L'expertise, de la recherche d'une action rationnelle à la démocratisation des connaissances et des choix

Abstract

Historical analysis shows that the practice of expertise has evolved from the idea of constructing certainty to that of examining uncertainty. In the beginning, expertise basically meant that an individual was specialized in an area of knowledge and that in virtue of this specialization was able to make clear-cut decisions on issues concerning that specific field. Since that time, the practice of expertise has taken on new forms (counter-expertise, collective expertise), and we now have a multifaceted type of expertise capable of articulating various types of knowledge and bringing together actors from various fields. Its purpose is not only to estimate risk, but to point out lingering uncertainties and to open the way for decisions which are not final and which can lead to further investigation and revisable measures. © Ecole Nationale d'Administration.