Egalitarianism—Someone high-status holding a belief must never be offered, in itself, as a reason to believe something. It’s OK to take track records into account, but the default response to naming an authority figure’s or local celebrity’s beliefs as reason for someone else to believe something is for it to be perceived as an argument from authority. Therefore, the track record argument should be made very explicitly, and with great care. if at all.
I don’t think the problem is about naming authority figure’s. Developing trust in institutions is a useful social mechanism. We can’t reason in detail about every belief we have.
I don’t think the problem is about naming authority figure’s. Developing trust in institutions is a useful social mechanism. We can’t reason in detail about every belief we have.