Epistemic Rivalries. Dealing with Special Knowledge at the Courts in the 14th Century

In the 14th century, the courts of kings, popes, and princes saw increasing competition between representatives of various types of expertise. The decision as to what kind of knowledge could be used and in what form shifted from the learned circles to the laymen and, at the courts, to the rulers and their entourage. Growing competition made it necessary to examine the claims to validity associated with each body of knowledge, its content, and potential usefulness, as well as the positions of its bearers. The growing epistemic rivalries thus made knowledge reflexive. The article illustrates these processes with case studies of selected Latin European courts.