Centering Epistemic Injustice: Epistemic Labor, Willful Ignorance, and Knowing Across Hermeneutical Divides

In Centering Epistemic Injustice,Kamili Posey explores the lives and perspectives of socially marginalized knowers, arguing that testimonial injustice is not just about epistemic harms but also about strategies used to circumvent them. It also examines the relationship between dominant and marginalized knowing and asks if social power makes it impossible for dominant knowers to know and "hear well" across hermeneutical divides.

Format: Hardback
Length: 162 pages
Publication date: 23 August 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

In her groundbreaking work, "Centering Epistemic Injustice: Epistemic Labor, Willful Ignorance, and Knowing Across Hermeneutical Divides," Kamili Posey delves into the profound question of how accounts of epistemic injustice can genuinely acknowledge and respect the lives and perspectives of socially marginalized knowers. The book unfolds in two compelling parts.

The first part takes up the predominant account of testimonial injustice offered by Miranda Fricker, arguing that testimonial injustice extends beyond the mere epistemic harms perpetrated by dominant knowers against marginalized knowers. It encompasses the strategies employed by marginalized knowers to navigate and resist the oppressive effects of dominant knowledge. By centering the experiences and actions of marginalized knowers, Posey expands our understanding of epistemic injustice, highlighting their active engagement and resistance in hostile epistemic environments.

The second part of the book delves into Fricker's concept of hermeneutical injustice, rooted in hermeneutical marginalization. Building upon the critiques of hermeneutical injustice, this section explores the intricate relationship between dominant knowing and marginalized knowing. It raises critical questions about whether social power, encompassing the ability to shape collective resources and ways of meaning-making, impairs dominant knowers' ability to genuinely understand and empathize across hermeneutical divides. The book also examines whether hermeneutical divides constitute genuine barriers to understanding or if there are potential pathways for dominant knowers to become better knowers in the pursuit of a more comprehensive epistemic justice.

Through her meticulous analysis and thought-provoking insights, Kamili Posey challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of epistemic injustice and to actively work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable epistemic landscape. "Centering Epistemic Injustice" is a must-read for scholars, activists, and anyone committed to promoting epistemic fairness and social justice.

Weight: 431g
Dimension: 230 x 160 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498572576