Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science: An Introduction

Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science: An Introduction is structured around six questions and the answers to them that have been offered by feminist epistemologists and philosophers of science. By showing how these answers differ from those of traditional philosophical approaches, the book situates feminist work in relation to philosophy more generally.

The questions are: Who knows? What do we have knowledge of? How do we know? What don’t we know? Why does it matter? and How can we know better? In addressing these questions, the book reviews feminist accounts of objectivity, agnotology, issues in social epistemology--including epistemic injustice--and considers how feminist epistemology and philosophy of science aim at better knowledge production. The audience for the book is upper division undergraduates, but it will be useful as a foundation for graduate students and other philosophers who are seeking a general understanding of feminist work in these areas.

Key Features:

• Provides an overview of contemporary feminist epistemology and philosophy of science
• Contrasts feminist epistemology and philosophy of science with traditional philosophy in these areas
• Provides clear examples of the benefits of feminist approaches
• Includes in each chapter an initial overview and, at the end of the chapter, suggested additional readings and discussion questions