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Concepts / Epistemic authority

Epistemic authority

Epistemic authority concerns reasons to trust another person’s judgment about what to believe. It helps distinguish deference to knowledge from obedience to a hierarchical position.

Updated: 19 September 2026

Literature concept

Hypothetical example

A team accepts an AI recommendation because it appears knowledgeable, while the institutional decision right remains with a person.

Illustrative example

Important distinction

Perceived knowledge does not automatically grant an institutional right to decide. Applying this debate to AI recommendations is a lab research question, not a conclusion of the book.

Question for managers

Are we trusting knowledge or obeying a position?