[comment]: # (Compile this presentation with the command below) [comment]: # (mdslides docs.md --include dist) [comment]: # (...or by running the Makefile with "make") ### How to explore ideas & beliefs 1. [Establish rapport & informed consent](#/1) 2. [Find & clarify claim](#/2) 3. [Ask for & calibrate scaled confidence](#/3) 4. [Identify main reason](#/4) 5. [Explore & assess epistemology](#/5) 6. [End on a high note, with a good question](#/6) 7. [But first, consider…](#/7) 8. [Share & collaborate](#/8) \ Swipe ↓[about](#/0/1), →[continue](#/1)
#### What is Street Epistemology (SE)? * A way, through dialogue, to reflect on the quality of one's reasoning. * A way to have better conversations about contentious topics. * A conversational toolbox for exploring ideas and beliefs. * A community that practices SE in a friendly environment. \ Swipe ↓[more](#/0/2), →[continue](#/1)
#### What is Epistemology? The field of Philosophy focusing on *how* we know what we know.
* *«How do we know if something is true?»* * *«Which methods and tools can we employ to determine this?»* \ With SE we try to bring this out of academia and into everyday life. \ Swipe ↓[more](#/0/3), →[continue](#/1)
#### What is Introducing.SE? * It's a practical introduction and overview of Street Epistemology (SE). * …a site for your phone, with useful tips for practicing SE. * …a way to [share SE](#/8) with anyone interested. \ Swipe →[continue](#/1)
### 1. Establish rapport & informed consent * Establish a **friendly tone** & maintain it. * Show you're interested & listening. * Show your curiosity; explore their ideas! * Share what you have in common. \ Swipe ↓[more](#/1/1), →[continue](#/2)
#### Politeness & intentions * Share [your intentions](#/7) upfront. * [Describe](#/0) or explain this method, and ask if they are open for this! * Recording? **Ask for consent**. * Offer to set a timer if they have limited time. \ Swipe ↓[more](#/1/2), →[continue](#/2)
#### Patience & practice *Keeping a friendly tone is critical for success*.
* *Be patient* – You may need to have a few «soft» chats before proceeding with a contentious topic. * *Don't offer facts* (also called «topic rebuttal»), unless asked. * *Stay cool* – Avoiding *topic rebuttal* may require practice! * *Practice* – [SE may at first be easier with strangers](#/8). \ Swipe [↓](#/1/3) [→](#/2)
#### Adopt a learner's attitude * Be **Self-directed** – ask about what you find curious or confusing. * … **Open-minded** – there's always something to learn! * … **Single-minded** – focus on one topic until you grasp it. * and **Thorough** – don't just acknowledge, but try to *connect* ideas. \ *«I want to understand in order to explore.»* \ Swipe [↓](#/1/4) [→](#/2)
#### Ask, don't tell * ✅ *«Can you help me understand what you mean with…»* * ✅ *«Do I understand you correctly…»* * ✅ *«How do I explain to someone else…»* * ❌ *«Don't you think that…»* * ❌ *«Are you saying that…»* * ❌ *«How do you justify…»* \ Swipe [→](#/2)
### 2. Find & clarify claim * *«Do you have a claim you want to explore?»* * *«... a topic you wish more people knew of?»* * *«Would you mind if we explored this claim together?»* * Aim or a **single topic**. * Phrase the topic in the form of a claim. * Ask if it's a good claim to explore together. \ *Don't rush when considering claims!*
#### Clarifying terms *«True»* vs. *«True for me»* vs. *«True for all.»*
* *«What do you mean when you say …?»* * In your own words, **repeat** what you hear. * Have them **confirm** if you understand correctly. * Identify, clarify & qualify confusing words. * Use *their* definitions. \ *Take notes!*
#### Good & bad claims * ✅ Claim is specific & clear. * ✅ …Foundational or important. * ✅ *«I believe …»* * ❌ *«I don't believe …»* * ⚠️ …Trivial or obvious. * ⚠️ Stop if the claim supports a [Safety Net](#/2/3)!
#### ⚠️ Stopping early A *Safety Net* is a belief that prevents an individual from doing harm to themselves or others. \ *«My Belief helped me become sober, and without it I would probably drink myself to death.»* \ SE is not always the right tool to use, and **SE is not for therapy**. Please do no harm!
### 3. Ask for & calibrate scaled confidence * *«How **confident** are you X is true?»* 0–100% * *«What would move you up just a bit?»* * *«What would move you down?»* * *«What could change your mind?»*
#### Exploring confidence * At 100%, *«Would anything increase your confidence even higher?»* * *«How would physical evidence change your confidence?»* * At 0%, *«What reasons do you think others have for being higher?»* * Above 0%, *«Why not lower?»* * Below 100%, *«Why not higher?»*
#### Pre-contemplative — or not? * 100% or 0% confidence may indicate they are pre-contemplative. * Maybe explore a «softer» topic first? * …Or ask them if they'd like to recalibrate their confidence! \ *«If there is still room to become more confident, what would you recalibrate your current confidence to?»*
### 4. Identify main reason * **What reasons** and methods did they use to arrive at their belief? * Assess the reliability of these reasons. * What methods were used to determine a reason was sound? * If these methods are unreliable, would the assessment change?
#### Exploring underlying reasons * *«If this reason was unavailable to you, would it change your confidence?»* * *«…if so, how would it change?»* * *«…and if not, **what else** is keeping you at your confidence level?»* * [Switching topic](#/2) or focusing on [another reason](#/4) is fine! \ *«Claim 2 seems to be important for your belief in claim 1. Would you mind if we explore it instead?»*
#### Many small, or a few large * *A thousand small reasons, or a few big ones*? — explore to understand the background of the claim. * With many small, ask how each influences their confidence. * Is this influence additive (& may surpass 100%) or multiplicative (& may never reach 100%)? * Let them recalibrate their confidence as you explore. \ *When you're done, restate & summarize their reason(s).*
### 5. Explore & assess reliablility Is our epistemology reliable? Let's assess.
* *«How did you arrive at the reason?»* * *«Was a method used to determine the reason was sound?»* * *«How can we determine if this method is reliable?»* \ *«If a method or a reason is unreliable, how does this affect our assessment?»*
#### The key goal of SE * Explore the reliability of methods used when forming a belief. * *How* questions are better than *Why* & *What.* * Embrace their pauses, allow them to think! * *«Let's go through the steps together.»* * *«How can we be confident if our methods aren't reliable?»*
#### Explore reliability I **The outsider test** – *«Would someone using your reasons, but coming from a different starting point reach the same conclusion?»* **The consultant test** – *«How would you evaluate this claim if it was **not** your own?»* **The double standard test** – *«Am I judging other people’s reasoning by a standard I wouldn’t apply to myself?»*
#### Explore reliability II **The conformity test** – *«If other people no longer held this belief, to what extent would you still hold it?»* **The status quo bias test** – *«If your current claim was not the status quo, would you still actively choose it?»* **The selective skeptic test** – *«If the same reasoning supported a different or opposing conclusion, how credible would you judge it to be?»*
#### Recognizing unreliable reasons * ❌ [Informal fallacies](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies#Informal_fallacies), like *Appeals to authority*, *ignorance* or *tradition.* * ❌ [Cognitive biases](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_bias#List_of_biases), like *Confirmation bias*, *Availability heuristic* and *Motivated reasoning.* * ❌ Sources don't pass [the C.R.A.A.P. test](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRAAP_test). \ *«If a text only offers thoughts I agree with, how can I know it is truthful?»*
### 6. End on a high note, with a good question * The best endings offer food for thought! * Try to end on a positive note, with *wonder* or *[aporia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aporia)*. * Success? – You have it when **both are happy** to have had the conversation. * If you can, offer to continue the chat later. * Maybe give them a printed [Introducing.SE card](dist/media/introducing-se-card-2022-01.pdf)?
#### A reason to return Some conversations may require several sessions. Give them reasons to look forward to them! \ *«That was a good question. You're making me think!»*
### 7. But first, consider… *Before engaging in SE, ask yourself some questions.*
* What's your goal? To learn, empathize or help them change their mind? * Are you open to learn and change your own mind too? * What is it you *really* want to achieve? * As you proceed, expect your goals and intentions to show. * Share your intentions upfront!
#### Personal preparations * Expect them to dislike *scripted* conversations. * …or «interviewing». * …or leading questions. * …or overt «messaging». * …or being embarrassed. * …or made to feel cornered. \ *— Listen actively and without presumption.*
#### Practical preparations *Depending on your situation, you may also want to…*
* Bring something to take notes with. * Bring a friend! Let them listen in, without participation. * Optionally, bring an audio recorder for your own use or for sharing. * Optionally, bring a timer.
### 8. Share & collaborate * [Share this](#/8/1) and your experiences with others in the Street Epistemology community! * You can find the SE community on [Discord](https://discord.gg/sKap3zM) and [elsewhere](https://streetepistemology.com/community). * Practice and learn in a friendly environment! * Find SE videos, blogs, tutorials, books and other resources on [streetepistemology.com](https://streetepistemology.com/). * Looking for another view on SE? Check the [Street Epistemology Basics](https://streetepistemology.com/blog/street-epistemology-the-basics).
[](https://streetepistemology.com) ###### Street Epistemology [](https://introducing.se) ###### Introducing.SE
### About this site
Introducing.SE
& content, by
Salve J. Nilsen
& others, is licensed
CC-BY-SA-4.0 International
#### 🚧 Contribute 🚧 Source code, content and issue tracker is on [Github](https://github.com/sjn/introducing-se/). \ [🔙 *to start*](#)