Theory for a Global Age: Rethinking Epistemologies

Theory for a Global Age: Rethinking Epistemologies Postcolonial and decolonial arguments have been most successful in their challenge to the insularity of historical narratives and historiographical traditions emanating from Europe. This has been particularly so in the context of demonstrating the parochial character of arguments about the endogenous European origins of modernity in favour of arguments that suggest the necessity of considering the emergence of the modern world in the broader histories of colonialism, empire, enslavement, and dispossession. The argument of this paper is that any transformation of understandings requires a reconstruction ‘backwards’ of our historical accounts of modernity, as well as ‘forwards’ in terms of constructing a social science adequate for our global (postcolonial) age. Postcolonialism and decoloniality are only made necessary as a consequence of the depredations of colonialism, but in their intellectual resistance to associated forms of epistemological dominance they offer more than simple opposition. They offer the possibility of a new geopolitics of knowledge. Uma teoria para uma Era Global: Repensar Epistemologias Os argumentos pós-coloniais e descoloniais têm sido muito bem sucedidos no desafio à insularidade das narrativas históricas e tradições historiográficas de origem europeia, sobretudo ao demonstrarem o o caráter paroquial dos argumentos sobre as origens endógenas europeias da modernidade, face a argumentos que apontam para a necessidade de considerar a emergência do mundo moderno no âmbito de histórias mais abrangentes que incluem colonialismo, império, escravatura e desapropriação. Esta comunicação pretende demonstrar que qualquer transformação das compreensõesrequer a reconstrução das nossas narrativas sobre o passado, bem como sobre o futuro em termos da construção de uma ciência social adequada à era global (pós-colonial) em que vivemos. O pós-colonialismo e a descolonialidade são necessários apenas como consequência da depredação do colonialismo, mas na sua resistência intelectual à dominação epistemológica oferecem mais do que simples oposição. Oferecem a possibilidade de criar uma nova geopolítica do conhecimento. Territories of Difference: The Ontological Dimension of the Epistemologies of the South This presentation seeks to develop further the ontological dimension of the concept of ‘Epistemologies of the South’ proposed by Boaventura de Sousa Santos. By asserting the infinite diversity of the world, the Epistemologies of the South entail an ontological background, which is at the basis of a sophisticated framework for an ecology and sociology of knowledges. The argument presented in this paper seeks to make this ontological dimension more explicit; it does so through two main concepts: the ‘pluriverse’ (a world where many worlds fit); and ‘political ontology,’ defined as those processes through which particular worlds are enacted, on the one hand, and, on the other, as the study of the conflicts that ensue when diverse worlds interact with each other under asymmetrical conditions. The argument is illustrated with the case of afrodescendant struggles in the Colombian southwest in the defense of their relational worlds. By interrupting the globalizing project of constructing One- world (capitalist, liberal, secular), many indigenous, afro-descendant, and peasant 4 communities may be seen as engaged in ontological struggles; these ‘worlds in movement’ also elaborate a sophisticate political ontology of the territory, which can be seen as a farsighted proposal for a transition to the pluriverse, beyond the North/South dichotomy. Sentipensar con el territorio: La dimensión ontológica de las Epistemologías del Sur Esta presentación busca profundizar la dimensión ontológica del concepto de Epistemologías del Sur propuesto por Boaventura de Sousa Santos. Al aseverar la diversidad infinita del mundo, las ‘Epistemologías del Sur’ tienen in claro trasfondo ontológico, el cual sirve de base para la elaboración de una sofisticada ecología y sociología del conocimiento. La propuesta presentada en este trabajo busca explicitar esta dimensión ontológica a través de los conceptos de pluriverso (‘un mundo en el que quepan muchos mundos’) y de ontología política. La ontología política se refiere a aquellos procesos a través de los cuales se enactúan mundos particulares, por un lado, y, por el otro, al campo de estudio sobre los conflictos que surgen de la interacción entre mundos bajo condiciones asimétricas. Estos conceptos son ilustrados brevemente a partir del caso de las luchas de las comunidades afrodescendientes del suroccidente de Colombia por defender sus mundos relacionales. Al interrumpir el proyecto globalizador neoliberal de construir Un Mundo (capitalista, liberal, y secular), muchas comunidades indígenas, afrodescendientes, y campesinas pueden ser vistas como embarcadas en luchas ontológicas; dichos ‘mundos en movimiento’ también elaboran una ontología política del territorio de avanzada, la cual puede ser interpretada como una contribución importante a las transiciones al pluriverso, más allá de la dicotomía entre Norte y Sur. Dignity and liberation. Counter-hegemonic theologies of the South In Abya-Yala (nowadays Latin America) two counter-hegemonic theologies were born - the indigenous theology and the liberation theology. Despite being several centuries apart, they share an ideological and cultural line in the struggle against the Empire, or better still, Empires. The indigenous theology is one of the oldest in the Amerindian continent. It withstood the Spanish Empire, which was not able to control and destroy it, despite the genocide, ethnocide, and ecocide carried out by the conquistadores in their voracious and idolatrous quest for gold. It endured centuries of colonial domination through the religious experience of the indigenous peoples and was able to survive in the meditative silence of folk wisdom, just like the lyrics of the song of Atahualpa Yupanqui:“La voz no la necesito; sé cantar hasta en el silencio”(“I do not need a voice; I can sing even in silence”). For centuries, communities have followed this theology and transmitted it orally. Presently, it is a theology of resistance against the neoliberal globalization, which: a) intends to seize their lands in order to destroy the tissue of life, of all - human and non-human life - as a sacrifice to the Market-God; b) seeks to eradicate cultural diversity, the religious pluriverse and multi-ethnic richness; c) strives to impose a single line of thought, particularly Western thought, as though it was universal. The indigenous theology is reborn today as a mythological and symbolic narrative, as a discursive description within the scope of liberation and alter- globalization movements. It has its own identity and it is in constant inter-identitarian dialogue with other cultural traditions. It has its own methodology and does not submit to the dominant methodology. However, it is open to dialogue with methodologies of other liberation theologies. It has its own contents which result from its best traditions and it dialogues with the new cultural contexts, but it does not copy or reproduce them uncritically. 5 The other counter-hegemonic religious discourse of Abya-Yala is the liberation theology (LT), which came about in the mid ‘60s, based on Gustavo Gutiérrez’s book: Liberation Theology. Perspectives. It is a resistance theology against the North American Empire, the new colonial power that intends to rule Latin America, subdue it to its absolute control and use Christianity to its own purposes in the current Huntingtonian ‘civilization clash’ framework. With the liberation theology, Christianity has regained its originally subversive nature. It has taken the side of the victims of the several waves of colonialism and has turned into an alter- globalization movement. It was also present at the World Social Forum, where it created its own space, the World Forum of Theology and Liberation. Nowadays, it builds upon the work of emerging entities who push forward structural changes in society and religions: two or threefold oppressed women, the Earth - struggling against the depredation of the voracious techno-scientific and economic development system -,the Landless Workers’ Movement, the indigenous peoples and the Afro-American communities - who were humiliated for a century of imperial domination -, groups who were excluded in the name of neoliberal globalization, the forgotten religions, the unrecognized sexual identities. All of them are alterities which have been denied of their existence. They make up the different aspects of poverty and exclusion. However, LT acknowledges them as active entities who can contribute to overcome racism, sexism, class discrimination, homophobia, as well as ethnocide, genocide, and biocide caused by the development paradigm of Western modernity. From this context, new theological trends of liberation have emerged: the feminist, indigenous, Afro-descendent, rural worker, ecological, queer theologies; the theology of religious pluralism and of sexual diversity. This is the mosaic of different theologies and knowledges that make up the plural tapestry of LT, which is alive and active. In fact, it tries to tackle the current challenges in the Latin American context, while seeking to establish harmony between the dignity and liberation of peoples. Dignidad y liberación. Teologías contra-hegemónicas del sur En Abya-Yala (hoy América Latina) nacieron, con varios siglos de

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