1.11 - Epistemic Injustice

Today, we’re discussing epistemic injustice and the law. Epistemic injustice occurs when an individual is wrongfully undermined in his or her role as a knower. One aspect of epistemic injustice involves the ways in which biased assessments of a speaker’s credibility can undermine that person’s ability to relay his or her experiences. This is particularly salient in the context of trials since a juror’s inaccurate assessment of witness credibility based on factors such as race, gender, or socioeconomic status can thwart the truth-seeking function of trials. Today’s podcast features interviews with Miranda Fricker, professor of philosophy at CUNY Graduate Center in New York and author of a book called Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing, and Michael Sullivan, professor of philosophy at Emory University. This episode was produced by David Sandefer. Special thanks to Taylor Coles for suggesting this topic. Music from bensound.com