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cross_type 0.40 — supporting 4 facts
Alvin Goldman is a prominent philosopher who analyzes the epistemic role of testimony, specifically addressing the 'two-expert problem' [1] and proposing heuristics for evaluating testimonial reliability [2]. His work on this subject is central to broader academic discussions regarding the trustworthiness of testimony [3] and has been a focal point for critical responses by other epistemologists like Jennifer Lackey [4].
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Social Epistemology - Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science oecs.mit.edu 3 facts
claimIn the works of Coady, Goldman, Fuller, Kitcher, and Craig, the trustworthiness of testimony is analyzed in contexts ranging from lay conversations to specialized environments like news reporting, courtrooms, and academic publications.
claimAlvin Goldman describes the 'two-expert problem' as a triadic context where a non-expert must decide which of two disagreeing experts to trust, noting that trusting one necessarily requires mistrusting the other.
procedureAlvin Goldman and Hugo Mercier suggest that while there is no surefire way to resolve the two-expert problem, non-experts can use heuristics such as testing for plausibility, observing track records, checking for conflicts of interest, looking for broader consensus, and verifying credentials from respected institutions.
Social Epistemology - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy plato.stanford.edu 1 fact
claimJessica Brown proposes an account of group justification that appeals to the testimony of group members but does not require the beliefs expressed in those testimonies to be justified for the group's belief to be justified, thereby avoiding objections raised by Jennifer Lackey against Alvin Goldman.