EPISTEMOLOGY OF TESTIMONY
Testimony is an important source of knowledge in
many contexts, including that of education, but the
notion of the teacher as testifier is not often
discussed. Since much that is believed by
individuals has come to them not from direct
experience but by accepting the accounts of others,
the trustworthiness of their interlocutors'
testimonies, whether these be spoken, textual or
electronic in form, is an important factor in
determining whether or not they acquire true,
justified beliefs.
Perhaps most of what we take ourselves to know
about the world and its history comes from
testimony we have received. The epistemology of
testimony is concerned with questions regarding the
nature and normativity of testimonial belief and
knowledge. We get a great number of our beliefs
from what others tell us. The epistemology of
testimony concerns how we should evaluate these
beliefs. Here are the main questions. When are the
beliefs justified, and why? When do they amount to
knowledge, and why? Testimony in this sense need
not be formal testimony in a courtroom; it happens
whenever one person tells something to someone
else. Rationality implies the conformity of one's
beliefs with one's reasons to believe, and of one's
actions with one's reasons for action.
TESTIMONY-BELIEF 
We get a great number of our beliefs from what others tell us. The epistemology of testimony concerns how we should evaluate these beliefs. Testimony in this sense need not be formal testimony in a courtroom; it happens whenever one person tells something to someone else.
A more striking example is the belief about one's
own birthdate. If you know your birthdate, the
evidence for your belief was almost certainly
received through testimony. We get a great number
of our beliefs from what others tell us. The
epistemology of testimony concerns how we should
evaluate these beliefs. Testimony in this sense need
not be formal testimony in a courtroom; it happens
whenever one person tells something to someone
else.
According to Global Reductionism, in order to be justified in accepting a speaker's testimony, you need to have positive reasons for believing that testimony is generally reliable, i.e., that accepting the reports of others is a reliable way of forming true beliefs.
Auditing of testimony: reductionists versus anti-reductionists
The debate about where the bar ought to be set is
largely between two groups of epistemologists,
who can be characterized as (1) reductionists and (2
anti-reductionists.
The reductionists seem, prima facie, to have the
most tenable position, in that they require testimony
to be supported by some non-testimonial but trussing before it can be accepted. They can discern
no a priori warrant for simply accepting something
on another’s say-so, but demand that the individual
auditor has internally-available justification for the
testimony from ‘on-board’ resources such as
perception, reasoning and memory.
The anti-reductionists, in contrast, treat the
acceptance rule as a priori. An individual auditor is
justified in accepting testimony from an arbitrary
testifier without having any internally-available
evidence to bolster it. In essence, anti-reductionist
arguments (such as Coady’s) set out to show that
testimony must convey knowledge, because much
of our knowledge is only possible via testimony.
Furthermore, in order to make sense of testimonial
utterances, we have to assume that these are based
on the testifiers’ perceptions of the world and that
this is the same, shared, world with which we
ourselves are familiar.
WHY TESTIMONY AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF KNOWLEGDE
Acquiring an attunement to testimony—in both its
simple and its extended forms—is an important part
of becoming a sophisticated epistemic agent who is
able progressively to enhance his cognitive contact
with reality by combining the deliverances of
testimony with those of perception, memory and
reasoning.
JUSTIFICATION FOR TESTIMONY BELIEF
According to Global Reductionism, in order to be
justified in accepting a speaker's testimony, you
need to have positive reasons for believing that testimony is generally reliable, that accepting the
reports of others is a reliable way of forming true
beliefs.
WHY TESTIMONY AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF KNOWLEGDE
HOW TO EVALUATE A BELIEF
The best way to do this is simply to ask, “Why do
you believe that?” and then listen. Don't tell them
why they're wrong or “parallel talk” and explain
what you believe. Figure out their reasons for their
belief by asking questions. Then ask yourself if
their conclusions are justified by the rationale they
provided
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