Explore the role of experts in politics through the lens of ancient Greek philosophers in this 58-minute lecture. Delve into Socrates' methods for testing expertise and Aristotle's insights on making expert claims credible to the public. Examine modern theories on expert credibility, cognitive biases, and the relationship between expertise and democracy. Learn about different types of expertise and how general knowledge can be used to evaluate expert claims. Discover a model for dialogue between citizens and experts, and consider ways to improve our ability to assess expertise in public discourse. Engage with thought-provoking ideas on how expertise should serve democracy without overpowering it, and participate in a Q&A session to further explore these concepts.
Experts in Politics - Lessons from Socrates and Aristotle
Overview
Syllabus
Introduction
Socrates' argument for what makes an expert
Elizabeth Anderson's theory that most scientists are credible, only a few obvious 'crackpots'
How Socrates tested experts with logic, argued for constant vigilance against fake experts
Isaiah Berlin's theory of experts as either hedgehogs or foxes
Contributory expertise vs interactional expertise
Aristotle on levels of expertise, how general knowledge can be sufficient to judge experts
How Plato warned against overconfidence in one's expertise
How cognitives biases affect us all including experts
What Aristotle teaches about how expertise should serve democracy, not overpower it
A model for dialogue between citizens and experts
Conclusion - how can we get better at testing experts?
Q&A Session
Taught by
Gresham College
