Book Symposium on Thomas Grundmann's forthcoming book "Expert Authority and the Limits of Critical Thinking" (OUP)
October 30-31, 2024, Dekanatssitzungssaal, Karl-Rahner-Platz 1
Organizers: Christoph Jäger, Federica Malfatti
Abstract of the book: Public confidence in scientific experts is high, particularly in times of crisis. But experts are not beyond doubt. In his forthcoming book, Thomas Grundmann argues that a different attitude towards experts is needed. Laypeople should stop thinking for themselves and typically defer to experts. In short, laypeople should treat experts as epistemic authorities. Grundmann presents a novel argument for this bold view and engages with its main challenges. For example, doesn’t the view make experts too powerful and completely immune to criticism? The book replies to these and many more concerns about the authority of experts. On its way issues such as the history of epistemic authority, expert identification, the role of expert authority in resisting conspiracy theories, epistemic autonomy, and the role of experts in politics are addressed.
Program
Wednesday, October 30
8.30-9.00: Short introduction by Thomas Grundmann (University of Cologne)
9.00-10.00: Hatice Kaya (University of Cologne): Redefining Epistemic Authority
Coffee Break
10.30-11.30: Pedro Schmechtig (Technische Universität Dresden): Expert Authority and the Value of Epistemic Autonomy
Lunch Break
13.30-14.30: Sofia Bokros (Uppsala University): What does the Track Record Argument show?
Coffee Break
15.00-16.00: Federica Isabella Malfatti (University of Innsbruck): Preemption and Understanding
Public Lecture:
16.45-18.15: Thomas Grundmann (University of Cologne): Liberal Media Bias: A Normative Critique (Seminarraum VI, Karl-Rahner-Platz 3)
Thursday, October 31
11.30-12.30: Johanna Stüger (Cambridge University): Keep Them Out or Invite Them In?
Lunch Break
13.30-14.30: Katherine Dormandy (University of Innsbruck): tba
Coffee Break
15.00-16.00: Rico Hauswald (Technische Universität Dresden): Challenging the Distinction between domain-specific and domain-independent Evidence
Coffee Break
16.30-17.30: Christoph Jäger (University of Innsbruck): Teachers Are Authorities
To register, contact: walch.kilian@gmail.com