What is Epistemic Loneliness?

In today's post  Ramón Alvarado discusses the notion of epistemic loneliness.

representation of loneliness

Often, we think of loneliness as a matter of social isolation. If we had someone— anyone— by our side, we would feel less lonely. Sometimes, we acknowledge that there is an extra component to this companionship. If we, or other lonely person, had not just any other person but a significant other, then we would be less lonely. And yet, we often feel lonely in crowds, in loving relationships, and even amongst friends and family. If this is the case, then there must be something else to certain instances of loneliness that is not addressed merely by the presence of others or even significant others.

In recent work, some philosophers of loneliness have suggested that what it is missing in such instances is a kind of recognition. For some, this comes from a mutual, evolutionarily convenient recognition of kinship. For others, it is a recognition of intellectual and character complexities that constitute your uniqueness. However, just as we saw above and as many highly recognized individuals can attest, being recognized is sometimes the reason why one may feel intellectually lonely. So there must be something else in some instances of loneliness where being in company of others, significant others, or being recognized does not suffice.

For example, many times we feel lonely because we are not “understood”. But this isn’t just us lacking someone we can impart knowledge to or someone that recognizes how smart and unique we are. Rather, we yearn for a conversation partner that can hold their own, someone that will not just challenge our beliefs but that can also help us build new ones. In short, sometimes what we yearn for and do not or cannot have is an epistemic partner—a willing and able interlocutor with whom we can share, exchange, and construct new knowledge. These are instances of epistemic loneliness.

Sometimes we feel lonely because we do not something others do.

While it is easy to think of extreme cases in which this happens— say the lonely genius or the trauma survivor— notice that epistemic loneliness is far more common in our everyday life. Most of us have felt it at least temporarily— teenagers, parents, romantic partners, introverts, academics, uneducated people, etc. In these instances, the loneliness arises because we know something that others didn’t but also because we do not know something others do. This is a very particular yet common instance of loneliness.

Understanding different kinds of loneliness allows us to better understand the different dimensions of this growing and worrying global phenomena. It can also elucidate the kinds of resources most apt to address or assuage it. Understanding epistemic loneliness in particular can help us make sense of the instances in which our loved ones and those we care for seem to lack something other than mere companionship. 

We are epistemic creatures. The acquisition, exchange, and creation of knowledge is at the center of our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world and amongst others. We should know and acknowledge this.

Ramón Alvarado is an Assistant Professor of  Philosophy at the University of Oregon. 

Ramón is interested in the philosophical implications of the design, development and deployment of computational methods and technologies in science and society. 

Ramón recently published a paper in Synthese on epistemic loneliness.