Speaker: Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan (EHESS Marseille & LASDEL, Niger)
Discussant: Moisés Kopper (IOB)

Venue: Room S004, Lange St. Annastraat 7, Antwerp

Abstract

This seminar explores the epistemological debates sparked by decolonial studies, which challenge the “epistemology of the North” inherited from the Enlightenment and contrast it with “epistemologies of the South.” Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan argues that these critiques often overlook key developments in 20th-century social sciences, which moved beyond positivism, social evolutionism, and developmentalism.

While acknowledging the persistence of Western-centric ideologies, he cautions against conflating these with social science methodologies. He also critiques the decolonial focus on “epistemic privilege” tied to identity, emphasizing the role of researchers' agency in shaping their positionality. Finally, he examines the structural asymmetries between researchers in the Global North and South, attributing them to historical, political, educational, economic, and social factors rather than purely epistemological ones.

This seminar is part of the CERES PhD training program and is open to participants interested in critical debates on epistemology, colonial legacies, and social sciences.