Hostname: page-component-74656f9884-8r8nv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-08T22:04:12.690Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Epistemic Systems*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2012

Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

Epistemic systems are social processes generating judgments of truth and falsity. I outline a mathematical theory of epistemic systems that applies widely. Areas of application include pure science, torture, police forensics, espionage, auditing, clinical medical testing, democratic procedure, and the market economy. I examine torture and police forensics in relative detail. This paper is an exercise in comparative institutional epistemics, which considers how the institutions of an epistemic system influence its performance as measured by such things as error rates and the volume of judgments generated.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006