Logos and episteme
Rogelio MIRANDA VILCHIS
ABSTRACT: In this paper, I develop a minimal empirically-based characterization of philosophical expertise, exploring its significant theoretical and practical implications for philosophy and metaphilosophy. Throughout the history of philosophy, philosophers have engaged in metaphilosophical reflections on the nature of philosophy (think, e.g., of Plato’s efforts to distinguish philosophers from sophists) and the present era is no exception. The twenty-first century began with an intense metaphilosophical debate between “experimental philosophers,” who deny the existence of experts in philosophy, and the advocates of the expertise defense, who insist that philosophical study and practice are essential to becoming a philosopher. However, this debate has primarily been theoretical, largely overlooking the vast empirical research regarding expertise, and currently, no solutions are in sight. A novel characterization of philosophical expertise based on this research can help us avoid misunderstandings and sterile discussions, and reevaluate the claims of both experimental philosophy and the expertise defense.
