Feminist epistemology: standpoint theory. What can feminist standpoint theory say about the physical sciences?

Abstract

In this work I provide a detailed description of Sandra Harding’s feminist standpoint theory, which represents one of the three traditional approaches to feminist epistemology. I start by presenting the two main theses of the theory: the situated knowledge thesis and the thesis of epistemic privilege. In order to do that I extensively talk about the concept of partial perspectives and the concept of social location. Then, after the two main theses, I present Harding’s strong objectivity proposal and, related to it, the interrelation between, on one hand, the scientific and epistemological norm of objectivity and, on the other hand, the social and political norm of diversity. In the discussion section I try to introduce some arguments regarding the importance of considering the concepts presented previously, in the context of very abstract disciplines such as the physical sciences. To that end, I consider two dimensions of the problem: firstly, the culture and social organization of science; secondly, the knowledge-producing practices of science. Both dimensions contribute to the way scientific knowledge is produced and thus to scientific knowledge itself. It is in this sense that I assert that the social location of knowers can affect the content of science.

En este trabajo se proporciona una descripción detallada de la teoría del punto de vista de Sandra Harding, la cual representa uno de los tres enfoques tradicionales de la epistemología feminista. Empezaré introduciendo las perspectivas parciales y el concepto de la “social location”, que me servirán para presentan las dos tesis principales de la teoría: la tesis del conocimiento situado y la tesis del privilegio epistémico. Luego presentaré el programa para una objetividad fuerte de Harding, y la interrelación entre objetividad —norma científica y epistemológica— y diversidad —norma social y política—. En la discusión se introducirán argumentos a favor de la importancia de considerar los conceptos presentados anteriormente dentro del contexto de las disciplinas abstractas como la física. Con ese fin, se considerarán dos dimensiones del problema: por un lado, la organización cultural y social de la ciencia y, por otro lado, las prácticas de producción de conocimiento.