Introduction: Reimagining epistemology and philosophy of science from a global perspective

Epistemology and philosophy of science could contribute to navigating this complexity by fostering critical reflexivity beyond simple narratives about science as the sole solution or the root cause of a world in perpetual socio-environmental crisis. The different cultural and disciplinary shapes of scientific lead to a pluralist picture of heterogeneous crafts with equally heterogeneous epistemic and social functions. Different ways of producing knowledge reflect different ways of being in the world and global negotiations of epistemologies therefore require simultaneous negotiations of ontologies and values. Emphasis on the ontological dimension of knowledge diversity converges with a wider debate about the “ontological turn” that has its origin in cultural anthropology but has also been increasingly adopted in debates about science and technology. Critical cases of misrepresentation and positive cases of inclusive knowledge production suggest opportunities for expanding political philosophy of science beyond established debates about values and democratization towards questions of global justice.