Expertise: A Philosophical Introduction - by Jamie Carlin Watson (Paperback)

About the Book

"What does it mean to be an expert? What sort of authority do experts really have? And what role should they play in today's society? Addressing why ever larger segments of society are skeptical of what experts say, [this book] reviews contemporary philosophical debates and introduces what an account of expertise needs to accomplish in order to be believed"--

Book Synopsis

What does it mean to be an expert? What sort of authority do experts really have? And what role should they play in today's society?

Addressing why ever larger segments of society are skeptical of what experts say, Expertise: A Philosophical Introduction reviews contemporary philosophical debates and introduces what an account of expertise needs to accomplish in order to be believed. Drawing on research from philosophers and sociologists, chapters explore widely held accounts of expertise and uncover their limitations, outlining a set of conceptual criteria a successful account of expertise should meet.

By providing suggestions for how a philosophy of expertise can inform practical disciplines such as politics, religion, and applied ethics, this timely introduction to a topic of pressing importance reveals what philosophical thinking about expertise can contribute to growing concerns about experts in the 21st century.

Review Quotes

"If anyone doubted the importance of expertise in modern life, or the complexities of dealing with it, the current world circumstances will have changed their mind. Jamie Carlin Watson has provided a serious and highly accessible philosophical introduction to the literature on the topic, as well as providing his own synthetic view." --Stephen Turner, Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy, University of South Florida, USA

"Traditionally, the study of expertise could be represented by a Venn diagram with psychology and philosophy strongly overlapping. A third component, sociology, has more recently been added to the scheme. Jamie Carlin Watson is the first to embark on a survey of the whole terrain, approaching it critically from the point of view of a philosopher." --Harry Collins, Distinguished Research Professor, Cardiff University, UK

"Expertise is a multifaceted concept, requiring the subtle, multidisciplinary treatment that Watson offers in this book." --Philip E. Tetlock, Annenberg University Chair, University of Pennsylvania, USA

About the Author

Jamie Carlin Watson is Assistant Professor of Medical Humanities and Bioethics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA.