Call for Abstracts
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\nTrust\, Expert Opinion and Policy
\nA multidisciplinary conference investigating questions of trust in and the trustworthiness of expert opinion
\nUniversity College Dublin
\nAugust 31-September 2\, 2017
\nThe conference is organised by Professor Maria Baghramian (School of Philosophy\, University College Dublin) and Professor Luke Drury (School of Cosmic Physics\, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies) as part of their Irish Research Council Project
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\nConference Theme
\nTrust is the glue that binds our social interactions. Much of our social life\, particularly in technologically advanced societies\, is made possible through multi-level divisions of cognitive labour. Such divisions\, in turn\, lead to reliance\, on part of both individuals and policy makers\, on the testimony of trained experts in various fields. Indeed\, a high level of trust in expert opinion is necessary for the effectiveness of this division of cognitive labour\, even if such trust can never be unquestioning. A marked feature of recent political upheavals in Europe and the US is a breakdown of trust in experts. The conference aims to contribute to the understanding of the nature of trust in and the trustworthiness of experts.
\nThe conference will address the topics of:
\nThe nature and appropriate scope of epistemic trust
\nThe role of testimony and its reliability for trust in experts
\nHow more and less reliable testimony can be secured
\nSources and conditions of trust and trustworthiness
\nThe role of trust within science
\nTrust in science by non-scientists
\nThe breakdown of trust in expert opinion and its impact
\nTrust in contested fields of expertise
\nThe rationality of trust and its limits
\nThe similarity and differences between trusting experts in different fields
\nThe nature of expertise and its relation to trust
\nTrust and expertise regarding factual versus evaluative matters
\nCritical approaches to trust in expert opinion
\nThe role of media as an intermediary between experts and the public
\nThe ways in which new technologies\, social media and the multiplication of opportunities
\nfor anonymous communication have (re)shaped communication and freedom of expression\, and their effects on placing and refusing trust
\nThe advantages and limitations of transparency as a way of supporting the intelligent placing and refusal of trust
\nCultures \;that reinforce \;and \;cultures that undermine the intelligent placing and refusal of trust
\nKey Note Speakers
\nOnora O&rsquo\;Neill (University of Cambridge\, Philosophy)
\nPatrick Honohan (Trinity College Dublin\, Economics)
\nInvited Speakers include
\nSteve Rayner (University of Oxford\, Anthropology)
\nGloria Origgi (Institut Jean Nicod\, Philosophy)
\nImelda Maher (University College Dublin\, Law)
\nJudith Simon (University of Vienna\, Philosophy)
\nCasey \;Helgeson\, (CNRS\, Philosophy of Science\, Climate Change)
\nSusan Owens (University of Cambridge\, Climate Science)
\nAnna Davies (Trinity College Dublin\, Climate Science/Climate Policy)
\nWendy Parker (University of Durham\, Philosophy\, Climate Policy)
\nEtienne Parizot (Paris Diderot University\, Astrophysics)
\nAttracta Ingram (University College Dublin\, Political Theory)
\nRafael Alves Batista (University of Oxford\, Astrophysics)
\nDon Ross (University College Cork\, Economics/Philosophy)
\nWe welcome papers which address the above issues from a range of fields and disciplines (not limited to): philosophy\, natural sciences in general and climate science and astrophysics in particular\, cognitive science\, sociology\, psychology\, politics\, and economics.
\nAbstracts of 500 words\, for presentations lasting no longer than 30 minutes\, prepared for blind refereeing\, to be sent to Maria.Baghramian@ucd.ie by May 1\, 2017
\nThere are plans to publish a selection of the proceedings of the conference.
\nThe conference is funded by the Irish Research Council and UCD \;Institute for Discovery
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