Jennifer Lackey on “Epistemic reparations”

What does it mean to make reparations to victims of gross human rights violations? Historically, these have taken the form of material compensation, but I argue that victims of injustice are also owed epistemic reparations. Where the UN Commission on Human Rights recognizes the “right to know”, I show that we must also include the “right to be known”. This right to be a giver of knowledge to others about one’s own experiences, in turn, imposes on others the duty to listen. I conclude by sketching an epistemological picture to underwrite this notion of epistemic reparations, one that significantly expands the traditional picture by including epistemic duties that are imperfect in nature and concern actions in addition to beliefs.

Jennifer Lackey (Northwestern University)

To join the session on Zoom, please get in touch with Giulia Terzian at giuliaterzian@fcsh.unl.pt for the details.

This event is part of the ArgLab Research Colloquium organised by Maria Grazia Rossi, Giulia Terzian and Gloria Andrada at the Laboratory of Argumentation, Cognition and Language of the NOVA Institute of Philosophy. For any inquiries, please contact Maria Grazia, Giulia, or Gloria.