After some lengthy deliberation and a lot of resistance to the idea, I've finally caved and decided to move Nousy to Substack. There are two reasons for this move: (i) an easier subscription function that conveniently delivers updates directly to subscribers' email inboxes (and the mobile phone app) and (ii) it allows me to develop Nousy into both a blog and podcast. The blog will continue to focus on various philosophical topics, interests and musings of mine, while the podcast will explore philosophical topics by highlighting and discussing interesting articles and books; focusing especially, though not exclusively, on contemporary work in philosophy. So, if you've enjoyed my work here, I've got a lot more in store for you on Substack. Visit https://nousy.substack.com and subscribe today!
Note: Nousy has moved to Substack. Subscribe Today at https://nousy.substack.com In this blogpost, I focus on the problem of epistemic trespassing . This happens when experts step outside their field of expertise and pass judgment on questions in fields where they lack expertise. Philosopher Joshua DiPaolo recently argued that epistemic trespassing is wrong insofar as it constitutes an abuse of expert authority that neglects novice vulnerabilities (1). I agree with DiPaolo and think that it's something more people should know about, especially at a time when a lot of knowledge is specialized and we--novices--often depend on experts for answers. So, below, I share a tragic example of epistemic trespassing that illustrates its harmful potential and very briefly consider possible solutions. Consider the following: A mother’s two infant children die suddenly and without any explanation. She’s charged with their murder and in court two possible explanations are considered: (i) that t