Melina Tsapos på Filosofiska Föreningen på Göteborgs Litteraturhus, Heurlins Plats 1B, torsdag 16 april, 19:00.

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Titel:
Authority, Trust and Conspiracy Theories

Abstract: 
People often think the best way to avoid conspiracy theories is to trust the official story of events offered by experts and authorities. With the social turn in epistemology, it is argued that since knowledge is socially distributed, individuals are not well placed to challenge official accounts; and rejecting them for alternative explanations is seen as irrational. Yet this exclusion from epistemic networks exposes their fragility, risking producing echo chambers—social structures where alternative, outside voices are actively undermined and discredited, while amplifying members’ credibility. Thus, if we wish to optimize our epistemic environment, and not fall for unwarranted conspiracy theories, we face a dilemma: questioning epistemic authorities risks isolation from shared knowledge, while remaining within echo chambers restricts access to alternative perspectives. I offer two possible solutions to the dilemma: i) to consider reasoning as a socially evolved practice and expect people to track the reliability of their sources and adjust their trust accordingly, and ii) to rethink the structure of epistemic authority on conspiracy theories.

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