Workshop on Groups and Disagreement

Collective epistemology investigates the extent to which the epistemic properties we attribute to groups as well as the epistemic practices they are engaged in parallel or differ from individual epistemic practices and properties. An increasingly rich literature has shed light on topics such as collective belief, group epistemic justification or group knowledge. But many topics long-studied in traditional epistemology have been little investigated (or are yet unexplored) in the epistemology of groups. One such topic is disagreement. Recent discussion in epistemology has mainly focused on disagreement involving individual beliefs. However, many complex real-life disagreements take place among groups and consequently involve collective beliefs. This workshop aims to investigate the extent to which ongoing debates in the epistemology of disagreement can be replicated in the epistemology of groups. For example, should groups (as a whole) conciliate or remain steadfast in disagreements ranging over collective beliefs? Should their individual members do likewise? 

There are a few vacant slots for presentations. If you are interested in giving a presentation, please send an abstract of approx. 500 words to Fernando Broncano-Berrocal ([email protected]) by February 10, 2017 (notification of acceptance: no later than February 15, 2017). Ideally, submitted papers should be on group disagreement, but papers either on the epistemology of groups (broadly construed) or disagreement are also welcome. Unfortunately, we will not be able to cover travel and accommodation expenses for submitted presentations.

Everyone is welcome to attend, and there is no registration fee.

For inquiries, please contact Fernando Broncano-Berrocal ([email protected])