What Is Cognitive Justice?

Cognitive justice is the idea that no one knowledge system should dominate over others. It calls for recognising and valuing diverse ways of knowing, rooted in different cultures, histories, and lived experiences.

The term gained prominence through postcolonial and decolonial thinkers who challenged the epistemic hierarchies left behind by colonial powers.

Historically, colonialism established a global framework in which Western ways of knowing—science, philosophy, economics—were imposed as “universal” truths. This led to the marginalisation of indigenous knowledge systems, oral traditions, and spiritual practices, which were labelled “primitive” or “unscientific.”

These labels, far from neutral, were tools of oppression, used to legitimise the exploitation of resources and communities under colonial rule.

Today, the legacy of this epistemic injustice persists. Whether in academia, policymaking, business or healthcare, knowledge produced in the Global North continues to be privileged, while perspectives from the Global South and other marginalised groups are often excluded or undervalued.

Deeply entrenched systems of power and privilege continue to resist change and shows up today as;

• Institutional Gatekeeping Academia, publishing, and policymaking are dominated by Global North institutions that control funding, access, and the definition of “valid” knowledge. Scholars and practitioners from marginalised groups often struggle to gain recognition or resources
• Appropriation Without Credit There is a troubling trend of appropriating ideas and practices from marginalised communities without giving them due credit. For example, indigenous ecological practices are often repackaged as “innovative” solutions by Western academics or organisations, erasing the contributions of the original knowledge holders.
• Tokenism Many institutions engage in tokenistic gestures of inclusion—such as citing a few Global Majority scholars—without addressing the structural barriers that exclude their perspectives.

Overcoming these barriers requires more than good intentions; it demands structural change and lived experience authority.

What Is Lived Expertise, and How Does It Differ from Theoretical Authority?

Lived expertise refers to knowledge derived from personal and community experiences within systems of inequality and oppression.

It is deeply contextual, rooted in a firsthand understanding of power dynamics, racial inequality, economic marginalisation, and other structural challenges. It contrasts with theoretical authority, which is produced through abstract analysis, often from the relative safety of academia or policymaking institutions in the Global North.

For example, in Healthcare, the importance placed on ‘evidence-based’ treatment over lived experience impacts the maturity of co-production and designing services to meet the needs of the communities who suffer due to health inequalities,

The distinction lies in perspective. Theoretical authority observes systems from the outside, whereas lived expertise operates from within them. Western academics often produces sophisticated theories, but lived expertise allows us to propose contextual-specific solutions informed by their direct impact on communities.

For healthcare, ‘Evidence-based’ treatment is often prioritised as the ‘Gold Standard’, but perhaps fails to capture the complexity of lived experiences. Both forms of knowledge have value, but lived expertise provides a more grounded, actionable understanding of the realities that theoretical authority often abstracts.

Why Does Cognitive Justice Matter?

Cognitive justice is not just an abstract concept; it has real-world implications for addressing global inequalities and creating inclusive solutions to shared challenges.

1. Redressing Epistemic Inequalities The unequal valuation of knowledge perpetuates broader social and economic inequalities. When the insights and innovations of marginalised communities are ignored, these communities are excluded from the power to shape policies and solutions that directly affect them. Cognitive justice is a means of redistributing epistemic power, ensuring that marginalised voices are not only heard but also centred in global conversations
2. Enhancing Problem-Solving Different knowledge systems bring unique perspectives to complex issues. For instance, indigenous communities have long practised sustainable environmental stewardship, yet their contributions are often dismissed in favour of Western scientific approaches. Recognising and integrating these diverse ways of knowing can lead to more effective and holistic solutions to challenges of climate change, public health crises, and social inequality.
3. Empowering Marginalised Communities Cognitive justice is about more than inclusion; it is about empowerment. Valuing the knowledge of marginalised groups enables them to take ownership of their narratives and solutions, shifting the balance of power in ways that are transformative and equitable.
4. Challenging the Myth of Universality Western knowledge systems are often framed as universal, while others are seen as localised or niche. Cognitive justice disrupts this myth, highlighting the partiality of all knowledge systems and the value of recognising their specific contexts and limitations.

Re-Centring Lived Expertise

To address these imbalances, we must re-centre lived expertise in discussions of structural critique. This requires dismantling the epistemic hierarchies that privilege theoretical authority and marginalise Global Majority voices.

The first step is to challenge entrenched citational practices. Scholars and institutions should prioritise the work of Global Majority thinkers, not as an act of tokenism but as a recognition of their intellectual contributions. This means foregrounding their perspectives in curricula, research, and policymaking.

Second, funding and resources must be reallocated to support scholars and communities with lived expertise. Too often, the knowledge of the Global Majority is excluded due to systemic barriers in academia and publishing. Providing equitable access to funding, publishing opportunities, and platforms is essential for amplifying their voices.

Third, institutions must examine their own biases and practices. Global North institutions, in particular, need to interrogate how they perpetuate knowledge hierarchies and implement structural reforms to promote epistemic equity. This includes creating leadership opportunities for scholars with lived expertise and ensuring their work is integrated into decision-making processes.

Finally, we must foster a culture of humility within academia, policymaking and healthcare. Recognising the limits of theoretical authority and deferring to lived expertise requires a willingness to share power and relinquish control over knowledge production.