How to disagree about how to disagree

Adam Elga

In Richard Feldman and Ted Warfield (eds.) Disagreement, Oxford, 2010, pp. 175–86

Abstract

When one encounters disagreement about the truth of a factual claim froma trusted advisor who has access to all of ones evidence, should that move one in the direction of the advisors view? Conciliatory views on disagreement say yes, at least a little. Such views are ex- tremely natural, but they can give incoherent advice when the issue under dispute is disagreement itself. So conciliatory views stand re- futed. But despite first appearances, this makes no trouble for partly conciliatory views: views that recommend giving ground in the face of disagreement about many matters, but not about disagreement it- self.

Quotes from this work

Suppose that for twenty-eight years in a row, Consumer Reports rates itself as the #1 consumer ratings magazine. A picky reader might complain to the editors:

You are evenhanded and rigorous when rating toasters and cars. But you obviously have an ad hoc exception to your standards for consumer magazines. You always rate yourself #1! Please apply your rigorous standards across the board in the future.

disagreement · epistemology · second-order disagreement