Hermeneutical Injustice and The American Dream How a nation’s seemingly positive ethos can systematically cause harm and injustice amongst underprivileged citizens

Abstract

This paper will explore how the current and general understanding of the American Dream contributes to a specific type of harm called Hermeneutical Injustice. Hermeneutical Injustice denotes a form of injustice which occurs when an individual is blocked from understanding a significant portion of their experience or reality. The paper will focus on how African Americans experience this type of structural injustice due to the meritocracy ethos present in the American Dream.