More Movement of Epistemic Classes

Marxism is a dynamic theory, in which classes are in constant interaction until the lower classes reach a level of exploitation that entices them to revolt against the upper class. Is a revolution necessary? I don’t think so, because it’s not too difficult to imagine a scenario in which a society engages constructively in the dialectical struggles and seeks to reestablish a more equitable distribution of power. There are pockets of historical change in which a ruling population lifts their oppressed counterparts and provides them genuine means to rehabilitate their interaction.

In Quebec, the government followed the population’s will to regain autonomy and self-determination in what is called a “quiet revolution,” one that didn’t operate with violence and the eradication of the richer classes, but rather one that realigned power so that everyone could have a fairer chance. Yet, unless the upper side of an oppressive relationship between classes genuinely acts to redress inequalities, the lower side must shake things up enough to force a change or risk the collapse of the system.

Yesterday, I talked about epistemic classes and the need for a richer classification of society that recognizes inequalities in power beyond material goods, namely the ability to contribute to the knowledge, beliefs, and values of a society, as well as the freedom to fulfill one’s life while contributing to society in alternative ways. But like with material goods, some portions of society have a greater grip on the epistemic structures; they choose what is to be published and taught, what is to be emphasized or forgotten, and the narrative of a society that secures and justifies their disproportionate epistemological influence. Unless marginalized people who do not fit in the upper side's epistemological patterns and beliefs have room to manifest their experience and seek a fair place in society, the upper side ends up reinforcing a structural system that silences narratives and erases identities.

What does it take to rehabilitate this epistemic oppression short of a revolution that shakes structures enough to give room for their stories?