The Movement of Epistemic Classes

In traditional Marxist theory, society is divided into socio-economic classes based on the possession and production of goods. It’s a material division of society based on economic status. Those who are not owners come to be exploited, and an unequal distribution of power yields an unequal and inequitable society. Marx claimed that the movement of social classes happens by revolution and predicted that the proletariat would revolt against the bourgeoisie and rehabilitate the distribution of power in a more equitable way.

This analysis of the movement of classes is rather thin, ultimately reducible to an economic analysis of equity in society. This approach works well in a population that is otherwise homogeneous. If people perform social roles that are predictable, uniform, and stable, within a society where culture and race are relatively homogeneous, then it makes sense to separate them in a material way because the other factors are "kept equal" by default.

In a modern context, researchers in critical theory have come to endorse a richer notion of power, including not only material power but also epistemic power—encompassing cultural, moral, ethical, religious, and spiritual dimensions, and what I suggest as logical power. Because our populations are mixed and complex, and because we have created room for the emergence of alternative identities and realities, the carving of societies into material classes hides axes of oppression that are pervasive. There is inequity that happens in the public sphere where people’s identities, lived experiences, and worldviews are silenced, forcing marginalized groups to conform to the norm or be radically excluded.

A new type of social movement is now observable, whereby the oppressed are seeking epistemic rehabilitation. I’ll leave you with this question: if powers are not only material but also epistemic, is the movement of epistemic classes one of revolution?