The Epistemic Benefit of Transient Diversity

Kevin J. S. Zollman

doi:10.1007/s10670-009-9194-6

Erkenntnis

January 2010, 72:17

The Epistemic Benefit of Transient Diversity

Authors
Authors and affiliations

Kevin J. S. ZollmanEmail author

Original Article

First Online:: 22 October 2009

Received:: 07 October 2008
Accepted:: 28 September 2009

DOI: 10.1007/s10670-009-9194-6

Cite this article as:: Zollman, K.J.S. Erkenn (2010) 72: 17. doi:10.1007/s10670-009-9194-6

27 Citations
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Abstract

There is growing interest in understanding and eliciting division of labor within groups of scientists. This paper illustrates the need for this division of labor through a historical example, and a formal model is presented to better analyze situations of this type. Analysis of this model reveals that a division of labor can be maintained in two different ways: by limiting information or by endowing the scientists with extreme beliefs. If both features are present however, cognitive diversity is maintained indefinitely, and as a result agents fail to converge to the truth. Beyond the mechanisms for creating diversity suggested here, this shows that the real epistemic goal is not diversity but transient diversity.

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Kevin J. S. Zollman
- 1
Email author

1.Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghUSA

The Epistemic Benefit of Transient Diversity

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