The Epistemology of Testimony: How Can We Rely on What Others Tell Us? | Dr Jurgen Gatt
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This talk will explore how we come to know things through what others tell us—what philosophers refer to as the ‘epistemology of testimony’ - from its classical roots to its modern relevance in areas such as law, medicine, and artificial intelligence.
It will begin by outlining the main ways philosophers have understood knowledge gained from testimony. In particular, it will look at a long-standing debate between two approaches associated with David Hume and Thomas Reid. One view argues that we should only accept what others tell us if we have independent reasons or evidence to trust it. The other view suggests that, in general, we are justified in accepting what people say unless we have reasons to doubt them.
The talk will then place these ideas in a broader perspective that looks at how knowledge is shaped by social factors. This includes how trust is built and maintained within communities and institutions, and how authority and credibility are recognised and challenged.
Building on this background, the talk will apply these ideas to three contemporary contexts. First, it will look at witnesses in legal settings, where trust depends on factors such as credibility, supporting evidence, and legal procedures. Second, it will consider the role of patients in medical encounters, focusing on how professional medical judgement interacts with patients’ own experiences and self-reports. Finally, it will turn to large language models, asking whether statements generated by machines can be understood in similar ways to human testimony, particularly in terms of trust, expertise, and reliance on others.
Through these examples, the talk will highlight both the continued importance of classical philosophical ideas about testimony and the challenges they face in today’s world.
The Speaker
Jurgen Gatt is a medical doctor and a classicist who works primarily on the history of medicine and the history of epistemology in the ancient Greek world. His recent and forthcoming publications include Medical Sciences in Early Modern Malta (2024, Malta UP) and Witnessing and Testimony in Early Greek Literature (forthcoming, Liverpool UP).
It will begin by outlining the main ways philosophers have understood knowledge gained from testimony. In particular, it will look at a long-standing debate between two approaches associated with David Hume and Thomas Reid. One view argues that we should only accept what others tell us if we have independent reasons or evidence to trust it. The other view suggests that, in general, we are justified in accepting what people say unless we have reasons to doubt them.
The talk will then place these ideas in a broader perspective that looks at how knowledge is shaped by social factors. This includes how trust is built and maintained within communities and institutions, and how authority and credibility are recognised and challenged.
Building on this background, the talk will apply these ideas to three contemporary contexts. First, it will look at witnesses in legal settings, where trust depends on factors such as credibility, supporting evidence, and legal procedures. Second, it will consider the role of patients in medical encounters, focusing on how professional medical judgement interacts with patients’ own experiences and self-reports. Finally, it will turn to large language models, asking whether statements generated by machines can be understood in similar ways to human testimony, particularly in terms of trust, expertise, and reliance on others.
Through these examples, the talk will highlight both the continued importance of classical philosophical ideas about testimony and the challenges they face in today’s world.
The Speaker
Jurgen Gatt is a medical doctor and a classicist who works primarily on the history of medicine and the history of epistemology in the ancient Greek world. His recent and forthcoming publications include Medical Sciences in Early Modern Malta (2024, Malta UP) and Witnessing and Testimony in Early Greek Literature (forthcoming, Liverpool UP).
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Where is it happening?
Valletta Design Cluster, Bull Street,Valletta, Malta
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherPhilosophy Sharing Malta
