The A Priori Authority of Testimony, Robert Audi
Audi, R. (2004), ‘The A Priori Authority of Testimony’, Philosophical Issues 14, 18-34.
p. 19 – Testimony as a conditionally basic source (of justification). Testimony can raise the level of justification for a belief (i.e. hearing about an object somehow raises the likelihood of believing the object exists whereas seeing the object gives us justification for the belief there is such an object).
A conditionally basic source can be called a secondary source but it is still basic. It is basic because the justification it provides is not grounded in, but depends on, the unqualifiedly basic source.
p. 22 – 1st possible reason for holding the prima facie case: the experience of testimony causes beliefs.
p. 22-24 – 2nd possible reason for holding the prima facie case: believing something tends to lead to attesting to that something.
p. 224 – 3rd possible reason for holding the prima facie case: memory is preservative.
p. 224-5 – 4th possible reason for holding the prima facie case: testimony as a prima facie representation of facts (which rests upon reasons 1-3).
p. 25 – All four reasons taken together is not formally valid but rather a plausibility argument.
p. 27 – Reasons 1-3 need only be empirical support for possible reason 5: ‘if our only good explanation for a proposition we are amply justified in believing entails the likely truth of a further proposition, we are prima facie justified in believing the latter proposition.’
* Inference to Best Explanation
