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Article ID: CBB968694595

How to Be an Epistemic Trespasser (2022)

Parthasarathy, Shobita (Author)

Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences
Volume: 52
Issue: 1
Pages: 140-142

URI: https://doi.org/10.1525/hsns.2022.52.1.140

DOI: 10.1525/hsns.2022.52.1.140

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Public health Trust Public understanding of science Policy making Public policy Pandemics Authority of medicine Authorities; experts Expertise Epistemology 21st century United States Trump, Donald H. Fauci, Anthony S.

Over the last two years, there has been a lot of talk about expertise: who has it, who doesn’t, who is claiming it but shouldn’t. Amid a global pandemic that has brought tremendous uncertainty and damaged our health, learning, livelihoods, and happiness, ensuring that policymakers base their decisions on the correct expertise seems crucial. And, pandemically speaking, the definition of expert appears to be self-evident: Anthony Fauci, an immunologist who has long served as the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, fits the bill. Former U.S. president Donald Trump, self-proclaimed genius, does not. Yet, we’ve seen frequent accusations, across the media and academic landscapes, of what philosopher Nathan Ballantyne calls “epistemic trespassing”: people without relevant knowledge or credentials opining in public forums on matters they know nothing about. Commentators warn that listening to these false experts, particularly when it comes to crucial policy or public health matters, could have catastrophic consequences.

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Article Henry M. Cowles; Chitra Ramalingam (2022) Introduction. Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences (pp. 118-119). unapi

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