Featuring Will Conner, Teaching Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Core Faculty in UNC’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program
 

Have you ever been told not to trust what others might say about a topic before they even say it—for instance, when a politician claims, “The media will tell you I’m wrong, but they’re biased and untrustworthy”? This strategy attempts to discredit evidence before you’ve even encountered it. While preemptive warnings might sometimes be justified (after all, some sources are untrustworthy), they are also used to shield false beliefs from legitimate criticism.

This talk will investigate when it’s reasonable to trust someone who tells us to ignore future evidence, arguing that while these warnings can give us some reason to be skeptical of contrary views, these reasons can be outweighed if we discover independent evidence that the discredited source is actually reliable after all. Understanding this will help us learn how to better navigate our complex information environment where preemptive warnings are commonplace.

A partnership with UNC’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program

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