We tend to applaud those who think for themselves: the ever-curious student, for example, or the grownup who does her own research. Even as we’re applauding, however, we ourselves often don’t think for ourselves. This book argues that’s completely OK.

Chapter 1 IntroductionKeeping your House in OrderWhat is Thinking for Yourself?Clarifying the Central ConclusionLooking AheadChapter 2 Believing (Just) Because Others Believe: Epistemic Surrogates From Individual to Social EpistemologyBelieving the Experts & Epistemic SurrogacyThe Wisdom of CrowdsThe UpshotChapter 3 The Argument from ExpertiseMotivating the Argument Applying the ArgumentAn Initial Worry: Identifying the ExpertsThe UpshotChapter 4 The Argument from Evidential SwampingMotivating the ArgumentApplying the ArgumentThe UpshotChapter 5 The Autonomy ObjectionMotivating the ObjectionThe Myth of Intellectual IndividualismAutonomy as Intellectual FreedomAutonomy as Intellectual VirtueWrap-UpChapter 6 The Free-Rider ObjectionMotivating the Objection The Cognitive Division of Labor Epistemic Trespassing The Wisdom of Crowds Again Wrap-UpChapter 7 The Socratic ObjectionMotivating the ObjectionNormative QuestionsNo Relevant ExpertsThe Importance of Getting it RightMoral VirtueIn Favor of Socratic DeferenceWrap-UpChapter 8 The Vulnerability Objection Motivating the Objection The Inevitability of VulnerabilityVulnerability and Checks & BalancesThe Importance of InstitutionsWrap-UpChapter 9 The Understanding ObjectionMotivating the ObjectionUnderstanding Without Thinking for YourselfSetting the ScopeEpistemic SatisficingWrap-UpChapter 10 The Intellectual Virtue ObjectionMotivating the ObjectionCultivating Intellectual Character Through DeferenceCartesian Epistemology & Social EpistemologySocial Intellectual VirtuesWrap-Up