Epistemische Ungerechtigkeit

Knowledge, Power, and Discrimination – the Standard Work by Miranda Fricker

The idea that knowledge and power influence and permeate each other, that they can mutually reinforce or block one another, is not a new insight. It is all the more astonishing that philosophy has taken a long time to closely examine the consequences for our epistemic lives, particularly those arising from powerful prejudices and stereotypes. In her groundbreaking book, which is now considered a modern classic, Miranda Fricker takes on this task: she uncovers a highly relevant form of injustice for knowledge societies that poses a significant threat to both the humanity of those affected and our shared practices of knowing.

The term coined by Miranda Fricker that encapsulates what goes wrong in our epistemic lives is "epistemic injustice." This occurs when, for example, women, migrant communities, or entire populations of continents are denied the ability to acquire relevant knowledge and share reliable perceptions. However, it also constitutes an injustice when marginalized groups do not even possess the necessary interpretative tools—such as the concepts of sexual harassment or stalking—to categorize their particular experiences as injustices. Miranda Fricker reveals these two forms of epistemic injustice as powerful yet largely silent dimensions of discrimination. In doing so, she not only examines the specific nature of each injustice but also clarifies which virtues we need to cultivate in order to prevent it.