How does colonialism still shape how we understand the cross-cultural comparison of philosophy?

Engaging with decolonial theory allows us to understand the ways that colonialism bears on cross-cultural comparative fields and to develop more robust critical perspectives. From Indigenous theorizing to South American thought, this book puts decolonial theories into conversation with postcolonialism and Marxist theory to deconstruct how colonialism affects the way we know in the past and still today.

Marcel Parent shows how the field of philosophy has been shaped by colonial history, critically examining the ways that Enlightenment epistemes and Protestant presuppositions influence the practice of philosophy. Race and racialization are intimately connected to the development of its modern concepts, and Parent explores how these subtly contour transnational comparative projects. The decolonial genealogy of comparative philosophy sheds light on its history and the ways that coloniality has been present throughout its practice. The more we unlearn coloniality, the more we relearn more critical decolonial ways forward in comparison. The book ends by exploring a future-oriented method and theory, starting with Indigenous methodologies, through cutting-edge theory and then into considerations of how to revolutionize theory itself.