A Critical Introduction to Testimony

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The epistemology of testimony is a rapidly developing area in contemporary analytic philosophy. In this first thorough survey of the recent debate on the subject, Axel Gelfert provides an in-depth introduction to what has become one of the liveliest debates in contemporary epistemology. Covering existing literature and major debates, A Critical Introduction to Testimony discusses the epistemic status of testimony-based beliefs, relates changes to relevant developments in other areas and offers a critical perspective on current and future research trends. Devoting space to both the applications of social epistemology and the larger conceptual issues of knowledge, Gelfert not only introduces the epistemology of testimony; he offers an up-to-date introduction to epistemology. Equipped with a mix of study questions, examples, and suggestions for further reading, students of contemporary epistemology will find this a reliable guide to studying testimony as a source of knowledge.

Reviews

Gelferts book is the very first systematic survey of the expanding philosophical sub-discipline that he calls the epistemology of testimony. The work is engagingly written and a model of clarity. [...] His coverage of the field is remarkable, with the principal theoretical issues all addressed and a good survey of some of the main areas of practical application, notably assessment of legal testimony and adjudication between expert witnesses. [...] Gelferts hybrid theory has many virtues. It overcomes the weaknesses of the principal rival accounts: unlike anti-reductionist default acceptance theories, it avoids the charge of licensing gullibility, while approving the hearers trusting attitude under appropriate circumstances; and, unlike reductionist accounts and certain other hybrid accounts, it avoids the charge of placing impossible burdens on recipients of testimony, while insisting on due wariness under suspicious circumstances. It also does full justice to the roles of social settings and collaborative enterprises in the justification of testimony. A further and notable virtue of Gelferts inference to the best explanation based account is its flexibility, openness and suggestiveness of further lines of research. * Studies in History and Philosophy of Science *
Gelferts book, the first systematic overview of the epistemology of testimony, does an excellent job of introducing beginners to this rapidly growing field ... The book is a model of clarity, deftly combining an evenhanded mapping of the known territory with forays into new regions, and will be invaluable to epistemologists in both their teaching and their research. * The Philosophical Quarterly *
Gelfert has left no stone in the epistemology of testimony unturned, providing an impressively comprehensive treatment of the issues in this vast area, and doing so with clarity and fair-mindedness. This is a must-read for anyone interested in social epistemology. -- Jennifer Lackey, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Graduate Studies, Northwestern University, USA
Axel Gelfert has written a lucid, comprehensive, fair and balanced introduction to the epistemology of testimony, clearly useful for students and scholars alike. If you're interested in learning about how we learn from others, this is the place to start. -- Peter Graham, Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, USA

Author Bio

Axel Gelfert is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy, National University of Singapore.