When critical realists consider epistemology they typically start from “epistemological relativism.” We find this position necessary, but we also find it insufficient because it lacks a critique of the highly unequal social relations among observers themselves—relations that shape the very production of knowledge. While it is indeed the case that all knowledge is fallible, it is also the case that all knowledge is positioned, with a particular standpoint. What is more, the social power relations between standpoints organize the production of truth in ways that produce systematic distortions. In this paper, we propose a critical realist social epistemology. We introduce feminist standpoint theory and postcolonial theory as our suggested interventions into critical realism and we use two case studies of existing work to highlight i) the social production of truth and the real, and ii) what is at stake for radicalizing epistemology in critical realism. In so doing, our paper emphasizes the epistemic complexities that continuously shape ontology, a commitment to subaltern voices or experiences, and a thorough interrogation of the relations between positions of knowledge production.

中文翻译：

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走向批判的现实主义认识论？

当批判现实主义者考虑认识论时，他们通常从“认识论相对论”开始。我们认为这种立场是必要的，但我们也发现它是不够的，因为它缺乏对观察者自身之间高度不平等的社会关系的批评，这种关系影响了知识的真正产生。虽然确实所有知识都是容易犯错的，但也有所有知识都以特定的立场进行定位的情况。此外，社会力量观点之间的关系以产生系统扭曲的方式来组织真理的产生。在本文中，我们提出了一种批判的现实主义社会认识论。我们将女性主义立场理论和后殖民理论作为我们对批判现实主义的建议干预措施，并使用现有工作的两个案例研究来强调：i）真理和实在的社会生产，以及ii）在批判现实主义中激化认识论的关键所在。通过这样做，我们的论文强调了不断形成本体的认识论复杂性，对后代声音或经验的承诺以及对知识生产位置之间关系的彻底质疑。