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  Kincheloe’s final principles (points 10–12) intensify his critique of traditional epistemology. They call for elevating marginalized knowledge, rejecting neutrality, and valorizing subjugated traditions. These assumptions directly shape woke commitments to “decolonization,” epistemic relativism, and the politics of allyship.

10. Democratic and evocative knowledges.
Kincheloe calls for “democratic knowledge” that foregrounds the perspectives of historically excluded groups.¹ This principle justifies replacing established scientific and historical frameworks with indigenous epistemologies or other alternative systems. In policy debates, the effect is to amplify fringe perspectives under the rubric of “decolonization,” often at the expense of consensus.

11. No neutrality in knowledge.
“All knowledge is value-laden,” Kincheloe insists, and thus neutrality is impossible.² For the woke, this axiom explains why even empirical claims may be branded as “white supremacist” or “cisnormative.” The denial of objectivity fosters a sense of urgency, making protest and disruption appear as necessary responses to an inherently politicized reality.

12. Valorization of subjugated knowledge.
Kincheloe highlights cultural traditions such as the “blues idiom” as examples of counter-hegemonic epistemology.³ Woke discourse extends this by insisting that majority views are intrinsically oppressive, while marginalized voices hold unique epistemic authority. The result is the familiar practice of “allyship,” where individuals signal moral virtue by amplifying minority perspectives and discounting majority ones.

Synthesis.
These principles explain why woke discourse rejects neutrality, privileges marginalized epistemologies, and transforms allyship into a moral performance. What emerges is an inversion of authority: dominant views are treated as oppressive by default, while marginalized ones are sanctified regardless of content.

Notes

1. Kincheloe, Critical Constructivism Primer, 14.

2. Ibid., 15.

3. Ibid., 16.