It would seem that the going theme this year appears to reflect in a bad way Adam Savage’s well known quote, “ I reject your reality and substitute my own”. In 2025, we have observed an attempt to erase meaning for all but those with money and power. This is especially poignant in America where a very toxic form of Christianity blended with nationalism and oligarchy have rewritten historical rules and norms around what it means to know and gain knowledge. While everyone is quite shocked about this and reasonbly so, as a student of history, I am reminded of the Catholic Church’s iron rule on meaning until the Reformation and later Enlightenment period.
In this, my final post for 2025, I want to look at Epistemology and Epistemicide and how we can strive to embrace one and fight the other in 2026.
Epistemology – The Philosophy of Knowing
Paul tells us in Corinthians that when he was a child, he spoke (and thought) like a child. I grew up so Catholic that I almost became a Priest and a Monk. I grew up in a fairly generationally and culturally first and second generation Italian family. When I came into college, my world view was very, very narrow. Eventually, I would meet a pretty red head and leave the Catholic Church. Later, I became at the time in the late 90’s early 00’s a “conservative and fundamental” Methodist preacher. Then 9/11 happened, I had kids and then I lost my career. At every one of these junctions, what I thought I knew about myself and the world around me was challenged.
Epistemology is the is the branch of philosophy that studies knowledge, including its nature, origin, and limits. It explores how knowledge is acquired, justified, and understood, focusing on concepts like belief, truth, and evidence. Simply, how do we know what we know? We all go through a proces of development either spiritually or cognitively where we learn first by being told and modeling this, but then we grow into maturity by asking questions, cultivating curiosity and seeking answers.
As a child, my parents and my priest told me what to believe. Later, as the saying goes, seminary ruins your faith and I learned to ask very deep questions of faith that my folks including my church leaders at home could not answer, thus alienating me from them. This still happens to this day. Throughout this personal journey, I learned that true growth often begins when we challenge our inherited beliefs and open ourselves to new perspectives. The process of questioning, doubting, and critically examining what we have been taught is essential for developing a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the world. By engaging in reflective dialogue and seeking out diverse sources of knowledge, we can move beyond surface-level acceptance and cultivate a more authentic sense of knowing.
Epistemicide
In America, we have allowed the loudest voices and strongest influences try and tell us what to believe and how to believe. Our biggest problem is that not enough people are pushing back. In a lot of ways, the accrual and restriction of knowledge in 2025 looks a lot like it did from the 5th through the 15th Centuries CE in Europe. The Catholic Church played a significant role in controlling knowledge during medieval Europe by being the primary institution that preserved and copied ancient texts, including both religious and secular works. This control extended to education and the dissemination of information, as the Church influenced what was taught and how knowledge was shared within society. It would not be until the Reformation that this power was challenged in any meaningful way.
“Epistemicide is a term coined by Portuguese sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos in his book, “Epistemologies of the South: Justice Against Epistemicide”. It refers to the phenomenon of the destruction of existing knowledge systems and the erasure of traditional and indigenous sources of knowledge to impose a Western intellectual discourse and wipe out any epistemology beyond the Eurocentric terrain of modernity.”
When we engage in epistemicide, especially the whitewashing of our American history, we lose the rich traditions of the tribal people and the people of color who shaped our country in ways much greater than the white Europeans who forced the people of color into labor or forced the native people off the land. We lose the deep stories of sacrifice, culture that existed much before the Europeans got here and we lose the language, who for Socrates was much more important than the written word.
The relationship between power, privilege, and epistemicide is deeply intertwined, as those in positions of authority often wield the ability to define whose knowledge is considered legitimate and whose is dismissed or erased. Historically, dominant groups—whether religious, political, or economic elites—have shaped educational systems, cultural narratives, and even national identities by privileging their own ways of knowing while marginalizing or outright suppressing alternative perspectives. This gatekeeping can manifest through the control of curricula, censorship, or the denigration of indigenous and minority knowledge systems, as seen in both medieval Europe and contemporary America. The result is a narrowing of collective understanding, reinforcing the dominance of the powerful while silencing voices from less privileged communities. Addressing epistemicide requires a conscious effort to recognize these dynamics and actively include diverse epistemologies in our institutions and conversations about knowledge.
Reclaiming Cognitive Justice – Steps for 2026 and Beyond
In America, we are hearing a lot about making it great again. I am sure for many of my friends and clients who are of native birth, persons of color and immigrant – rampant racism, random murders, targeted police involvment in these communities and segregation is not what they are looking for to make America great. To support these communities, we must engage in an active practice of cognitive justice. “Cognitive justice refers to the recognition and validation of diverse knowledge systems, cultures, and identities. It is about creating an inclusive environment where different forms of knowledge are valued and respected. In postcolonial contexts, cognitive justice is particularly significant as it seeks to address the historical injustices perpetrated against indigenous cultures and knowledge systems.” Reflecting on the idea of ubuntu, we are America because of who came to America to make us – this includes the white Europeans and the native voices that existed for thousands of years prior and and the people of color who were forced here to shape America into it’s greatness.
In 2026, we need to stand with the marginalized and amplify their messages, stories and traditions of the marginalized. Who we call the marginalized are largely the people whose ancestors made America Great.
I want to borrow this list from Number Analytics:
- Amplify marginalized voices: Provide platforms for marginalized individuals to share their experiences and perspectives.
- Promote critical thinking: Encourage critical thinking and media literacy to help individuals analyze and challenge dominant narratives.
- Foster diverse representation: Ensure that diverse perspectives are represented in education, media, and other areas of public discourse.
Deeper in this article, we find how we can empower marginalized communities by focusing on community based intitiatives, fostering collaborative research and deveoping inclusive curricula.
To further advance cognitive justice, it is essential to engage in intentional dialogue that bridges cultural divides and acknowledges the lived experiences of those whose stories have been historically overlooked. Educational reform must prioritize the integration of indigenous and minority histories, languages, and philosophies into mainstream curricula, allowing future generations to benefit from a more holistic and truthful understanding of America’s past. By dismantling barriers to representation and honoring the wisdom inherent in diverse communities, we can lay the groundwork for a more equitable and just society where all knowledge systems are celebrated.
Let’s take knowledge and access to a diverse range of knowledge back in 2026. Let us hear the stories of all the people in our community. When we create places of inclusiveness, we create places of peace, we become peacemakers.
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