Expertise

This volume adds a new dimension to critical reflection on science, technology, engineering, and medicine. Most collections rehearse already established themes; this one, however, actually opens up new territory. Through this book, the personal and political reliance on experts becomes a general theme in the philosophy and social studies of science and technology. A brief but insightful introduction by the editors lays out the basic issues that will animate discussions of expertise for the foreseeable future. -- Carl Mitcham, editor in chief, Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics Here's one of the great dilemmas of our contemporary world: we cannot possibly, each of us separately, master the range of pressing issues that face us in the technical, regulatory, or medical domains. So we have to trust experts. At the same time the experts disagree, sometimes violently, with one another, with politicians, with the public. Since trusting experts in some simple sense is out of the question, what do we do? What should we do? In this wide-ranging and thoughtful volume, Robert P. Crease and Evan Selinger have assembled, among others, philosophers, sociologists, historians, and literary theorists to reflect on the conundrum. It is a fascinating book on a vital current topic. -- Peter Galison, Joseph Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University

Explores various philosophical issues surrounding authorities of the courtroom and their expert knowledge. This book considers the problems surrounding the issue of trust and deference. It examines the consequences of the social and technical externalization of expertise. It discusses the reasoning process of judges and juries.From the use of expert testimony in the courtroom to the advice we rely on to solve key economic, political, and social problems, expertise is an essential part of our decision-making process. However, the extent to which experts can be trusted is a subject of persistent and contentious debate. The Philosophy of Expertise is the first collection to explore the fundamental philosophical issues surrounding these authorities and their expert knowledge. Part 1 considers the problems surrounding the issue of trust and deference; part 2 launches a phenomenological clarification of expertise that pinpoints the universal structures embodied in cognition and affect; and part 3 examines the consequences of the social and technical externalization of expertise. Contributors including Edward Said, Alvin Goldman, Peter Singer, Hubert Dreyfus, Julia Annas, Harry Collins, and Don Ihde draw on a number of intellectual approaches to explore the justification of expert authority, the potentially dangerous role of expertise in a liberal democratic society, how laypeople can critique experts, and the social and ideological character of expert advice. The contributors also discuss the reasoning process of judges and juries, the ancient Greek view of moral conduct, and the incorporation of experts into governmental bureaucracy. By honestly tackling the legitimacy and consistency of various positions, this volume sheds much-needed light on the theoretical dimensions of a controversial and pervasive practice. Contributors: Alvin I. Goldman, Don Ihde, Edward Said, Evan Selinger and John Mix, Evan Selinger and Robert P. Crease, H. M. Collins and Robert Evans, Helene Mialet, Hubert Dreyfus, John Hardwig, Julia Annas, Paul Feyerabend, Peter Singer, Scott Brewer, Steve Fuller, Steven Turner