Standpoint Theory

[Page 1501]The pioneering use of the term standpoint in academia can be traced to Franz Brentano, John Dewey, and George Fullerton, who used it to highlight the specificity of psychology with respect to philosophy, and hence, the need for it to be recognized as an independent discipline. It was more than a century later before the term started to be used to define a proper analytic corpus known as standpoint theory—a feminist epistemological proposal that aimed to overcome the androcentrism and sexism that were (still are) present in science. This new understanding of standpoint meant acknowledging multiple forms of interpretation and ways of understanding the world, whether from a specific discipline or from a subject’s position in society. This entry focuses on understanding standpoint theory ...