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<p>In Fricker’s view of hermeneutical injustice, hermeneutically marginalized groups sometimes suffer from an inability to understand their own experiences, due to the absence of the relevant concepts in the collective conceptual repertoire. Here we argue that hermeneutical marginalization alone is insufficient to explain the existence of conceptual lacunae: marginalized groups are in principle capable of creating their own hermeneutical tools. We identify a specific mechanism that explains the persistence of conceptual lacunae. Sometimes an adequate concept is lacking in the collective resource but, in its place, we have an authoritative but delusive concept that falsely describes some experience. This is what we call an <i>impostor concept.</i> While an impostor concept is in place, a sense of understanding is achieved, and this blocks the search for better concepts. The resulting view is one in which marginalized groups not only lack an appropriate understanding of their experiences: they are also provided with a distorted one that blocks meaning creation, and promotes hermeneutical subjugation.</p>

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Blocking meaning creation: impostor concepts and hermeneutical injustice

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月7日

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  • Laura Delgado,
  • Claudia Picazo

摘要

In Fricker’s view of hermeneutical injustice, hermeneutically marginalized groups sometimes suffer from an inability to understand their own experiences, due to the absence of the relevant concepts in the collective conceptual repertoire. Here we argue that hermeneutical marginalization alone is insufficient to explain the existence of conceptual lacunae: marginalized groups are in principle capable of creating their own hermeneutical tools. We identify a specific mechanism that explains the persistence of conceptual lacunae. Sometimes an adequate concept is lacking in the collective resource but, in its place, we have an authoritative but delusive concept that falsely describes some experience. This is what we call an impostor concept. While an impostor concept is in place, a sense of understanding is achieved, and this blocks the search for better concepts. The resulting view is one in which marginalized groups not only lack an appropriate understanding of their experiences: they are also provided with a distorted one that blocks meaning creation, and promotes hermeneutical subjugation.