{"product_id":"social-epistemology-the-niches-for-knowledge-and-ignorance-hardback-9781509553419","title":"Social Epistemology; The Niches for Knowledge and Ignorance (Hardback) 9781509553419","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eSocial Epistemology\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eThe Niches for Knowledge and Ignorance\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eAlessandra Tanesini (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781509553419, Polity Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 26 September 2025\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e272 pages\u003cbr\u003e23.1 x 15.8 x 2.8 cm, 0.567 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\"Tanesini truly delivers on the social epistemological promise to illuminate the social dimensions of knowledges. She shows how epistemology must move beyond its emphasis on testimony to understand how the physical and social environment is fundamental to what and how we believe.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNeil Levy, University of Oxford\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"This book’s core notion, that of the epistemic niche, will inform how social epistemologists think about the production of knowledge and ignorance going forward. Those interested in the social dimensions of knowledge will ignore Tanesini’s book at their own peril.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSanford Goldberg, Northwestern University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHuman beings change the world in order to know it more easily and reliably. That is, we construct social and material environments, or 'epistemic niches', and develop cognitive tools to better acquire, transmit, or store information. A queue, for example, is an environment where information about the order of arrival is conveyed by a spatial configuration. Queues are niches that transform an arduous memory task into a simpler perceptual one.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this important book, Alessandra Tanesini argues that knowledge and ignorance always occur within epistemic niches and that neither can be properly described or evaluated independently of the niches within which it is found. She explores two dominant themes. First, epistemic niches in the Global North and, increasingly, elsewhere are quantified niches that promote transforming the world into aggregates of data that are suitable for classification, measurement, ranking, standardisation, and automation. These niches carry distinctive epistemic benefits and disadvantages. Second, some epistemic niches are in the service of ignorance and oppression rather than knowledge. Tanesini offers analyses of some environments that promote epistemic exploitation, appropriation, cultural imperialism, and epistemic extractivism.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSocial Epistemology: The Niches for Knowledge and Ignorance\u003c\/i\u003e is a groundbreaking work for students and scholars of philosophy, political theory, social psychology, and related disciplines.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1 Social Epistemology: Building Relations of Epistemic Dependence\u003cbr\u003e2 Scaffolded Knowledge in Epistemic Niches: The Framework\u003cbr\u003e3 The Cultural Niche\u003cbr\u003e4 The Quantification Niche\u003cbr\u003e5 The Oppressive Niche\u003cbr\u003e6 The Online and Algorithmic Niches\u003cbr\u003e7 The Political Scientific Niche\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNotes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eReferences\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIndex\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Philosophy [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Philosophy\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Philosophy%20%5BHP%5D%22\"\u003eHP\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Polity","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52441812107544,"sku":"9781509553419","price":46.65,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9781509553419.jpg?v=1785026637","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/social-epistemology-the-niches-for-knowledge-and-ignorance-hardback-9781509553419","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}