Toward a Genealogy of Social Epistemology: Conceptual Origins and Re-invention of the Research Field
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31649/sent44.02.099Keywords:
social philosophy, anthropology of epistemology, history of philosophy, analytic philosophy, 20th-century philosophyAbstract
This article presents a historical-philosophical study of the formation of social epistemology as a distinct field. The author identifies two stages in its development: the initial conceptualization in 1950s library science (the project of Margaret Egan and Jesse Shera) and its reinvention in 1980s Anglophone philosophical discourse (the analytical project of Alvin Goldman, the critical project of Steve Fuller, and the collective project of Margaret Gilbert). Particular attention is given to the methodology of historico-philosophical analysis within social epistemology, and a novel anthropo-epistemological approach is proposed for constructing a chimerical genealogy. The author argues that social epistemology is not a homogeneous discipline but rather a spectrum of research projects. This study outlines the initial stage of social epistemology’s institutionalization and lays the groundwork for a critical historiography of the field.
References
Ahmed, S. (2006). Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others. Durham: Duke UP. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780822388074
Bakaiev, M. (2023). Explanation and Understanding in Postanalytic Philosophy of History [Doctoral Dissertation, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy]. [In Ukrainian]. Electronic Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Institutional Repository.
https://ekmair.ukma.edu.ua/handle/123456789/26836
Budd, J. M. (2002). Jesse Shera, social epistemology and praxis. Social Epistemology, 16(1), 93-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691720210132824
Chen, M. Y., Kafer, A., Kim, E., & Minich, J. A. (Eds.). (2023). Crip Genealogies. Durham: Duke UP. https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478023852
Churchland, P. S. (1987). Epistemology in the Age of Neuroscience. The Journal of Philosophy, 84(10), 544-553. https://doi.org/10.5840/jphil1987841026
Code, L. (1984). Toward a `Responsibilist’ Epistemology. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 45(1), 29-50. https://doi.org/10.2307/2107325
Collier, J. (2018). Social Epistemology for the One and the Many: An Essay Review. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, 7(8), 15-40.
Collin, F. (2020). The Twin Roots and Branches of Social Epistemology. In M. Fricker, P. J. Graham, D. Henderson, & N. J. L. L. Pedersen (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Social Epistemology (pp. 21-30). Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315717937-3
De Laet, M. (2012). Anthropology as Social Epistemology? Social Epistemology, 26(3-4), 419-433. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2012.727196
Dotson, K. (2012). A Cautionary Tale: On Limiting Epistemic Oppression. Frontiers: a Journal of Women Studies, 33(1), 24-47. https://doi.org/10.5250/fronjwomestud.33.1.0024
Egan, M. E. (1955). The Library and Social Structure. The Library Quarterly, 25(1), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.1086/618147
Egan, M. E., & Shera, J. H. (1949). Prolegomena to bibliographic control. Journal of Cataloging and Classification, 5(2), 17-19.
Egan, M. E., & Shera, J. H. (1952). Foundations of a Theory of Bibliography. The Library Quarterly, 22(2), 125-137. https://doi.org/10.1086/617874
Fallis, D. (2006). Social epistemology and information science. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 40(1), 475-519. https://doi.org/10.1002/aris.1440400119
Fallis, D. (Ed.). (2002). Social Epistemology and Information Science [Special issue]. Social Epistemology, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02691720210132752
Floridi, L. (2002). On defining library and information science as applied philosophy of information. Social Epistemology, 16(1), 37-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691720210132789
Froeyman, A., Kosolosky, L., & Van Bouwel, J. (2016). Introduction: Social Epistemology Meets the Philosophy of the Humanities. Foundations of Science, 21(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-014-9372-0
Fuller, S. (1986). The elusiveness of consensus in science. PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association, (2), 106-119. https://doi.org/10.1086/psaprocbienmeetp.1986.2.192794
Fuller, S. (1987). On Regulating What Is Known: A Way to Social Epistemology. Synthese, 73(1), 145-183. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485445
Fuller, S. (1996). Recent Work in Social Epistemology. American Philosophical Quarterly, 33(2), 149-166.
Fuller, S. (2012). Social Epistemology: A Quarter-Century Itinerary. Social Epistemology, 26(3-4), 267-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2012.714415
Furner, J. (2004). “A Brilliant Mind”: Margaret Egan and Social Epistemology. Library Trends, 52(4), 792-809.
Garfield, E. (2002, January 21). Demand Citation Vigilance. The Scientist, 16(2). https://www.the-scientist.com/demand-citation-vigilance-53789
Gaydenko, V. (2020). Towards A Feminist Epistemology. Post-Non-Classic - Feminism - Science. [In Russian]. Sumy: University Book.
Gilbert, M. (1987). Modelling Collective Belief. Synthese, 73(1), 185-204. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485446
Gilbert, M. (1989). On Social Facts. Princeton: Princeton UP. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv10vm20z
Gilbert, M. (2004). Collective Epistemology. Episteme, 1(2), 95-107. https://doi.org/10.3366/epi.2004.1.2.95
Ginsburg, I. (2001, December 9). The Disregard Syndrome: A Menace to Honest Science? The Scientist. https://www.the-scientist.com/the-disregard-syndrome-a-menace-to-honest-science-53924
Goldberg, S. (2021). Foundations and applications of social epistemology: Collected essays. Oxford: Oxford UP. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198856443.001.0001
Goldman, A. (1986). Epistemology and cognition. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP.
Goldman, A. (1987). Foundations of social epistemics. Synthese, 73(1), 109-144. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00485444
Goldman, A. (2001). Social epistemology. The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2001/entries/epistemology-social/
Goldman, A. (2002). What Is Social Epistemology? A Smorgasbord of Projects. In A. Goldman, Pathways to Knowledge (pp. 182-204). Oxford: Oxford UP. https://doi.org/10.1093/0195138791.003.0009
Goldman, A. (2010). Why Social Epistemology Is Real Epistemology. In A. Haddock, A. Millar & D. Pritchard, Social Epistemology (pp. 1-28). Oxford: Oxford UP. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199577477.003.0001
Goldman, A. (2011). A guide to social epistemology. In A. Goldman & D. Whitcomb (Eds.), Social epistemology: Essential readings (pp. 11-37). Oxford: Oxford UP.
Goldman, A., & O’Connor, C. (2019). Social epistemology. The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2019/entries/epistemology-social/
Goldman, A., & O’Connor, C. (2021). Social epistemology. The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/epistemology-social/
Hacking, I. (1979). Michel Foucault’s Immature Science. Noûs, 13(1), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.2307/2214794
Henderson, D. (2019). On the Background of Social Epistemology. In M. Fricker, P. J. Graham, D. Henderson, & N. J. L. L. Pedersen (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Social Epistemology (pp. 3-9). Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315717937-1
Krymsky, S. (2019). Scientific knowledge and the principles of its transformation. In S. Krymsky, Selected works in 4 books. Book 2: Logic. Methodology. Science (pp. 134-379). [In Russian]. Kyiv: Alfa-PIK.
Lackey, J. (Ed.). (2014). Essays in Collective Epistemology. Oxford: Oxford UP. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199665792.001.0001
Laktionova, A. (2022). Quine, Goodman, Putnam: The Harvard Philosophical School. [In Ukrainian]. Sententiae, 41(1), 30-42. https://doi.org/10.31649/sent41.01.030
Longino, H. (1990). Science as Social Knowledge. Princeton: Princeton UP. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvx5wbfz
Maffie, J. (1995). Towards an Anthropology of Epistemology. The Philosophical Forum, 26(3), 218-241.
Malyshena, Yu. (2015). Alvin Goldman’s social epistemology project. [In Ukrainian]. Naukovyi Visnyk Chernivetskoho Universytetu. Zbirnyk Nauk. Prats. Filosofiia, (754-755), 47-54.
Malyshena, Yu. (2017). Conceptual-theoretical basis of social epistemology [Abstract of Doctoral Dissertation, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv]. [In Ukrainian]. Instytutsiinyi repozytarii (elektronnyi arkhiv) Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. https://ir.library.knu.ua/handle/123456789/4782
Martínez-Ávila, D., & Zandonade, T. (2020). Social epistemology in information studies: A consolidation. Brazilian Journal of Information Science: Research Trends, 14(1), 7-36. https://doi.org/10.36311/1981-1640.2020.v14n1.02.p7
Menzhulin, V. (2015). Studies in the history of philosophy at the National University of «Kyiv-Mohyla Academy»: current methodological issues. [In Ukrainian]. Actual Problems of Mind, (16), 73-86. https://doi.org/10.31812/apd.v0i16.1859
Menzhulin, V. (2022). Trending practices and discussions in contemporary English-language historiography of philosophy. [In Ukrainian]. Sententiae, 41(3), 43-55. https://doi.org/10.31649/sent41.03.043
Mills, C. W. (2007). White Ignorance. In S. Sullivan & N. Tuana (Eds.), Race and Epistemologies of Ignorance (pp. 13-38). New York: State University of New York Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780791480038-002
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. (2020). The Dynamics of Epistemological Decolonisation in the 21st Century: Towards Epistemic Freedom. The Strategic Review for Southern Africa, 40(1). https://doi.org/10.35293/srsa.v40i1.268
O’Connor, C., Goldberg, S., & Goldman, A. (2023). Social Epistemology. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2023/entries/epistemology-social/
Pressley, L. (2006). Social Epistemology in Library and information science. [Manuscript]. https://www.academia.edu/2821850/Social_Epistemology_in_Library_and_information_science
Puhach, V. (2023). Appropriateness of Combining Feminist and Anticolonial Approaches to Historiography of Philosophy. [In Ukrainian]. NaUKMA Research Papers in Philosophy and Religious Studies, 9-10, 137-146. https://doi.org/10.18523/2617-1678.2022
Remedios, F. (2013). Orienting Social Epistemology. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, 2(8), 54-59.
Remedios, F., & Dusek, V. (2018). Knowing Humanity in the Social World: The Path of Steve’s Fuller’s Social Epistemology. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-37490-5
Schmitt, F. (Ed.). (1987). Social Epistemology [Special issue]. Synthese, 73(1). https://www.jstor.org/stable/i20116437
Shashkova, L. (2021). Political turn in Philosophy of Science. Politology bulletin, 87, 14-23.
Shera, J. H. (1972). The foundation of education for librarianship. New York: Becker Hayes.
Shera, J. H. (1976). Introduction to library science: Basic elements of library service. Littleton: Libraries Unlimited.
Shera, J. H. (1978). Egan, Margaret Elizabeth (1905-1959). In Dictionary of American Library biography (pp. 158-159). Littleton: Libraries Unlimited.
Shera, J. H. (1983). Librarianship and Information Science. In F. Machlup & U. Mansfield (Eds.), The Study of Information: Interdisciplinary Messages (pp. 386-388). New York: Wiley.
Sidorova, S. (2023). Conceptualization of epistemic injustice phenomenon in contemporary epistemological contexts [Master’s Thesis, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv]. [In Ukrainian]. Instytutsiinyi repozytarii (elektronnyi arkhiv) Taras Shevchenko Na-tional University of Kyiv. https://ir.library.knu.ua/handle/123456789/3660
Sidorova, S. (2024). Epistemic oppression of Ukrainian perspectives in contemporary Western academia. NaUKMA Research Papers in Philosophy and Religious Studies, 14, 12-30. https://doi.org/10.18523/2617-1678.2024.14.12-30
Simons, M. (2017). The many encounters of Thomas Kuhn and French epistemology. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, 61, 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2017.01.004
Uzoigwe, E. I. E. (2020). An Appraisal of Alvin Goldman’s Social Epistemology. Predestinasi, 13(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.26858/predestinasi.v13i1.19211
Yermolenko, A. (2020). Social Philosophy in the Structure of Sociohumanities. [In Ukrainian]. Filosofska Dumka, (5), 6-22. https://doi.org/10.15407/fd2020.05.006
Zandonade, T. (2004). Social epistemology from Jesse Shera to Steve Fuller. Library Trends, 52(4), 810-832
Downloads
-
PDF (Українська)
Downloads: 13
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
.jpg){kind=logo}
.png){kind=logo}
