Amanda Cushen

Reading Questions #8

1. Explain the difference between the atomistic model of knowers and epistemology based
on situated knowers. Also, how does the latter differ from Dewey's situationist or
contextualist view that every moral situation has its own moral solution?
The atomistic model denies that identities and social locations are relevant features to include
in epistemic assessments (Grasswick 1). The atomistic model puts forth a methodological
solipsism for epistemological purposes which means that it says that the individual self and its
states are the sole possible or proper starting point for philosophical construction for purpose of
developing theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. It is
also opposed to the social analyses of knowledge. It says that people are not dependent on others
for their knowledge. It highlights self-sufficiency and says that epistemic agents are generic and
interchangeable. Epistemology based on situated knowers states that the interaction between
knowers becomes crucial so that individuals can access knowledge beyond the reach of their
specific social location. There is a sense of interdependence between people with the situated
knowers perspective. People are interactive and rely on their social location. The epistemology
based on situated knowers could claim that social locations are unique. It could be seen as
relating to Deweys theory that every situation has its own moral solution.
2. In elaborating on standpoint theory, the author says that epistemically relevant
experiential differences along the lines of social location are not random or
idiosyncratic, but are socially structured and systematic (2). Explain the difference
between these two features of social location.
A random or idiosyncratic feature of social location involves a lack of a strong influence that
determines how someone experiences the world around them. For example, having curly hair
versus having straight hair wont alter how people treat them. Hair type wont cause people to be
marginalized or discriminated against or cause someone to have privilege. Society is socially
structured and systematic through social location. For example, we have a gender-structured
society where women will experience a different world then men. Women in the US still are paid
less than men for the same work so this can be seen as a systematic distribution of power. Things
like race, class, ability, sex, gender, and sexuality all play into the systematic and socially
structured feature of social location.
3. Explain the idea of greater epistemic reliability from the Marxist perspective and the
feminist alteration of it.
Epistemic reliability can be seen in the Marxist perspective where class determines the scope
of your knowledge (Grasswick 2). The upper class understands its own place while the lower
class understand themselves and also the upper class since society adheres to the upper class and
the lower class feels this. The upper class is therefore more sheltered whereas the lower class has
more access to knowledge due to their social location. The feminist alteration claims that a
sexually structured patriarchal society functions to shelter men from their greater power whereas
women are more understanding and open, and less sheltered from the world around them. Power
relations are the basis for epistemic reliability.

4. How might a defender of standpoint theory respond to the following criticisms (3)?
a. Differing epistemic locations makes it difficult or impossible to share knowledge
across social locations.
Intersectionality can help to bridge the gap between social locations. People belong to
multiple social locations therefore they belong to multiple groups and can bring their
knowledge from one social location to another. Activists and allies for different social
locations can also help along with people who volunteer for the marginalized
communities.
b. Some women have internalized their oppression, making their perspective
unreliable.
This only happens when society gives them false beliefs about their responsibilities and
the cause of their oppression. Society is the one at fault for making women feel this way.
It we changed society to be less oppressive towards women then there would not be this
problem.
c. Women experience oppression in different ways, eliminating the possibility of a
coherent feminist position of epistemic privilege.
They are still women and are a part of the feminine position so the coherency can be
found in the fact that they are experiencing oppression. They can draw strength from both
empiricism and standpoint theory to propose a merger of the two approaches to combat
the concern of finding something coherent.
5. Explain how differential social locations can adversely affect the results of scientific
research (4).
Power dynamics within research communities can be assessed through the social location of
gender adversely affecting them. There are people who feel more dominant and privileged in
certain groups. If a female and a male were working together on research and are at the same
level, been at the research center for the same amount of years, and both have attained the same
amount of higher education the male might still become more dominant in this position. Females
are traditionally more flexible and open to different ideas whereas men tend to be more
aggressive and competitive. The scientific research could then be thrown off by the male who
wants to do everything their way and the female would get stuck doing something that she may
have not agreed with. The idea in the article regarding the division of labor and the power
dynamics relating to structures of cognitive and social authority, and demonstrating their
influence on the direction of research coincide with men disproportionally holding the power in
these groups over women. The results of scientific research would then involve oppressed people
in the community to always rely on experts since they do not have the proper credibility and
expertise (Grasswick 4). Even if they have the knowledge, they still do not have the power. By
understanding the social arrangements of scientific research communities we can better assess
the overall rationality and quality of scientific research (Grasswick 4).