Epistemic Injustice in Mathematics

On Wednesday January 16, 11.30-12.30, Colin Rittberg will be giving a lunch-time seminar. The seminar will take place in room 105 at IND. All are welcome; please bring your own lunch along.

Abstract: In this talk I explore how epistemic injustice can manifest itself in mathematical practices. The talk is both a social epistemological and virtue-theoretic investigation of mathematical practices that touches upon issues of proper conduct in academic mathematical research. After a brief exposition of the theoretical work on epistemic injustice I delineate the concept both positively - I show that a certain type of folk theorem can be a source of epistemic injustice in mathematics – and negatively by exploring a case where the obstacles to participation in a mathematical practice do not amount to epistemic injustice.

This is joint work with Fenner Stanley Tanswell and Jean Paul Van Bendegem.