About

One manifestation of epistemic injustice occurs in asymmetric relations, such as between patients and physicians. Indeed, expert testimony is often deemed more credible than the testimony of non-experts, putting patients at a disadvantage.

Yet the medical context is unlike many other social contexts, in that the asymmetrical relationships between physicians and patients are maintained with good reason. Physicians help patients make choices. Yet, there are agential and structural prejudices against patients that put patients at risk of being misunderstood, not listened to, or denied proper medical care.

The conference will deepen investigations into the ways that injustice manifests in asymmetric relations. It will focus on complex identities in epistemic injustice with the aim of questioning how patients can evaluate the testimony of physicians, including when is it rational for laypersons to believe authority, under what conditions can a listener gain knowledge by testimony, on what basis should we trust the testimony of others, and when testimonial exchanges are unjust.

In particular, this conference asks

This conference brings together a diverse group of thinkers from across the U.S., Europe, and South America.