Why It's OK Not to Think for Yourself

We often applaud others who think for themselves, but we should also be open to taking other people's word for it. Philosopher Jonathan Matheson argues that expert testimony and the wisdom of crowds can be trusted, making it rational to believe something simply because others believe it. He challenges philosophical arguments against this thesis and shows how they ultimately fail. Matheson suggests that thinking for yourself is not always necessary or desirable, and that we can benefit from trusting others' expertise.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 244 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

We tend to applaud those who think for themselves: the ever-curious student, for example, or the grownup who does their own research. Even as we're applauding, however, we ourselves often don't think for ourselves. This book argues that's completely OK. In fact, it's often best just to take other folks' word for it, allowing them to do the hard work of gathering and evaluating the relevant evidence. In making this argument, philosopher Jonathan Matheson shows how expert testimony and the wisdom of crowds are tested and provides convincing ideas that make it rational to believe something simply because other people believe it. Matheson then takes on philosophy's best arguments against his thesis, including the idea that non-self-thinkers are free-riding on the work of others, Socrates' claim that the unexamined life isn't worth living, and that outsourcing your intellectual labor makes you vulnerable to errors and manipulation. Matheson shows how these claims and others ultimately fail -- and that when it comes to thinking, we often need not be sheepish about being sheep.

Key Features

Discusses the idea of not thinking for yourself in the context of contemporary issues like climate change and vaccinations

Engages in numerous contemporary debates in social epistemology

Examines what can be valuable about thinking for yourself and argues that these are insufficient to require you to do so

Outlines the key, practical takeaways from the argument in an epilogue

Weight: 470g
Dimension: 198 x 129 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032438252