Class, Power, and Knowledge: Toward a Broader Framework of Epistemic Justice

In examining epistemic injustice as outlined by Fricker, I highlight its conceptual shortcomings and propose a synthesis that includes class-based inequalities. Philosophical ideas and sociological theories share similar notions of power, as found in Foucault’s analysis, Fricker’s concept of epistemic justice, and Marxist critical theories. Yet discourse on epistemic injustice too often neglects the experiences of subordinated social classes, necessitating a framework that acknowledges how they are excluded. While most research focuses on colonialism, ethnicity, and gender, class remains underexplored. Fricker argues that certain groups face discrimination through the availability of limited conceptual resources, stigmatization, and marginalization. This hinders their understanding of political conditions. If class epistemic injustice is widely condemned, do we also grant credibility to manual workers and those living in precarious circumstances? Deliberative democracy presupposes rational communication and consensus on discussion rules, but these can exclude subjugated classes lacking the education that transmits dominant communicative skills. Consequently, they remain marginalized. A political-sociological approach would address structural inequalities and highlight the ways dominant classes sustain privilege. By acknowledging and integrating the contributions of all social class, we can build more equitable frameworks that advance our understanding of epistemic injustice across the board.