Rational consensus in truth-seeking groups of agents : the epistemic significance of social network
1 : Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques
(IHPST)
Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - Paris I, CNRS : UMR8590, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris - ENS Paris
13 Rue du four 75006 PARIS -
France
Starting from the simple Lehrer-Wagner normative rule of individual belief-update in groups of truth-seeking agents, we investigate the question of the existence of possible epistemic effects of the structure of social communication. On the basis of a simple model of agents' interaction and data acquisition in truth-seeking group, we discuss ways in which the shaping of a social network and the positions individuals occupy in the network may indeed influence epistemic performance (of the group and of the individuals), as measured by closeness to truth in the long run and rate of convergence.
