THE RATIONALITY OF TESTIMONY

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 What is testimony?

A testimony is a statement or endorsement given by someone who has a logical connection to the topic and credible source. Testimony can be used to explain or prove a point, and it is often used to refer to the research of a species

Testimony is a very important part of philosophy. Because the existence of an argument depends on the testimony given for it. Testimony directly influences the building of trust in people over an argument. The veracity of that argument must be clarified by giving reasons for the testimony available for this. The expression 'testimony' in everyday usage in English is confined to reports by witnesses or by experts given in a courtroom, or other formal setting. But in analytic philosophy the expression is used as a label for the process by which knowledge or belief is gained from understanding and believing the spoken or written reports of others generally, regardless of setting. In a modern society testimony thus broadly understood is one of the main sources of belief.



In philosophy, testimony is a proposition conveyed by person or group to another person or group, whether through speech or writing or through facial expression, that is based on the person's or group's knowledge base. The proposition believed on the basis of a testimony is justified if conditions are met which assess, among other things, the speaker's reliability and the hearer's possession of positive reasons. In short, testimony is the sole guarantee of the truth of a matter.

Testimony alone does not make people believe it. For that, the testimonies should be explained and the reasons for it should be given. For this, care must be taken with the logic of the testimonies. By presenting such logical evidence, action should be taken to instill confidence in people about it.

                                                                               

There are two types of testimony. That is peer testimony and expert testimony. Expert testimony is testimony given by a person who is considered an expert by virtue of education, training, certification, skills, and/or experience in a particular matter. Peer testimony, unlike expert testimony, is provided by a person who does not have expertise in the subject in question.

Our epistemic dependence on past trusted testimony

People in the past had given more space to myth. So sometimes the truth was overshadowed by delusion. Those people believed that everything happens because of an act by a god or a powerful source. So people were afraid to argue. But with scientific discoveries it was completely different. There was a great deal of interest and curiosity in people to explore new knowledge. So people got rid of narrow mindedness and started arguing. This had a huge impact on the advancement of technology and science.

 The subversion of this myth and the tendency of people to seek new knowledge was a significant event that coincided with the renaissance of philosophy. Hence, people began to look at the changes in the environment logically. This was the basic foundation of social development. So people had to break free from the myth that was based on evidence from past rumors and seek new knowledge. This was a great contribution to the technological revolution.



References : Fricker, E., 2004. Testimony: Knowing through being told. In Handbook of epistemology (pp. 109-130). Springer, Dordrecht.


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