Epistemology Resuscitated: Objectivity as Trustworthiness

This chapter argues for the political, post-modern dimensions in philosophy (among them feminist philosophy) which has been dismissed by practitioners of the more traditional and apolitical approach as lacking in scientific objectivity. Returning to the arguments of the first chapter of this book ("Non-Negotiable Demands"), this chapter redefines objectivity as trustworthiness. Trustworthiness is the complex relationship between agents, communities, researchers, and what have you-an "epistemic dependency" in which knowledge gathering is dependent upon interacting with others. Disregarding the political and social justice implications, in the end, will sacrifice true scientific objectivity in favor of outdated and isolated notions of philosophy.