Introduction
RATIO ETHICA: Toward Epistemic Justice is an international conference dedicated to reflecting on the ethical, epistemic, social, environmental, and cultural challenges of the contemporary world. Anchored in the notion of Epistemic Justice, the event brings together scholars, researchers, artists, activists, and members of civil society to promote dialogue among diverse forms of knowledge, disciplines, languages, and lived experiences.
Organized by the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (SLSA), the conference seeks to question hegemonic epistemologies and to value plural, insurgent, Indigenous, Afro-diasporic, migrant, refugee, feminist, queer, and Global South knowledges, fostering a university and a society committed to social transformation, inclusion, and dignity.
ABOUT THE EVENT
About RATIO ETHIC: Toward Epistemic Justice
RATIO ETHICA is an interdisciplinary and plurilingual academic event that aims to create spaces for dialogue between science, the humanities, the arts, and socially engaged practices. The conference is grounded in the understanding that knowledge production is never neutral and that epistemic hierarchies reproduce social inequalities.
By foregrounding epistemic justice, the event challenges colonial, Eurocentric, and exclusionary paradigms, while encouraging ethical responsibility, hospitality, and dialogue among diverse worldviews.
The conference is organized by the Graduate Program in Humanities, Rights and Other Legitimacies (PPGHDL/FFLCH/USP), in partnership with the Brazil–Africa Research Center (NAP Brasil África/USP), the Intercultural Dialogues Research Group (IEA/USP), and Bibli-ASPA (South America–Africa–Arab Countries Research and Cultural Center).
Highlights
- Partnership between USP and the Society for Literature, Science and the Arts (SLSA)
- Renowned international keynote speakers
- Multiple interdisciplinary thematic tracks
- Art exhibitions and workshops
- Publication of conference proceedings
COMMITTEES
General Coordination
- Prof. Dr. Paulo Daniel Elias Farah (University of São Paulo)
- Prof. Dr. Artur Matuck (University of São Paulo)
- Profa. Dra. Rosane Borges (USP)
Scientific Committee
- Prof. Dr. Ricardo Alexino Ferreira (USP)
- Profa. Dra. Maria Lucia Brant (USP)
- Profa. Dra. Sylvia Duarte Dantas
- Profa. Dra. Denise Dias Barros (USP)
- Prof. Dr. Guilherme Carboni (USP)
- Profa. Dra. Carol Colatrella (Georgia Tech, SLSA)
- Profa. Dra. Rajani Sudan (SLSA)
SLSA-Atlanta Advisors
- Ranjodh Singh Dhaliwal (University of Basel)
- David Cecchetto (York University)
- Marcel O'Gorman (University of Waterloo)
- Ron Broglio (Arizona State University)
- Raymond J. Malewitz (Oregon State University)
- Wayne Miller
- Nat Mengist (University of Washington)
Executive Committee
- Andrea Chernioglo
- Felipe Avelino
- Fernanda Claudino
- Giovanna Gaba
- Hana Luciana Coutinho
- Maria Rita d'Escragnolle Taunay Lorenzo Fernandez
- Raymunda do Nascimento
- Vanessa Leal
- Shellah Avelar
- Valeria Valente
- Christina Janstein
- Artur Oriel Pereira
- Elisabete Montesano
- Hafeeza Oliveira
HDL5053-1 – Inscribing Epistemic Justice: Research and Practices in Theories and Histories of Knowledge
This graduate course at the University of São Paulo (USP), in partnership with the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (SLSA), is part of the academic activities connected to the International Conference on Epistemic Justice. The course offers an interdisciplinary reflection on theories, histories, and practices of knowledge production, focusing on contemporary debates about epistemic justice, diversity of knowledge systems, and the democratization of knowledge.
The course brings together Master’s and PhD students to explore different intellectual traditions, research experiences, and scholarly practices aimed at fostering plural epistemologies and recognizing historically marginalized forms of knowledge.
Start date: March 18, 2026 – June 10
Schedule: Wednesdays, 7:00–11:00 PM (Brazilian time; 5 PM Eastern time
Professors: Paulo Daniel Elias Farah, Artur Matuck, Sylvia Duarte Dantas
Enrolled students: 52
Contact Information: For questions regarding submissions, registration, accessibility, or institutional partnerships, contact jusepisteme@gmail.com OR ratioethica@usp.br
