Computational Models in Social Epistemology

Abstract

In social epistemology, computational agent-based models have recently been much in the limelight. This chapter describes the background of this development and pays special attention to arguably the most successful computational model, the so-called Hegselmann–Krause (HK) model. It focuses on a computational model that is increasingly popular in social epistemology, namely, the HK model. For most of its history, the guiding model of epistemology has been that of a single cognizing subject, facing the world on her own. Computational models, especially computational agent-based models, have become common tools for social science practitioners. These models have been used to study such diverse phenomena as migration dynamics, electoral behavior, fluctuations in housing demand, civil disobedience, racial segregation, the emergence of social norms, and the spread of epidemics. Social epistemologists have come to increasingly rely on computational agent-based models. The chapter looks at what is unarguably the most popular model of this kind in social epistemology, the so-called HK model.