Feminist Philosophy of Science as Social Epistemology

Abstract

This chapter focuses on features that highlight aspects of feminist philosophy of science that mark it as a social epistemology – the extent to which they display the internal evidential, and organizational aspects of social epistemology. It argues that feminist philosophy of science has been focused primarily on the social nature of knowledge and given less attention to the social nature of the knower and knowledge communities. Contextual values stem from the political, social, and cultural environment in which the research takes place. A naturalized philosophy of science recognizes that the actual practice of science incorporates political, social, and cultural values and they function as part of the interconnected system of beliefs that is subject to empirical constraint. Social identities are complex intersections of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, and class – all of which interact in a variety of ways depending on context.