from Colonialism to Neo-Postcolonialism Anarchism
Colonialism: The West Rules
Colonialism was straightforward: the West, with its supposed superiority in civilisation, technology, and governance, believed it was destined to rule over the East. This period was marked by exploitation, cultural erasure, and a sense of inherent Western superiority that justified all manners of dominance and control. The rationale was simple and blunt: the West is fit to rule, so the West must rule.
Liberalism: Equal but Unequal
The rise of Liberalism brought a slightly more nuanced view. It suggested that all humans can attain knowledge, though some are more naturally suited for it than others. This philosophy laid the groundwork for a meritocratic society but harboured an implicit bias. While it proposed equality, it often practised elitism, creating an illusion of fairness while favouring those with established power and resources.
Postcolonialism: The West’s Knowledge Monopoly
Postcolonialism emerged as a critical response to colonialism’s legacies. It posited that the West maintained control over knowledge to uphold its power, using science, logic, and reason as tools to cement its supremacy. This framework argued that knowledge produced by the West was a means of sustaining power structures and that true liberation required deconstructing these narratives.
The postcolonial critique highlighted how language and discourse were manipulated to maintain oppression. By deconstructing these linguistic tools, it aimed to unveil the mechanisms of domination and challenge the hegemonic knowledge produced by the West. This movement sought to empower the formerly colonised by validating their experiences and knowledge systems.
Neo-Postcolonialism: A Step Too Far?
Enter Neo-Postcolonialism, an evolution of postcolonial thought that claims to democratise knowledge production further. It challenges the hegemony of Western scientific methods, arguing that science, logic, and reason are not the only valid ways to create knowledge. Neo-postcolonialists assert that other civilisations have developed knowledge through spiritual beliefs and lived equally valuable experiences.
This approach, however, takes a radical turn. It posits that knowledge production does not need to adhere to scientific rigour, rationality, or coherence principles. The activist branch, “Research Science,” claims that researchers do not have to be scientific or logical. They can contradict themselves or be incoherent if outside the Liberal framework.
Knowledge production does not need to adhere to scientific rigour, rationality, or coherence principles. The activist branch, Research Justice, claims that researchers do not have to be scientific or logical. They can contradict themselves or be incoherent if they are outside the Liberal framework.
The Cynical Perspective: Neo-Postcolonialism’s Paradox
From a cynical standpoint, Neo-Postcolonialism seems to undermine its foundations. By rejecting scientific rigour and logical coherence, it risks descending into a form of intellectual anarchy. It allows for the possibility that any claim, no matter how unfounded or contradictory, can be validated if it aligns with the desired ideological stance.
Moreover, Neo-Postcolonialism can be seen as paradoxically repeating the ‘orientalism’ it seeks to dismantle. By asserting that the East primarily relies on spiritual beliefs and experiences for knowledge, it places non-Western civilisations into a limiting and essentialised box. This view ironically mirrors the colonial mindset by implying that the East is fundamentally different and less capable of engaging with scientific and logical frameworks.
In essence, Neo-Postcolonialism risks becoming a self-defeating philosophy. While it aims to democratise knowledge, it may inadvertently perpetuate a form of intellectual relativism that offers no concrete solutions or coherent pathways for genuine liberation and equality. Instead of challenging power structures with robust and credible alternatives, it might promote a fragmented and incoherent approach that ultimately benefits no one.
Substance Over Ideology
The journey from colonialism to neo-postcolonialism is marked by a shift from outright domination to nuanced critique and, finally, a radical deconstruction of knowledge systems. However, without a commitment to coherence, logic, and practical solutions, Neo-Postcolonialism may fail to offer the substantive change it promises. To truly move beyond the shadows of colonialism, any new framework must ground itself in rigorous critique and constructive, actionable insights that transcend mere ideological posturing.
