Scepticism about scientific expertise is a central feature of our age: think of the scepticism about climate science, about economic forecasts (e.g. concerning Brexit), or about medical advice (e. g. on vaccination). There are many competing explanations for this scepticism: sometimes the alleged culprits are politicians, sometimes the media, sometimes philosophers and sociologists. This talk discusses the role of last group. It argues that the only way to reign in the scepticism is for philosophers and sociologists to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the relationship between science and politics.

Kusch's wide-ranging contributions to philosophy reflect both systematic and historical interests and cut across traditional disciplinary divides. He has published in the philosophy of the social sciences, epistemology, philosophy of language and mind, philosophy of the natural sciences, philosophy of technology, and the history of German and Austrian philosophy.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx