Epistemic networks and polarization

Epistemic network models are tools for understanding how information and beliefs move in groups of connected epistemic agents. While these tools have been used in philosophy mostly by philosophers of science and social epistemologists, this chapter discusses how epistemic network models can be used to investigate political polarization. The goal of this chapter is to give the reader a good idea of how epistemic network models can be used to approach complex questions in political epistemology about groups of agents sharing information and beliefs. The chapter starts by introducing the idea of an epistemic network model and the general approach to understanding complex epistemic phenomena in which these models play a role. We then discuss a series of epistemic network models of political polarization including ones from Hegselmann and Krause, Singer et al., and Weatherall and O’Connor. We conclude with brief thoughts about how epistemic network models can be used to answer other questions in political epistemology.