Pragmatism and Feminist Epistemology both challenge our view of what we have learned about defining knowledge. Pragmatism means that the conceptions are to be sought in their practical bearings, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth is preeminently to be tested by the practical consequences of belief. Feminist Epistemology is concerned with the ways gender influences our concept of knowledge.
Immanuel Kant believes that knowledge is limited within the bounds of possible experience and is not available to metaphysical. In short, knowledge equals experience. But each different experience leads to different knowledge, so is there an absolute general knowledge that everyone should know? I am not referring to simple mathematics such as 2+2=4 or dogs tend to have four legs. I am talking about more abstract concepts, such whether there really a God or whether homosexuality really is a sin. If we look at those questions from a pragmatist viewpoint, then perhaps we can understand why everyone has different opinions and possesses a different answer. For instance, hundreds of year ago, it would be consider a death worthy if anyone did not believe in god or follow orders from their religion. People had to believe in whichever religion had the most power back then. Or in Iran, homosexuality is viewed as a crime; homosexuals are killed or put into mental institutions. People were taught to think certain way, and their actions and beliefs were forcefully built inside them. The people know that there are consequences to what they choose to believe, and how they think and act.
Feminist epistemology, on the other hand, would argue the issue from a gender perspective. For example, a few years ago, women were never really the bosses of anything; it was very rare to see a woman sit on a high position in any political, financial, or intellectual setting. But now women are empowered all over the globe. In the United States, we had Hilary Clinton run for the presidency in the Democratic Party and Sarah Palin actually get the Republican nomination to run as Vice President. Many fathers now opt to be stay-home fathers, while their wives go out working in the world. Many women all over the world have become high executives and CEOs in many big corporations. All these changes are still new for us and may still seem as a shock for some people, but why? Why the shocking emotion, why are these changes just happening now? Feminist epistemology explains how our knowledge was influence by the concept of gender, which was passed-down from the elder generation with the traditional point of view on gender. Feminist epistemology believes that tradition belief has to change, men and women are different by gender, but both are equal.Immanuel Kant believes that knowledge is limited within the bounds of possible experience and is not available to metaphysical. In short, knowledge equals experience. But each different experience leads to different knowledge, so is there an absolute general knowledge that everyone should know? I am not referring to simple mathematics such as 2+2=4 or dogs tend to have four legs. I am talking about more abstract concepts, such whether there really a God or whether homosexuality really is a sin. If we look at those questions from a pragmatist viewpoint, then perhaps we can understand why everyone has different opinions and possesses a different answer. For instance, hundreds of year ago, it would be consider a death worthy if anyone did not believe in god or follow orders from their religion. People had to believe in whichever religion had the most power back then. Or in Iran, homosexuality is viewed as a crime; homosexuals are killed or put into mental institutions. People were taught to think certain way, and their actions and beliefs were forcefully built inside them. The people know that there are consequences to what they choose to believe, and how they think and act.
By understanding Kantian theory, pragmatism, and feminist epistemology, I have to come to the conclusion that knowledge is based on what we have experienced and what our surrounding environment has input to our brain. However, is our knowledge also equal to truth? Is there really a God? Is homosexual really a sin? The way I see it is that, our knowledge may begin from experience and input by others, but the knowledge we have is adjustable, changeable. Our knowledge should not be what others have informed us, or based on some past experience, because the truth to others may not be the truth to us, and the experience from the past may not be the same as the reality of the present. Therefore, our own individual knowledge should be what we feel the most comfortable and happy with. People who believe or do not believe in God, or homosexuals who choose to act on their desires, should make those decisions through free will and not be based on our surrounding environment or previous experience/influences.
Experience + surrounding influences = 1st stage of knowledge. Self analyze + free will = true knowledge.
You situate the different positions quite well here. It was interesting to read your own perspective on these views.
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