Epistemology, on its own, can be defined as the study of knowledge and justified belief. This type of knowledge, however, is vague and can be branched out into numerous other studies, such as social studies in which epistemology is shaped by social relationships and structural systems. Social epistemology became prominent during a time when knowledge became visibly counteracted by ignorance — especially in times of racism and segregation. In my argument, I will be introducing Linda Martin Alcoff’s interpretation of Charles Mills’ argument on the substantive practice of ignorance by expanding on his elaboration and providing examples of it.
In Epistemologies of Ignorance, Linda Martin Alcoff focuses on the relationship between knowledge (or…show more content… To Western wealth, there is no global poverty. Yet to global poverty, there is Western wealth. When an individual has it all (or believes they have it all), there is no room for improvement. A sense of superiority can lead to ignorance which is “the antidote to elitism.” (Alcoff, 39) Another example refers to today’s prison system. Those who have not been incarcerated do not acknowledge the ironic injustice of the judicial system. What many do not not know is that the U.S prison system currently has incarcerated nearly 2.2 million people, most for minor nonviolent drug offenses, more black adults are imprisoned today than under slavery in 1850, and nearly 65% of inmates are black. (Aleem, mic.com) The truth that is being ignored by the majority affluent, white population is the problem that continuously plagues the American justice system. We follow what Mills’ calls our substantive cognitive norms and bind this with our lack of experience and motivation which only further extends the problems we deal with pertinent to justice. We feel entitled to superiority and because of this bigotry, we refuse to see that over 2 million kids have parents who aren’t parents in documents but rather inmates; we have nearly $70 million annually devoted to incarcerating only one inmate in a federal prison; and the minimum sentence for a
