Changes

For most of the history of western science and philosophy, human individuals were treated as the sole or primary epistemic agents. In the early modern period, [[Rene Descartes]] (1596-1650) [[CiteRef::Descartes (2004)]][[CiteRef::Descartes (2017)]] and [[John Locke]] (1711-1776) [[CiteRef::Locke (2015)]] produced classic works seeking to explain and justify the capacities of human individuals as epistemic agents. Discussion of the role of social interaction in the production of knowledge was confined largely to discussion of when one should accept the testimony of others. This took place, for example, in the works of [[David Hume]] (1711-1776) and [[Thomas Reid]] (1710-1796).[[CiteRef::Goldman and Blanchard (2016)]] Beginning in the nineteenth century, the concept that groups of interacting human individuals can function collectively as epistemic agents with a role distinct from their individual parts began to receive increasing attention.