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?
Atomistic is when people understand the world so their do not depend
on others for knowledge or support in their own knowledge; it
accomplishes self-efficiency. The situated knowers lay more on an
interactive efficiency; we interact with others to gain knowledge rather
than doing everything by yourself. The latter differs is that Dewey
states that every situation is unique and that situated knowers state
that the interaction or social location is unique.
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.
On one hand random situations are like your race, social status you are
born in, gender, etc. because you cannot choose these. On the other
hand, socially structured features are based on how you experience
the world based on your surroundings.
3. Explain the idea of greater epistemic reliability from the
Marxist perspective and the feminist alteration of it.
The Marxists perspective states that those who are in a lower social
class have a better opportunity to gain knowledge since they are not
sheltered from the world and reality. The feminist alteration states that
since women have less power than man, they are not sheltered, thus
they have a better access to knowledge in order to better their
conditions.
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.
Nowadays, it is not so hard to get your point across with the power of the
media. People in different epistemic locations are more likely to make their
voices heard.

b. Some women have internalized their oppression, making their

perspective unreliable.
This is inaccurate since even though these women have internalized their
oppression, this still exists and they understand their position when it comes
to oppression. This lets their perspective untouched.
c. Women experience oppression in different ways, eliminating the
possibility of a coherent feminist position of epistemic privilege.
Even though women experience oppression in different ways, they still gain
more knowledge than those who are privileged and protected from this
oppression.
5. Explain how differential social locations can adversely affect the
results of scientific research (4).
Differential social locations adversely affect the result of scientific
research because they have power dynamics; there is an anarchy within the
scientific community. Those with power often think or have a greater sense
of power based on their position.