EPISTEMIC COERCION AND THE EPISTEMIC LEVIATHAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5840/eps202461341Keywords:
expertise, expert testimony, lab leak theory, media, conspiracy theoryAbstract
Stephen Turner identifies forms of epistemic coercion. My reply focuses on the source of experts’ power to epistemically coerce others. I identify one such source, which I call “The Epistemic Leviathan.” The Epistemic Leviathan is formed in a time of crisis, when some members of society grant experts the exclusive right to determine truths believing that only the experts can resolve the crisis. I suggest that we have seen this happen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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