I disagree. There’s a certain minimum level of epistemic qualifications (knowledge, effort, research, etc) that entitles you to your own opinion in a domain. If you do not meet the minimum epistemic level in a domain, then you are not entitled to your own opinion, and you should default to domain experts.
I believe that the universe was created in the Big Bang , but this is merely expert opinion. It is not my own opinion, as I do not meet the minimum epistemic qualifications to have an opinion on cosmology/astrophysics, I default to expert opinion. In contrast, I believe “2 + 2 = 4”, and this is my own opinion. If experts decided “2 + 2 = 3″, then I am well within my epistemic right to disagree with them. Compare this with astrophysics, were my beliefs are merely the opinions of others with superior epistemic qualifications. When you truly understand a subject matter (and not just know the password), when the subject matter is truly part of you, then—and only then—are you epistemically qualified enough to have your own independent opinion. Only then can you disagree with experts.
I disagree. There’s a certain minimum level of epistemic qualifications (knowledge, effort, research, etc) that entitles you to your own opinion in a domain. If you do not meet the minimum epistemic level in a domain, then you are not entitled to your own opinion, and you should default to domain experts.
I believe that the universe was created in the Big Bang , but this is merely expert opinion. It is not my own opinion, as I do not meet the minimum epistemic qualifications to have an opinion on cosmology/astrophysics, I default to expert opinion. In contrast, I believe “2 + 2 = 4”, and this is my own opinion. If experts decided “2 + 2 = 3″, then I am well within my epistemic right to disagree with them. Compare this with astrophysics, were my beliefs are merely the opinions of others with superior epistemic qualifications. When you truly understand a subject matter (and not just know the password), when the subject matter is truly part of you, then—and only then—are you epistemically qualified enough to have your own independent opinion. Only then can you disagree with experts.