Lena Yi Wang

PhD thesis: Virtual Knowers and Knowledge: Structural Epistemic Injustices in Technological Systems

My PhD aims to develop a framework to understand the distinct epistemic injustices that arise from interactions with technology. To that end, I hope to investigate and broaden the notion of epistemic injustice to analyse structural workings of power in the production of knowledge. My focus will be on how meaning and justification is constructed by different epistemic communities, and seemingly objective, distributed, and agentless technological systems.

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, law enforcement, and institutional decision-making more broadly 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.