5.2: Expertise

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The identification of credible experts involves determining what makes someone an expert on a given topic. This may require us to separate genuine experts from frauds, quacks and charlatans. We often have no alternative but to rely on experts, but in the end, it is still up to each of us to decide when we will rely on experts, which experts we will rely on, and what to do when the experts disagree. In the end, we must decide for ourselves, and in matters of importance it is best to base our decision on the best information we can get.

What is an Expert?

An expert, or authority, is someone who knows a lot about a field. We will use the words ‘expert’ and ‘authority’ in a broad sense, so that we can consider a wide variety of sources of information as potential authorities. So, when we talk about an authority, we don’t mean an authority figure who supervises other people, but someone (or something) who is an authority in their field. In this sense, authorities include individual people, newspapers, textbooks, encyclopedias, TV programs, websites, think tanks, and so on.

Sometimes expertise may be embodied in a skill that is difficult to describe. A doctor who has seen many patients with a certain disease may be able to recognize it even if she has trouble saying precisely how she does so. Still, if she is usually right, she is an expert at recognizing the disease. There are two important facts about experts.

Experts needn’t be infallible—who is? If this were a requirement, then there wouldn’t be any experts. But an expert will still be a better source of information than someone who isn’t an expert. Indeed, if the experts were right about something important 60% of the time, whereas non-experts were only right 50% of the time, you would still be better off relying on an expert.

Expertise comes in degrees. Most dentists are experts on teeth. But a conscientious dentist who has practiced for twenty years is likely to know more about molars and bicuspids than a lackadaisical dentist who has been practicing for three days. But when you break a molar, a mediocre dentist will probably be better than no dentist at all.

Fields of Expertise

An expert can only be relied on in areas that fall within her field of expertise. Someone who is an expert in one area needn’t be an expert in other areas, and no one is an expert in every field. When a person gets outside their area of expertise, their often don’t know any more than anyone else. For example, a good dentist is an expert on teeth, but probably not about the pancreas or the wishbone formation.