What Makes Someone an Expert?

Primary Reading: Plato, Apology

Plato’s Central Question

Can someone possess genuine expertise in one area without also being wise in general?

Socrates’ Investigation

In the Apology, Socrates explains that he questioned three groups of people in Athens:

1. Politicians
2. Poets
3. Craftsmen

The craftsmen were different.

Unlike the politicians and poets, the craftsmen genuinely knew something. They possessed real expertise. They knew how to build, create, and repair things.

However, Socrates noticed something else.

Because they were highly skilled in one area, many believed they were also wise about life’s biggest questions.

His conclusion was not that expertise is unimportant. Quite the opposite. Genuine expertise deserves respect. But expertise in one field does not automatically become wisdom in every field.

Questions

1. What makes someone an expert?

   • Knowledge?
   • Experience?
   • Credentials?
   • Success?
   • Good judgment?
   • Something else?

2. Can someone be an expert and still be wrong?

3. Can two genuine experts disagree? If so, what should non-experts do?

4. When does experience matter more than formal education?

5. Should experts have greater influence over public decisions? Why or why not?

6. Suppose someone is an excellent physician. Should that make us trust their opinions about politics? Religion? Ethics? Why?

7. How can ordinary people tell the difference between genuine expertise and someone who merely sounds confident?

8. Is intellectual humility part of being an expert?

9. Socrates thought recognizing the limits of one’s own knowledge was the beginning of wisdom. Do you agree?