Healthy Common Sense About Experts

Specialized knowledge is absolutely necessary. But experts, by definition, are people who know a very narrow area well, so it's unreasonable to expect them to deliver sound judgment on problems involving more than one broad area of our lives (that is, most problems), weighing all the diverse human needs, material limits, and moral values.

Having specialized knowledge often narrows one's perspective. Maintaining a slightly skeptical attitude toward expert knowledge should apply not only to economics but to all areas of life. (p. 441)

 

 

A few days ago, in an Economic Notes piece on big data, I mentioned that to use big data meaningfully, what matters is not just technical ability but also the eyes to see and judge society, people, and one's own work. In reality, we often witness experts who fail because, while they have plenty of knowledge in their specific field, they lack the eyes to see human life.

 

Economist Ha-Joon Chang said something similar. Specialized knowledge is necessary, but it often narrows one's perspective. He says this is true even in economics.

"Non-professional economists, if they have a bit of knowledge about the major economic theories and a basic understanding of the political and ethical assumptions behind a given issue, can make sound judgments on economic matters. Sometimes their judgments can even be better than those of professional economists. A layperson's judgment is rooted in reality and isn't focused on a particular narrow area. The economy is too important a matter to be left only to professional economists."

 

"An expert is someone who no longer tries to learn anything new. Because to have to learn more would be to admit that they are not an expert."

That's what Harry Truman said.

 

We should always have the attitude of wanting to learn more about our own field of specialty. And, taking one step further from there, we should also strive to deepen our understanding of humans and society as a whole. 

When looking at experts in other fields, we should not forget that they are only "experts in that field" and not expect "perfect solutions" from them. We too need to "participate" in important judgments, based on "healthy common sense," with the help of experts.