Expert or Esoteric? Philosophers Attribute Knowledge Differently Than All Other Academics

Area of Science:

• Epistemology
• Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• Academics across disciplines pursue knowledge using diverse methods, potentially leading to varied conceptions of knowledge possession.
• Existing research suggests that intuitions about knowledge may differ across groups, particularly between philosophers and laypeople.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the concept of knowledge held by academics across seven disciplines, philosophers, and laypeople.
• To determine if academics outside of philosophy share similar or divergent concepts of knowledge compared to philosophers and the general public.

Main Methods:

• Conducted two experimental studies involving a total of 1,581 academics from seven disciplines, 204 philosophers, and 336 laypeople.
• Collected judgments on knowledge attribution in various scenarios, including "Gettier" situations and situations involving the possibility of error.

Main Results:

• Academics and laypeople share a similar concept of knowledge, differing significantly from philosophers.
• Unlike philosophers, academics and laypeople attributed knowledge in certain "Gettier" situations and were less likely to attribute knowledge when reminded of potential errors.
• Non-philosophy academics exhibited greater skepticism about knowledge attribution than both laypeople and philosophers.

Conclusions:

• Academics in diverse fields, like laypeople, hold a concept of knowledge that aligns with common intuitions.
• Philosophers' concept of knowledge, as reflected in their intuitions and the philosophical literature, substantially diverges from that of other academics and the general public.
• The study highlights a significant difference in epistemic intuitions between philosophers and the broader academic and lay communities.