Towards a critical realist epistemology?
Corresponding Author
Katelin Albert
Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Correspondence
Katelin Albert, Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Email: katelinalbert@uvic.ca
Search for more papers by this authorJonah Stuart Brundage
Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPaige Sweet
Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorFrédéric Vandenberghe
Institute of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Katelin Albert
Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Correspondence
Katelin Albert, Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Email: katelinalbert@uvic.ca
Search for more papers by this authorJonah Stuart Brundage
Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPaige Sweet
Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorFrédéric Vandenberghe
Institute of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
When critical realists consider epistemology they typically start from “epistemological relativism.” We find this position necessary, but we also find it insufficient because it lacks a critique of the highly unequal social relations among observers themselves—relations that shape the very production of knowledge. While it is indeed the case that all knowledge is fallible, it is also the case that all knowledge is positioned, with a particular standpoint. What is more, the social power relations between standpoints organize the production of truth in ways that produce systematic distortions. In this paper, we propose a critical realist social epistemology. We introduce feminist standpoint theory and postcolonial theory as our suggested interventions into critical realism and we use two case studies of existing work to highlight i) the social production of truth and the real, and ii) what is at stake for radicalizing epistemology in critical realism. In so doing, our paper emphasizes the epistemic complexities that continuously shape ontology, a commitment to subaltern voices or experiences, and a thorough interrogation of the relations between positions of knowledge production.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
There are no conflict of interests in the development of this paper.
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