Limits of Epistemic Reparations
Abstract
Abstract What does decolonial justice require in response to the epistemic devastation of colonisation? Recent work proposes restoring lost epistemic status or compensating victims with epistemic goods. I argue that neither restitution nor compensation is a viable response to the destruction of Indigenous knowledge systems. Drawing on international law and reparations theory, I show that these frameworks neglect the role of proportionality as a normative constraint on adequate redress. Once this constraint is taken seriously, it becomes clear that the logic of repair is incompatible with the aims of decolonisation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Political Philosophy and Ethics
Feminist Epistemology and Gender Studies
African cultural and philosophical studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Episteme
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Pages
- 1–19
- Publication date
- 13 January 2026
- Language
- EN