Final answer:
The term given to testimony taken before a trial is called a deposition. It is an essential pre-trial procedure where parties gather information under oath. Testimony is key in legal proceedings and in how we gain knowledge socially, making the trustworthiness and reliability of testimony important to consider.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term given to testimony taken from a witness or party to a case before a trial is known as a deposition. This is a process by which the parties to a lawsuit gather information before the trial begins, outside of the courtroom. During a deposition, a person is questioned under oath by the attorneys from both sides, and the answers are recorded for later use in court or for discovery purposes.
Testimony is a crucial element in both the discovery phase and the trial of a case. It counts as a social means of gaining knowledge. When assessing the trustworthiness of testimony, considerations such as the honesty, bias, rationality, and expertise of the source are important. In a court setting, particularly in an adversarial system, the credibility and reliability of a witness's testimony, including their depositions, can significantly influence the outcome of a case.
In the context of social epistemology, we understand that much of our knowledge comes from trusting the testimony of others. This is true of the information we learn in educational settings, as well as the news and books we consume. However, the reliability of testimony can vary, which introduces questions about when it is justified to trust such sources.