The Independence Thesis in Practice: How to Explain Group Epistemic Success

Studies in Logic, Vol. 17, No. 3 (2024): 102–128                       PII: 1674­3202(2024)­03­0102­27

Patricia Rich, Hailin Liu

Abstract. An important lesson from social epistemology is the two­-part “independence thesis”: groups may be irrational despite each member being rational, and groups may be rational although their members are irrational. We urge skepticism regarding real-­world analyses of the second type, using the research on rationalizing cooperation as a paradigmatic example. We discuss a prominent example of such analysis—information cascades—and argue that it can be fruitfully re-­conceptualized as an instance of epistemic cooperation. This new perspective points the way towards improved explanation and understanding of this important scenario.