ABSTRACT
This paper examines the phrase “feminist epistemology,” as well as their assessment of “epistemic terminology.”
Feminists who argue that the pursuit for knowledge, which epistemology is centered on, should not be solely male focused, but that the female gender should be given a voice in the knowledge debate.
The goal of this project is to clarify the concepts used in epistemology from a feminist perspective, as opposed to orthodox epistemology. And how these words have helped epistemologists rebut or respond to skeptical concerns that nothing can be known for definite.
Knowledge, justification, truth and falsehood, perception, subjectivism, objectivism, reason, and so on are all epistemic words.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Prior to the twentieth century, women philosophers are rarely mentioned in philosophical history. For a long time, it was supposed that this was due to a lack of notable female philosophers. Women have played a larger role in the history of philosophy than is typically acknowledged, according to scholars such as Mary Ellen Waithe1.
Women have traditionally been excluded from prestigious areas of human endeavor (such as politics or science), making these pursuits appear to be obviously “masculine.” Due to the feminist cry for equality and the ability to be heard, rather than being marginalized and perceived as inferior to males, such locations in the twenty-first century have been more accommodating of the “women folk.”
Feminism can be resisted, rejected, and attacked, but it cannot be ignored since, like religion, there appears to be some level of passion, emotion, and contradiction involved in its debate. Even male chauvinists have seen the ridiculousness of not acknowledging the truth of the main questions surrounding feminism.
The application of feminist theory to epistemology has produced a diverse range of arguments and claims, but they all share the premise that gender is a significant (and previously overlooked) issue in the study, critique, and reconstruction of epistemology. Traditional western epistemology is endocentric and male-biased, according to feminist epistemologists. It is a failure.
Male norms have become dominant norms as a result of male dominance, and they are now considered as objective and universal standards for everybody. As a result, women’s abilities to think and know have been viewed as inferior and invalid2. Because traditional Western epistemology is male-centered, feminist epistemologists believe it is insufficient, because knowledge is meant to be viewed in a pure, abstract, universal way, free of gender, socioeconomic class, and other significant inequalities.
Although there are debates among feminist epistemologists over whether there are uniform women’s ways of knowing in the global domain and how male-biased traditional Western epistemology is
. As a result, classical epistemology does not represent human impartial epistemology for them.
This project is being carried out to critically analyze the above and their (feminist epistemologists) views on specific epistemic terminology, as well as to acknowledge the contributions of at least some women to the history of philosophy (epistemology).
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Feminist topics are usually contentious and delicate. When these concerns are extended to the realm of knowledge, they become even more troublesome.
Looking at the problem of “power control,” where traditional western epistemology is based on men’s ideas, and women are gradually rising to question this inequality, which feminist epistemologists are accusing traditional western epistemology of, because if this patriarchal nature persists, current epistemology will not be complete, but will be guilty of male chauvinism, rendering it unfit to represent human knowledge. As a result, modern epistemology is considered “incomplete.” This issue will be addressed in this paper.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Though the objectives of this research are numerous, we will focus on two:
To begin with, it is self-evident that the fight for equality might be overstated at times; equality is an ambiguous phrase that should be read analogically rather than univocally or equivocally. Women are progressively trying to refute some of these lies with their own lies, as males have told many lies about their supposed superiority. As a result, the core or essence of feminism should be the search for the truth about the connection that should exist between male and female.
Finally, human awareness is based on knowledge. Humanity is made up of both male and female members. As a result, human knowledge should not be dominated by men. As a result, the goal of this research is to develop
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
In contrast to traditional western epistemology, the scope of this study will be limited to a critical review of specific epistemic perspectives on such epistemic words as knowledge, justice, and injustice, belief, pragmatism, empiricism, and rationalism, and so on.
METHODOLOGY
A work’s methodology ensures that it is methodical, scientific, cohesive, and well-organized. The qualities listed above should be present in a good project. As a result, when looking for solutions to difficulties in a given study, the research approach becomes crucial.
The method will be both analytic and critical in this case. Critical means not accepting assumptions but questioning them until the truth emerges clearly. Analysis entails the clarification of concepts for simple comprehension, but critical means not accepting assumptions but questioning them until the truth emerges clearly. We will not only analyze, but also critically assess, feminist epistemology’s assumptions in the hopes of finding solutions to the challenge highlighted in the “Statement of Problems.”
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