The Wisdom, and Madness, of Crowds: a workshop on group beliefs, echo chambers and collective identities

The Wisdom, and Madness, of Crowds: A Workshop on Group Beliefs, Echo Chambers and Collective Identities
May 28–29, 2026 | Erasmus University Rotterdam

We are pleased to announce the upcoming workshop The Wisdom, and Madness, of Crowds: a workshop on group beliefs, echo chambers and collective identities, to be held on May 28–29, 2026, at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

This event will bring together philosophers interested in the formation, dynamics, and epistemic implications of collective beliefs, as well as the social mechanisms that sustain or undermine them—such as echo chambers, polarization, and group identity effects.

Exemplary questions that fit the theme of the workshop include:

• Are people individually responsible for their ‘bad beliefs,’ or should we look at collective epistemic processes instead?

• What non-epistemic functions, such as identity signaling, do beliefs fulfill within groups, and how do these functions relate to misinformation?

• What is (justified) group belief or group knowledge?

• What does it mean for a group to have evidence?

• What role do groups, networks, and other kinds of collectives play in the post-truth phenomenon?

• Is it always irrational to stay in an echo chamber?

• What kind of (epistemic) obligations do we have with respect to our groups and their members?

• What is groupthink, and how should we navigate autonomy and conformity within groups?

Confirmed speakers:

• Dr. Fernando Broncano-Berrocal (University of Barcelona)

• Prof. dr. Margaret Gilbert (online) (University of California, Irvine)

• Prof. dr. Jesper Kallestrup (University of Aberdeen)

• Dr. Lukas Schwengerer (University of Graz)

Call for abstracts

We invite submissions of anonymized abstracts of no more than 500 words for 20-minute presentations, followed by 25 minutes of Q&A. We welcome contributions on topics related to the social epistemology of (online) misinformation, online groups and communities, and the epistemology of groups.

In your submission email, please indicate:

• whether you are an early-career researcher (e.g., PhD student or within five years of PhD completion);

• whether you would like to apply for financial support for travel and accommodation.

Please send your anonymized abstract (PDF) to [email protected] the subject line “Crowds Workshop Submission.”
Submission deadline: January 31, 2026
Notification of acceptance: February 28, 2026

For any questions, please contact [email protected].