Oppression Doesn’t Grant Epistemic Privilege

The essay argues that while perspectives shape which facts we notice, suffering or moral aims (like 'universal emancipation') don’t by themselves yield truer descriptions of society. Reliable knowledge still comes from generalizable methods—data, transparent reasoning, and replicable inference—accessible to all, regardless of social position. Treating the oppressed as having special access to truth risks bad policy and weakens institutions’ ability to adjudicate claims. — This challenges a popular academic-media frame and urges institutions to center evidence standards over identity-based epistemic trump cards.