Analyzing social wrongs

Academic philosophy has witnessed a significant change in the last years from nonideal investigations of social wrongs as being rather marginal topic comparison to what was assumed be more fundamental questions those very drawing attention and taking their rightful place midst profession philosophy. Yet, despite these advances increasing awareness relation to—for example, gender, race, class, disability—social philosophers are still regularly asked justify they doing or that is rightfully called This special issue motivated by following three ideas: First, increase for into disability. Second, draw insight our philosophical methods topics we concerned with not two separate issues; fact, investigate how do so tightly connected. Third, question ways which discipline excludes certain voices, topics, methods. Many papers this were result conference marked attempt bring tradition post-Analytic German-speaking world—a context much behind on manner. conference, took Vienna, organized 2014 Hilkje C. Hänel, Daniel James, Odin Kroeger, served an international forum think about way often strikingly absent Since then, changed, but need is, it can do, who remains. Before provide brief overview issue, let us say bit aspects mentioned above. Discussions disability have slowly paved theorizing become essential aspect academia; evidenced recent hires feminist critical race studies, emergence journals most recently, disability, central take APA newsletter, conferences, well book article publications. (This course due resistant struggle few make better welcoming marginalized oppressed philosophers.) However, neither general nor debates disability—and many other important sites oppression injustice—have secure within academic yet; seen backlashes against trans metaphysical claim gender (and likely disability) substantive metaphysics (as discussed Díaz-León issue). Furthermore, backlash women's rights abortion, harmful debate anyone and/or chronic illness triage during Covid-19 pandemic, state interpersonal violence Black people groups testimony importance continuing raise topics. It commonplace standpoint epistemology, Critical Theory, fields choose investigation implications perceive interested vice versa; after all, view top tree will unlikely good—or any—research its roots. The own position relations consequences deem interesting outcome research detail theories epistemology ignorance. draws related phenomenon, namely content thinking phenomena worth investigating. choosing approach implies start particular at times reveal insufficiency well-established theories; contributions Bierria, Haslanger, Hufendiek show. Finally, investigating whom open attractive to. Research shown feel less welcome represented scholars field under different methodological approaches; interdisciplinary approaches real-world injustices. In Dotson Ball-Blakely Chapman Carel real explicit exclusion silencing specific inside outside academia academia, resources, norms, rules implicitly exclude some others academia. first four questions; when analyze should doing? Following up her paper “How Is Paper Philosophy?” (2012), Kristie reflects uptake papers, especially socially relevant “On Costs Socially Relevant Philosophy Papers: A Reflection” provides both problematic exclusions such influences written production To so, introduces deemed relevant, contain: ideational labor, construction aspirational costs. describes labor involved situating proper hermeneutical landscape, including historical formation ideas concepts. second “material practical necessities discursive executions” (xx) tooling, training, time needed writing paper. Ideational necessarily problematic; although be. third, costs, refers goals “impose influence future engagement” (xx). These costs lead complex than technological discourse diverse practitioners. Dotson's arguments pick metaphilosophical insights given 2012 Western academy demand some—but all—to personally structurally, doings. Next, “Disrupting Demands: Messy Challenges Analytic Methodology”, Naomi Scheman interrogates assumption analytic “that concepts divide logical space” kinds particulars ontologically vague” argues fully pluralist and—at least sometimes—conceptually messy equipped emancipatory theorizing. aim clean world understand full messiness. understanding oppressed, subordinated, subjects conflicting needs voices would excluded silenced if any one prioritized over others. illustrates means woman counts dominated next show questioning choices analysis focusing inadequate common “Beyond Essentialist Fallacies: Fine-Tuning Ideology Critique Appeals Biological Sex Differences”, Rebekka current prominence outdated sex difference human behavior evolutionary psychology. psychologists' neglect data, methods, critiques science showing analyses methodologically reproduce sexist stereotypes ethical follow analyses. particularly problematic, psychology reaches broad audience—even academia—, hence, influencing sex. views ideology far essentialist fallacies oppressive structures. Hufendiek, thus, shows go hand attentive questions. Sally Haslanger individualism “Failures Methodological Individualism: Materiality Social Systems”. Haslanger's overall there interdependence between material, cultural, psychological systems -crucial explanations; words, best understood terms structures instead individuals individual attitudes. argue inadequacy individualism, method traced back ideal made individuals” that, explanation focus individuals; either ontological explanatory individualism. convincingly claims— rejected explanations phenomena. provided fact fail adequate subject because individual; track material cultural systems. five wrongs—from class migration disability—, while same time, impact investigate. “Problems Conceptual Amelioration: Question Rape Myths”, Hänel wrong sexual women, rape myths, analysis. She myths background schemas distort dominant working prevent accurate applications existing also analyses—even cases thinking; conceptual amelioration. Taking problems account, democratic practices ground task amelioration engineering. Esa discusses meta-metaphysical proposals demands re-evaluation influential frameworks. “Substantive Metaphysical Debates Gender Race: Verbal Disputes Deflationism” careful disputes genuine claims makes dispute rule out nature proposes “disputes actually use racial terms” trigger normative assessments. criminalization action 2005 media coverage Hurricane Katrina “Missing Action: Violence, Power, Discerning Agency” (2014), Alisa Bierria tackles conflation “blackness” “criminality” raises challenges discussion intentional action. “Racial Conflation: Agency, Action, Criminal Intent”, theory conflation, according “criminal intent systematically imposed onto active black subjects” then continues logic functions re-interpret agents' actions narrative original intentions. Doing flawed fails consider works supporting oppression. Michael argues, prevailing orthodoxy, pro tanto unjust high-income countries adopt skill-selective immigration policies. He end. he cites empirical finds low socio-economic status (SES) tend incompetent—not only others, themselves. That selecting immigrants based skills exacerbate harms prospective SES suffer from; may apply citizens SES, too, state's policy sends message kind society values, hear. Secondly, importing skilled enables states forego providing fair equal opportunities citizens, regarding education. “Neurodiversity, Epistemic Injustice, Good Human Life”, Robert Havi epistemic injustice cause decline wellbeing neurodivergent disabilities. autism conducive flourishing life credibility deficits awarded autistic can, block ability imagine good life. theory—and conduct theory—as indicates lack minority forms therefore identify incomplete. We hope even new questions, answering them, addressing justice philosophically. Assistant Professor Political Theory Potsdam University Visiting Oldenburg, Germany. board member SWIP Germany, PI DFG-funded network, intersection recognition injustice. published books articles appeared Hypatia, Ergo, Journal Philosophy, Theoria, Epistemology, Inquiry. currently introduction (under contract de Gruyter) co-editing Routledge Handbook Non-Ideal Theor series Transforming Gruyter. Ford Women's Studies MIT. metaphysics, theory, theory. Broadly speaking, work links issues contemporary language. Her book, Resisting Reality: Construction (Oxford 2012) received Joseph B. Gittler award outstanding sciences. 2013–2014, she President Eastern Division American Philosophical Association 2015, elected Academy Arts Sciences. Kroeger his PhD reification Vienna. used work, published, intellectual property rights, now interests lie