Lena Yi Wang lyw26@cam.ac.uk
Australia
Philosophy, St Catharine's College
PhD thesis: Virtual Knowers and Knowledge: Structural Epistemic Injustices in Technological Systems
Research interests:
- Epistemology
- Philosophy of Gender
- Philosophy of Race
- Philosophy of Language
My PhD aims to aim to develop a framework to understand the distinct epistemic injustices that arise from technology. Data ethics scholars have investigated the various harms against marginalised groups that arise from emerging technologies like machine learning, social media, and the gig economy. Meanwhile, philosophers have built on Fricker’s notion of epistemic injustice, broadening it into theories of structural injustices. My research focuses on the intersection of the two, to understand how unique structural epistemic injustices arise from seemingly objective, distributed, and agentless technological systems. I will develop a theory of how structural epistemic injustices arise from seemingly fair institutions, due to interactions with existing axes of oppression. I will then apply this to examine how seemingly objective technologies are sites of structural epistemic injustices.
Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?
Investigating the distinct epistemic harms that arise from technology is pressing, as the scale of its use in surveillance, institutional decision-making, and law enforcement continues to grow and disproportionately harm marginalised communities. Epistemic harms constitute a lacuna in the literature of philosophy and data ethics. My interest in attending to this gap arises from my own experience in the technology industry, and I hope to generate greater insights into how technology gives rise to new forms of injustice.