Epistemic Implications of Scientific Consensus and Dissent

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dc.contributor.advisorEreshefsky, Marc
dc.contributor.authorStephenson, Chloe Maria
dc.contributor.committeememberDelehanty, Megan
dc.contributor.committeememberWaters, C. Kenneth
dc.contributor.committeememberEreshefsky, Marc
dc.date2021-11
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-28T18:54:15Z
dc.date.available2021-06-28T18:54:15Z
dc.date.issued2021-06-22
dc.description.abstractConsensus and dissent play important roles in science. Both scientific consensus and dissent are said to be epistemically beneficial: consensus is often taken as a mark of knowledge and as a basis for informing decision-making and policy, whereas dissent is often taken as being necessary for scientific advancement, as it can challenge existing knowledge and offer new insights. However, it is unclear how consensus and dissent compare as methods of inquiry and whether they are equally epistemically beneficial. In this thesis, I explore epistemic implications of two accounts of epistemically justified consensus in science and argue these accounts are practically or conceptually problematic. I also discuss the epistemic implications of scientific dissent. I conclude that scientific dissent offers more epistemic benefits than scientific consensus, but that not all dissent is epistemically beneficial: some dissent hinders or impedes science. As such, mechanisms need to be developed to mitigate the epistemic harms caused by epistemically detrimental dissent.en_US
dc.identifier.citationStephenson, C. M. (2021). Epistemic Implications of Scientific Consensus and Dissent (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38953
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/113548
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectscientific consensusen_US
dc.subjectscientific dissenten_US
dc.subjectepistemically justified consensusen_US
dc.subjectepistemically detrimental dissenten_US
dc.subjectphilosophy of scienceen_US
dc.subjectsocial epistemologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Philosophy ofen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.classificationPhilosophyen_US
dc.titleEpistemic Implications of Scientific Consensus and Dissenten_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplinePhilosophyen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts (MA)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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