The principle that certain people and communities are systematically denied credibility and recognition as knowers, and that restoring epistemic justice requires centering marginalized voices as authorities on their own lives.
Sor Juana's *Respuesta a Sor Filotea* asserts her authority to interpret scripture and theology, claiming the right to be heard as a thinker in domains historically reserved for male clerics. She resists what Miranda Fricker calls 'testimonial injustice'—the systematic credibility deficit imposed on women and other marginalized groups. In intersectional practice, epistemic justice means intentionally elevating voices that have been silenced: those harmed by policies should shape policy; those living poverty should design poverty programs; those navigating multiple oppressions should lead intersectional movements. This concept also critiques how knowledge is produced and validated—who gets published, funded, cited, believed. Applying it requires redistributing epistemic authority, questioning whose expertise is recognized, and trusting that people from marginalized positions often see systems of power more clearly precisely because they must navigate them daily.
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