How Do You Know: A Dialogue

(Paperback)

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How Do You Knowexplores problems of knowledge that arise in everyday life. If you are not an expert, how can you know that another person is an expert If experts are politically biased should you still trust them More generally, how should you approach the testimony of other people: treat it all as "innocent until proven guilty," or is that too simple Does the internet make us better knowers, or is it just a minefield of misinformation Is it always irrational to believe a conspiracy theory Suppose someone just as intelligent and well-informed as you are disagrees with you about something, how should that affect your belief Can we have knowledge of what is right and wrong

How Do You Knowapproaches these issues through the lens of social epistemology and via the preeminently social genre of philosophical dialogue. Its characters think and speak like real people in the world today, discussing and debating issues that are current, practically relevant, and even controversial-while equipping readers with tools and concepts to see more clearly for themselves.

Reviews

"An excellent and engaging introduction to epistemology, with a special focus on issues in social epistemology that are very relevant in todays world. An accessible guide to practical epistemological questions about which experts you should trust, the pervasiveness of bias in oneself and others, the proliferation of misinformation on the internet, and how you should respond when lots of people disagree with you. Highly recommended."
James Beebee,State University of New York at Buffalo
"How Do You Knowis an accessible and engaging foray into the growing field of applied epistemology, anda welcome resource for students or anyone else coming to these issues for the first time."
David Coady,University of Tasmania

Author Bio

Gordon Barnesis Associate Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Brockport.