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This dissertation argues for the truth of two fundamental premises: that testimony is the primary source of knowledge in human beings, and that testimony accounts for the emergence and formation of human minds. The thesis argues that the human ability to perceive as…, to remember as…, and to infer as…, is due to the say-so of others. All human beings, in virtue of being sentient beings, are able to experience both the external world and their own private states of consciousness, this work contends, however, that our ability to experience as… is a consequence of our emergence in a world of epistemic transactions and encounters, the most basic of which are explicated by the epistemological notion of testimony. The work argues, then, that we live in an interpreted world – a world interpreted by those who have gone before us. The thesis argues further, that the world-view that is built within us as a consequence of the sayings of others, induces and forms human minds. The work makes a strong commitment to the Kantian categories and that philosopher’s thesis of Transcendental Idealism. On the shoulders of the Kantian a priori, however, the dissertation argues that the formation of human doxastic structures is due to what one’s epistemic elders say about what is. As such, the thesis seeks to establish a fundamental link between ontology, epistemology, and the concept of mind. The work proposes a view of the concept of truth that synthesises the Correspondence Theory of Truth, the Coherence Theory of Truth, with a theory of meaning – I name this synthesis a Unified Theory of Truth. Extensive consideration is given to the concept of evidence and the role of trust in epistemic transactions. The work concludes with a consideration of the possibility that human beings may be able to have experiences as… that transcend the ways of ‘seeing’ that are due to testimony. An explanatory theory is posited that the writings and testimonies of mystics provide evidence that human beings are capable of meaningful experiences which cannot be accommodated by the conceptual structures that otherwise make meaning possible. The dissertation is argued in seven chapters and is constructed thus: Chapter One The thesis is stated in four premises: 1. that the testimony of others, with respect to what is the case (or may be the case), is the primary source of our beliefs about what is the case (or may be the case) 2. that the testimony of others provides adequate relevant grounds for one to claim to know what is the case 3. that education is testimony 4. that the formation and emergence of mind is due to testimony Significant presuppositions are identified and discussed. A brief argument in support of the thesis is posited. Reference is made to the evolution of the argument and the overall structure and organisation of the project is elucidated. Chapter Two The second chapter is dedicated to a detailed and extensive analysis of epistemic justification. I argue that the ‘evidence condition’ of the tripartite analysis of propositional knowledge is sometimes misapplied by those who argue that its function is to verify propositions. I argue that its function is to justify beliefs and that it does not verify that p – the evidence condition ‘tracks’ the belief condition, not the truth condition. I also examine the concept of evidence itself. Chapter Three A detailed examination of the concepts of ‘testimony’, ‘epistemic dependence’ and ‘epistemic independence’ is undertaken. I argue for the centrality and primacy of testimony in the formation of beliefs and subsequently one’s doxastic structures. I argue that testimony plays a fundamental role in the process of education and that this fact points to its significance and importance in epistemic transactions and the emergence of rational and self-reflective minds. Chapter Four In the fourth chapter I advert to the difficulty encountered in (a) embracing a strong commitment to intellectual autonomy and (b) accepting the say-so of others on trust. In the light of this observation, I undertake a linguistic conceptual analysis of the concept of trust and then examine the role trust plays in the acquisition of beliefs. I argue that the concept of trust does not exclude critical appraisal, but that when one trusts, one must be disposed to act in a certain way. I argue that although trust does play a fundamental role in formation of beliefs induced by the say-so of others, this does not make impossible critical appraisal of the attestations of others. Chapter Five In this chapter I note my agreement with other philosophers that testimony is the speech-act of attesting, but put up an argument that it is also the speech-act of informing. In consequence I undertake an analysis of the concept of information and examine the mechanisms and processes which are at work that enable ‘bits’ to become information for an entity or system. I argue that because testimony is the speech-act of informing, it is involved in the actual formation of human minds and, therefore, that we can attribute to testimony a deeper purpose than merely attesting to certain states of affairs. I argue that testimony builds, for human beings, a world-view and that it plays a fundamental role in how we come to interpret the experience of being. Chapter Six In the sixth and penultimate chapter I develop my thoughts on the relationship between a priori understandings, testimony, and meaning. I argue that there is a logical relationship between belief acquisition, meaning, and the emergence of fully developed human minds. In this chapter I give consideration to the possibility of thought, belief, and the existence of mind in non-human animals and pre-linguistic humans. I argue that there are good reasons to believe that non-human animals think and maybe develop understandings, but that the possession of mind, in the sense that one can be mindful and therefore attach meaning to experience and be conscious of self, is limited to human beings. I underwrite this view by adverting to the centrality of testimony within the human condition. Chapter Seven In the final chapter of this dissertation I move to a more speculative mode of philosophising and consider whether or not there may be meaningful human experiences which are not interpreted through the conceptual schema acquired as a consequence of the say-so of others. I undertake this speculation by examining the testimony of those who claim to have perceived God directly and those who seek to speak of purported mystical experiences. I also consider some counter-arguments to my thesis that have not been examined in previous chapters. I conclude that there may be meaningful experiences for human beings that lie beyond interpretation and that concepts such as ‘ineffability’ point to our attempts to speak of experiences which transcend our doxastic structures.

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There has been a general reluctance in epistemology to classify memory and testimony as basic epistemic sources (along with perception, reason, and introspection): some epistemologists have attempted to establish that testimonial justification is reducible; and while considerations of epistemic circularity suggest that reductionism about memorial justification is untenable, epistemologists have typically held that memory merely preserves beliefs and (therefore) their justification. Approaching memory and testimony from a naturalist and reliabilist perspective, this dissertation develops new accounts of these epistemic sources, concluding that neither preservationism about memory nor reductionism about testimony is tenable.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Erlangen.

The 1988 and 1991 Criminal Justice Acts transformed the position of the child witness within the criminal justice system. Rules of evidence which had discriminated against children's testimony were progressively abolished, and new procedures were introduced to accommodate children's needs within the trial process. This thesis offers a socio-legal critique of the reforms, analysing the way in which their development and implementation have been ideologically structured. Part Two provides an historical overview of the way in which the legal system has regarded children's testimony. Contrasts are drawn between the relative failure of the 1925 Inter-Departmental Committee on Sexual Offences against Young People to secure changes in the treatment of child witnesses, and the comparative success, some sixty years later, of the Pigot Committee. The links between child witness reform and dominant conceptions of child sexual abuse are investigated. Part Three turns to the implementation of the reforms and reports the findings of a qualitative and ethnographic study conducted for this thesis at one Crown Court Centre. Sixteen contested piosecutions, between them involving evidence from 53 child witnesses, were identified. The final hearing of each case was observed in full, and the attitudes towards the reforms of the barristers and child witnesses concerned were sought by way of interviews and questionnaires. Part Four notes the mixed effects of the reforms, and the categorical distinctions observable at the study Crown Court in the treatment of child complainants and child by-stander witnesses. It is suggested that the reconceptualisation of child sexual abuse as a criminal justice, rather than a welfare, problem, played a significant role in achieving child witness reform, but that the moral rhetoric involved silenced alternative perspectives and has led to the marginalisation of some child witnesses. What these conclusions suggest about the law reform process more generally is briefly discussed.

The goal of this paper is to outline the legal and scientific implications of the admissibility standard defined in Daubert v. Merrel Row Pharmeceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993). The evolution of scientific admissibility is discussed. In addition, the author looks at criticisms of Daubert from the legal and psychological literature. Empirical data is presented with respect to judges’ abilities to act as “gate keepers” and jurors’ sensitivity to expert testimony. The author concludes with a discussion of the limitations and implications of this research.

The use of personal testimony in theatre is a central component to the practice of Verbatim Theatre. Verbatim Theatre is a form of documentary theatre and is enjoying an increased popularity on world stages in recent years. The last decade, in particular, has seen both established and emerging playwrights incorporating the testimony of others into their scripts. This has led to various concerns and questions pertaining to the practical and moral implications of the work particularly surrounding issues of authorship, authenticity, truth, aesthetics, theatricality and ethics. This study is a practice-led enquiry. A central component to the study is the writing and performance of three plays in order to arrive at a better understanding of these challenges. Three original plays, Walking Away, Under Pressure and Aquéro are presented in a series of case studies accompanied by a critical and reflexive analysis on the practice of writing and staging each play. This examination investigates both the creation of these plays – from interview to writing – and their performance – from the perspective of the playwright and to a lesser extent the actor, in addition to contextualising the ethical and moral ramifications involved in this type of practice. The Introduction explores a few of the general problems and challenges around the practice of staging testimony, outlines the nature of the research project and is followed by a discussion on practice-as-research and my particular research methodology and ethic. The dissertation is then divided into three parts. Chapter One begins with an overview of the documentary form and considers developments in the form that have facilitated the staging of testimony. The chapter then considers the terms Verbatim Theatre and Theatre of Testimony, arguing for a distinction to be made between the two terms and why Theatre of Testimony is the term most suited to my practice. It contends with an examination of the epistemology of testimony that new knowledge can be generated by attending to and nurturing the narrative essence of testimony. This chapter also examines the significance of the site of production of the testimonies and the extent to which this impacts on the dramaturgical choices made by the playwright. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the main questions, problems and challenges that have been identified by theatre practitioners, scholars and critics regarding the use of testimony in theatre. Part Two comprises of Chapters Two, Three and Four, which discuss the case studies. Each chapter provides a context for the research project, a script of the play, a DVD of a performance of the play and critical and reflexive commentary on the practice of writing and staging the play. The final section, Part Three, presents concluding thoughts on the research outcomes and considers the value and potential efficacy of employing ‘reportage’ as a legitimate dramaturgical choice when staging personal testimonies. Accompanying this thesis are three DVDs which include recordings of each script in performance.

Cette thèse examine le statut de la parole vivante dans les pratiques artistiques vidéo. À partir des années 1970, des artistes s’approprient le support vidéographique, se tournent vers ceux qui les entourent, ou parcourent le monde à la rencontre d’autrui, orientant leur caméra vers des visages, à l’écoute d’une parole. Ces vidéos relèvent d'esthétiques diverses mais un certain nombre de caractéristiques se dessinent au fil de l’étude, tissant des liens entre des projets d’apparence très différents. Il s'agit donc de dégager les enjeux qu'elles partagent et d'évaluer la contribution des plasticiens au renouvellement des représentations de parole. Le rapport que ces oeuvres établissent avec les structures narratives classiques du parler sur soi est d'abord envisagé à travers l’analyse des récits contenus dans les vidéos, et des stratégies adoptées par les artistes afin de questionner la construction narrative dans ses mécanismes structurels et formels. Puis, à partir d’un large corpus d’oeuvres, sont examinées les spécificités des protocoles d’enquête et d’entretien qui deviennent les conditions de la pratique artistique. Ces vidéos se caractérisent par une forme de représentation singulière qui révèle un réinvestissement du genre multiséculaire du portrait : un portrait parlant. L’étude d’installations vidéo contemporaines permet enfin d’examiner les rapports qu'entretiennent parole filmée et espace d’exposition / espace de réception d’une parole. Les inserts disséminés dans les pages du volume exposent la pratique artistique et les développements qui ont accompagné ce travail de recherche, instaurant un dialogue permanent entre théorie et pratique / This PhD thesis examines the status of the living word in the video art practices. From the 1970s, the artists use the videographic media, look to those around them, or travel the world meeting others, focusing their camera on faces, listening to a speech. These videos take on such different pertain to various aesthetics but a number of characteristics emerge throughout the study weaving links between projects that seem at first glance quite different. It is thus a question of identifying their common stakes, and evaluating the contribution of the artistes to the renewal of representations of speech. First, the relationship that these works establish with conventional narrative structures of talk about self is considered through the analysis of narratives contained in the videos, and strategies adopted by artists to question the narrative construction in its structural and formal mechanisms. Then, based on a large corpus of pieces, is examined the specificities of investigation and interview protocols that become conditions of artistic practice. These videos are characterized by a form of representation that reveals a singular reinvestment of centuries of portraiture: a speaking portrait. Finally, the study of contemporary video installations allows to examine the relationships between speech, filmed and exhibition space / reception space of a word. The inserts scattered in the pages of the volume expose the artistic practice and the developments that have accompanied this research, in a continuous dialogue between theory and practice