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The Public Understanding of What? Laypersons' Epistemic Needs, the Division of Cognitive Labor, and the Demarcation of Science

Keren, Arnon (2018) The Public Understanding of What? Laypersons' Epistemic Needs, the Division of Cognitive Labor, and the Demarcation of Science. [Preprint]

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Abstract

What must laypersons understand about science to allow them to make sound decisions on science-related issues? And what is the role of philosophers of science in attempts to advance this kind of understanding? Relying on recent developments in social epistemology, this paper argues, first, that scientific education should have the goal not of bringing laypersons' understanding of science closer to that of expert insiders but rather of cultivating the kind of competence characteristic of “competent outsiders” with respect to science (Feinstein 2011); and second, that philosophers of science have an important role to play in attempts to promote this kind of understanding, but that they will have to approach central questions in the field differently for them to successfully fulfill this role.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Keren, Arnonakeren@research.haifa.ac.il
Keywords: Public Understanding of Science; Division of Cognitive Labor; Epistemic Authority; Trust; Scientific Norms
Subjects: General Issues > Science Education
General Issues > Science vs. Pseudoscience
Depositing User: Dr. Arnon Keren
Date Deposited: 08 Jan 2018 16:38
Last Modified: 08 Jan 2018 16:38
Item ID: 14263
Subjects: General Issues > Science Education
General Issues > Science vs. Pseudoscience
Date: 2018
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/14263

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