According to the individualistic approach to public trust in science, it is primarily individuals who trust or mistrust science. In this talk, I argue that the individualistic approach faces a formidable dilemma. If individualists set the bar for justified trust low enough that those who trust science are justified in their trust, then they must also concede that those who mistrust science are usually justified in their mistrust of science as well. Conversely, if they set the bar high enough that those who mistrust science are not justified in their mistrust, then they must also concede that those who trust science are not justified in their trust of science either. To avoid this dilemma, I argue that we must reject the individualistic approach in favor of a communitarian approach to public trust in science. According to the communitarian approach, it is primarily communities, rather than individuals, that trust or mistrust science. While individual members of these communities might not be justified in their trust or mistrust of science, the communities to which they belong can be justified.

Gabriele Contessa is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. He works at the intersection of social epistemology, philosophy of science, and political philosophy. He is currently completing a short monograph on Science Denial (Cambridge University Press) and working on a longer monograph defending a communitarian approach to public trust in science.