ABSTRACT
This chapter distinguishes between participants’ orientation to knowledge, their orientation to those abilities dependent upon it, and purely having a mandate or authority to do something. Knowledge and ability as a dimension of trustworthiness has to do with trusting somebody because of that person's skills, knowledge and qualifications, as well as their mandate. Participants’ abilities, mandates, capacities, knowledge, competences and areas of expertise are intertwined and negotiated as just that. Treating each other as knowledgeable and competent most of the time is a fundamental part of the order of interaction. Knowledge is not all-encompassing. It is compartmentalized and tied to certain domains. When there are conflicting sources in the interaction, referred to by different participants, the principle that “the Best Source's Version is more credible” may be applied. Various social actions are concerned with territories of knowledge. Claiming epistemic primacy concerning something locally relevant is a member's concern, and a way of orienting to being trustworthy.
