Feminist epistemology
pp. 1013-1026
in: Ilkka Niiniluoto, Matti Sintonen, Jan Woleński (eds), Handbook of epistemology, Berlin, Springer, 2004Abstract
Epistemology has become a crucial issue for feminism and feminism has become a crucial issue for epistemology. Feminist epistemologists, in common with many other contemporary thinkers, no longer regard knowledge as a neutral transparent reflection of an independently ordered reality with truth and falsity established by transcendent procedures of rational assessment. Rather most accept that all knowledge is situated knowledge, reflecting the position of the knowledge producer at a certain historical moment in a given material and cultural context. Interconnectedly feminism, along with other movements, has recognised the links between knowledge and power. The legitimisation of knowledge claims is intimately tied to networks of power relations. This recognition has moved epistemological issues into the forefront of contemporary culture. If we cannot distinguish between good and bad knowledge claims by the application of neutral and transcendent criteria how are we to address traditional epistemological concerns regarding justification and the distinction between genuine knowledge and what merely passes for it? This is not of only philosophical interest, for feminism has a commitment to social change; it wishes to establish the legitimacy of its critiques of the existing social order and devise effective strategies for change.