Professional paper
Feminist Standpoint Theory: Critique of the Strong Program in Sociology of Knowledge
Anja Gvozdanović
orcid.org/0000-0002-1213-5928
; Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In this paper the author presents critique of the Strong program in sociology of knowledge from the position of the feminist standpoint theory. She outlines the key points of the strong program in sociology of knowledge: causality, impartiality, symmetry and reflexivity. What binds this methodological program and feminist theory is the epistemological credibility that the Strong program gave to the standpoint theory through the principle of equivalence or symmetry. Moreover, the author tries to point out the valueladen implications of epistemological-methodological frames of the Strong program emphasized by standpoint theory. Unlike the Strong program,
standpoint theory doesn’t give concise account of its methodological principles. On the contrary, it is a combination of different yet deeply connected and interwoven discourses – moral, political and epistemological. Objectivity, neutrality and relativism are the terms by which I tried to present feminist theory critique of the Strong program. Although these terms are deeply interwoven, for the reason of easy reference they were presented separately.
Keywords
the Strong program; feminist standpoint theory; feminism; objectivity; neutrality; relativism
Hrčak ID:
21777
URI
Publication date:
25.1.2008.
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