Gossip, Epistemology, and Power
ISBN: 9783319478401
Platform/Publisher: SpringerLink / Springer International Publishing
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: unlimited; Download: unlimited
Subjects: Religion and Philosophy;

This book explains how gossip contributes to knowledge. Karen Adkins marshals scholarship and case studies spanning centuries and disciplines to show that although gossip is a constant activity in human history, it has rarely been studied as a source of knowledge. People gossip for many reasons, but most often out of desire to make sense of the world while lacking access to better options for obtaining knowledge. This volume explores how, when our access to knowledge is blocked, gossip becomes a viable path to knowledge attainment, one that involves the asking of questions, the exchange of ideas, and the challenging of preconceived notions.


Karen Adkins is a Professor of Philosophy at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She has published articles in Social Epistemology , Synergies, Expositions , and Philosophy in the Contemporary World .

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