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Implicit Bias and Epistemic Oppression in Confronting Racism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2022

JULES HOLROYD  and
KATHERINE PUDDIFOOT
JULES HOLROYD
Affiliation:
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD j.d.holroyd@sheffield.ac.uk
KATHERINE PUDDIFOOT
Affiliation:
DURHAM UNIVERSITY katherine.h.puddifoot@durham.ac.uk
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Abstract

Motivating reforms to address discrimination and exclusion is important. But what epistemic practices characterize better or worse ways of doing this? Recently, the phenomena of implicit biases have played a large role in motivating reforms. We argue that this strategy risks perpetuating two kinds of epistemic oppression: the vindication dynamic and contributory injustice. We offer positive proposals for avoiding these forms of epistemic oppression when confronting racism.

Keywords

implicit biasracismepistemic oppressiontestimony
Type
Article
Information
Journal of the American Philosophical Association , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , Fall 2022 , pp. 476 - 495
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Philosophical Association

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Footnotes

We thank audiences at the Bias in Context Workshop at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; the University of Sheffield; the University of Edinburgh; and the University of Southampton for feedback on earlier versions of this paper as well as anonymous reviewers for comments that have enabled the paper to evolve significantly since it was first submitted.

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