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Spirit out of bounds returns to the East: The closing of the social sciences and the opening of independent thoughts

Publication ,  Journal Article
Mignolo, WD
Published in: Current Sociology
January 1, 2014

The cycle of the 'social sciences' as they were historically formed at the beginning of the nineteenth century is coming to its close. The Gulbenkian Report (1995) was an effort to maintain Western epistemic hegemony by 'opening the social sciences,' acknowledging the challenges from the Third World (geopolitics of knowledge) and from the outcome of the Civil Rights Movement in the US (disciplinary formations around ethnic, racial, gender, and sexual issues). The 'opening' was indeed the beginning of its 'closing.' Relevant social and cultural knowledges do not require the normative control and regulation of Eurocentric social sciences, even in their generous opening. New knowledge formation is emerging from the experiences, needs, and memories of the non-European world in contentious dialogue with 200 years of Western epistemic hegemony. Hegel's Spirit is indeed returning, disillusioned and at the same time empowered to begin a different parkour, to the global East and the global South. © The Author(s) 2014.

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Published In

Current Sociology

DOI

EISSN

1461-7064

ISSN

0011-3921

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

62

Issue

4

Start / End Page

584 / 602

Related Subject Headings

  • Sociology
  • 4410 Sociology
  • 4408 Political science
  • 1608 Sociology
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Mignolo, W. D. (2014). Spirit out of bounds returns to the East: The closing of the social sciences and the opening of independent thoughts. Current Sociology, 62(4), 584–602. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392114524513
Mignolo, W. D. “Spirit out of bounds returns to the East: The closing of the social sciences and the opening of independent thoughts.” Current Sociology 62, no. 4 (January 1, 2014): 584–602. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392114524513.
Mignolo, W. D. “Spirit out of bounds returns to the East: The closing of the social sciences and the opening of independent thoughts.” Current Sociology, vol. 62, no. 4, Jan. 2014, pp. 584–602. Scopus, doi:10.1177/0011392114524513.
Journal cover image

Published In

Current Sociology

DOI

EISSN

1461-7064

ISSN

0011-3921

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

62

Issue

4

Start / End Page

584 / 602

Related Subject Headings

  • Sociology
  • 4410 Sociology
  • 4408 Political science
  • 1608 Sociology