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On Decoloniality: Concepts, Analytics, Praxis
In On Decoloniality Walter D. Mignolo and Catherine E. Walsh explore the hidden forces of the colonial matrix of power, its origination, transformation, and current presence, while asking the crucial questions of decoloniality's how, what, why, with whom, and what for. Interweaving theory-praxis with local histories and perspectives of struggle, they illustrate the conceptual and analytic dynamism of decolonial ways of living and thinking, as well as the creative force of resistance and re-existence. This book speaks to the urgency of these times, encourages delinkings from the colonial matrix of power and its "universals" of Western modernity and global capitalism, and engages with arguments and struggles for dignity and life against death, destruction, and civilizational despair.
304 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2018
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872 people want to read
About the author
Walter D. Mignolo
65 books95 followersWalter D. Mignolo is an Argentine semiotician (École des Hautes Études) and professor at Duke University, who has published extensively on semiotics and literary theory, and worked on different aspects of the modern and colonial world, exploring concepts such as global coloniality, the geopolitics of knowledge, transmodernity, border thinking, and pluriversality.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 3, 2018
5 stars for Mignolo's section, and 0 for Walsh's section (because its incomprehensible)
May 19, 2019
Mignolo is among the most high profile of Central and South American scholars working with notions of decoloniality in English. Much of his work has been instrumental in introducing the ideas associated with the theoretical and praxis based work that is developing in and around what is increasingly being seen as a coloniality/modernity/decoloniality nexus to analysts and activists grappling with experiences of the colonial and indigenous worlds. Catherine Walsh is less well-known – much of her work is only in Spanish – and although less high profile in the Anglo-phone world she has number of crucial pieces dealing with praxis around pedagogy and wider political struggles. Between them they are the ideal pair to explore, outline and extend notions of decoloniality in launching a new book series.
The volume works well as a way into the ideas and practices in and around decoloniality, as an extension of some of the recent developments in the field, and as a dialogue demonstrating the diversity and differences the approach encourages and celebrates. They do so by co-authoring but writing separate sections. Walsh’s opening section begins from praxis exploring the ways that theory and practice interact and inter-relate in and through on-the-ground activism, asking the question ‘decoloniality for what’ in an effort to get beyond a focus on resistance to highlight goals, objectives and change. In this, from the outset, she explicitly poses the problem of the meaning and content of pluriversal decoloniality and decolonial pluriversality as terms often invoked in decolonial outlooks. Her way of answering this is to draw on work by Adolo Albán Achinte to propose the notion of re-existence, which following Albán she sees as “the redefining and re-signifying of the conditions of dignity”. This seems a powerful notion in exploring the goals and objectives of decolonial praxis, be it in communities, in engagements with the state or in other settings, contexts and struggles. It also has increasingly seemed to me that this notion of ‘dignity’ is a vital as aspect of contemporary political struggle (and one that I have been discussing with friends and fellow analysts in our respective areas of cultural analysis and practice as we wrangle with the ‘so what?’ question, the ‘what is the goal?’ point of our work and the issues we explore).
Walsh explores this notion of decoloniality for what and of re-existence through specific political struggles – the Zapatista movement in southern Mexico, the recognition of plurinationality and intercultural conditions in the Ecuadoran constitution and other struggles. In this she explores the limits of action, the character of standpoint epistemologies and the links between theory, practice and praxis in and on the ground. This is a rich discussion of decoloniality in practice reminding us that where many of us have come to the ideas through theoretical texts, the nexus of coloniality/modernity/decoloniality is inseparable and has material existence beyond the realm of theory and analysis. In many ways, Walsh’s contribution reminds of the political dictum (often attributed to Lenin) that without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary practice and without revolutionary practice there can be no revolutionary theory: praxis is key to grasping conceptual approaches. A key strength of Walsh’s chapters is that we do not need to know much (if anything) about the specific struggles to get the point – she explains and contextualises to build a compelling case.
While Walsh’s discussion begins on the ground with struggles against both coloniality as an ideology or mind-set, Mignolo’s in some ways starts out where she left off with a clear outline of decoloniality-as-praxis and a distinction between colonialism as relations on the ground and coloniality as way of seeing/thinking/maintaining Power to explore the ideological basis of the coloniality/modernity/decoloniality nexus. Here he very carefully lays out the debates to date and explores ways in which they might be extended or developed, drawing on the notion that liberation must be won by the oppressed – and given he is talking about a struggle at the level of ideas where ontology is the product of epistemology, he makes much of Bob Marley’s reworking of the Garveyite notion that “none but ourselves can free our minds”.
As we should expect from Mignolo, this is rich and multi-layered discussion highlighting coloniality’s essential, foundational, relation with modernity to remind us that there is a distinction between decolonization and getting beyond being colonised, where decolonization is all too often taken to be only a political or state function meaning that it is often little more than replacement of an elite, with little the ‘frees the mind’. He also, and quite compelling, argues that decoloniality is an option –partly to be worked out in struggle, but also partly as a factor of local relations and conditions: that is the ‘dewesternization’, with no other change, is only part of the way to decolonial conditions, but more importantly he invokes the notion associated with the Zapatistas of many ways of being in the world. Throughout the text, both Mignolo and Walsh continually return to this notion and assert that they do not have all the answers, may not have any of the answers and that the conditions of dignity so important to Albán’s argument for re-existence cannot be determined by anyone but those struggling for that dignity.
This is an essential text both for those new to ideas of decoloniality and those who’ve been around them for a while. As the launch of new book series it charts the ground they seek to explore in more detail and from diverse approaches, posing as many problems and questions as they do point to answers. Not only does it map the terrain of decoloniality, at least their view of it, but it also opens that terrain up for further enquiry, critique and evaluation leading to making of new meanings and recognising other forms of Power in that space. It is a fine example of collegial, open scholarship that models the practice the liberatory ideas underpinning decoloniality encourage.
The volume works well as a way into the ideas and practices in and around decoloniality, as an extension of some of the recent developments in the field, and as a dialogue demonstrating the diversity and differences the approach encourages and celebrates. They do so by co-authoring but writing separate sections. Walsh’s opening section begins from praxis exploring the ways that theory and practice interact and inter-relate in and through on-the-ground activism, asking the question ‘decoloniality for what’ in an effort to get beyond a focus on resistance to highlight goals, objectives and change. In this, from the outset, she explicitly poses the problem of the meaning and content of pluriversal decoloniality and decolonial pluriversality as terms often invoked in decolonial outlooks. Her way of answering this is to draw on work by Adolo Albán Achinte to propose the notion of re-existence, which following Albán she sees as “the redefining and re-signifying of the conditions of dignity”. This seems a powerful notion in exploring the goals and objectives of decolonial praxis, be it in communities, in engagements with the state or in other settings, contexts and struggles. It also has increasingly seemed to me that this notion of ‘dignity’ is a vital as aspect of contemporary political struggle (and one that I have been discussing with friends and fellow analysts in our respective areas of cultural analysis and practice as we wrangle with the ‘so what?’ question, the ‘what is the goal?’ point of our work and the issues we explore).
Walsh explores this notion of decoloniality for what and of re-existence through specific political struggles – the Zapatista movement in southern Mexico, the recognition of plurinationality and intercultural conditions in the Ecuadoran constitution and other struggles. In this she explores the limits of action, the character of standpoint epistemologies and the links between theory, practice and praxis in and on the ground. This is a rich discussion of decoloniality in practice reminding us that where many of us have come to the ideas through theoretical texts, the nexus of coloniality/modernity/decoloniality is inseparable and has material existence beyond the realm of theory and analysis. In many ways, Walsh’s contribution reminds of the political dictum (often attributed to Lenin) that without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary practice and without revolutionary practice there can be no revolutionary theory: praxis is key to grasping conceptual approaches. A key strength of Walsh’s chapters is that we do not need to know much (if anything) about the specific struggles to get the point – she explains and contextualises to build a compelling case.
While Walsh’s discussion begins on the ground with struggles against both coloniality as an ideology or mind-set, Mignolo’s in some ways starts out where she left off with a clear outline of decoloniality-as-praxis and a distinction between colonialism as relations on the ground and coloniality as way of seeing/thinking/maintaining Power to explore the ideological basis of the coloniality/modernity/decoloniality nexus. Here he very carefully lays out the debates to date and explores ways in which they might be extended or developed, drawing on the notion that liberation must be won by the oppressed – and given he is talking about a struggle at the level of ideas where ontology is the product of epistemology, he makes much of Bob Marley’s reworking of the Garveyite notion that “none but ourselves can free our minds”.
As we should expect from Mignolo, this is rich and multi-layered discussion highlighting coloniality’s essential, foundational, relation with modernity to remind us that there is a distinction between decolonization and getting beyond being colonised, where decolonization is all too often taken to be only a political or state function meaning that it is often little more than replacement of an elite, with little the ‘frees the mind’. He also, and quite compelling, argues that decoloniality is an option –partly to be worked out in struggle, but also partly as a factor of local relations and conditions: that is the ‘dewesternization’, with no other change, is only part of the way to decolonial conditions, but more importantly he invokes the notion associated with the Zapatistas of many ways of being in the world. Throughout the text, both Mignolo and Walsh continually return to this notion and assert that they do not have all the answers, may not have any of the answers and that the conditions of dignity so important to Albán’s argument for re-existence cannot be determined by anyone but those struggling for that dignity.
This is an essential text both for those new to ideas of decoloniality and those who’ve been around them for a while. As the launch of new book series it charts the ground they seek to explore in more detail and from diverse approaches, posing as many problems and questions as they do point to answers. Not only does it map the terrain of decoloniality, at least their view of it, but it also opens that terrain up for further enquiry, critique and evaluation leading to making of new meanings and recognising other forms of Power in that space. It is a fine example of collegial, open scholarship that models the practice the liberatory ideas underpinning decoloniality encourage.
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October 22, 2024Silence, political analyst from a prestigious western university! A female cab driver from Quito is speaking!
January 11, 2021
A good overview of coloniality, and the decolonial option. Then first section by Catherine Walsh is more praxis oriented, talking about various forms of decolonial resistance throughout the Americas, touching on the Zapatistas and interculturality in Ecuador, amongst other things.
Mignolo's contribution however attempts to analyse what he calls the colonial matrix of power-the ways coloniality affects the ontology and epistemology of the world and how this filters down into the various forms of oppression we know today, looking at concepts like what the creation of the category of "human" means, and how the totalitarian totality of modern and western concepts of culture, science, philosophy etc push out other ways of living and knowing
Mignolo's contribution however attempts to analyse what he calls the colonial matrix of power-the ways coloniality affects the ontology and epistemology of the world and how this filters down into the various forms of oppression we know today, looking at concepts like what the creation of the category of "human" means, and how the totalitarian totality of modern and western concepts of culture, science, philosophy etc push out other ways of living and knowing
February 11, 2026
no se como comentar textos académicos, pero salvo la primera parte, que me pareció extremadamente densa y rebuscada, los comentarios y desarrollos de mignolo me ayudaron bastante a poner en orden mis ideas y a diseccionar el proceso de decolonizacion a lo largo de los siglos.
September 24, 2022
Sophie's world all over again -- I was like the only person in class who liked this book
but it seriously is changing the way I think and interact with the world; wish it was accessible to anyone outside of academia or who doesn't have a passion for theory
but it seriously is changing the way I think and interact with the world; wish it was accessible to anyone outside of academia or who doesn't have a passion for theory
October 29, 2024
Strong ideas. Complicated style of writing, especially in the first part, however it included everything, in all the extensions of praxis of life, that needed to be mentioned in order to give an overview how deeply the beliefs we accept orient us in our day to day lives.
Overwhelming read. Because no matter how much Mignolo talked about epistemic problem of Eurocentrism and all the derivatives and the background issues of the named global problem, it’s still hard to intellectually grasp that what is needed to be done in order to begin understanding the Eurocentrist matrix, is to question all the ways in which our lives are intentionally made to be divisive and alienating.
Still he managed pretty well to give something as abstract as epistemic reconstruction a pretty solid baseline. For people who wish this read was more “concrete” - um, the topic of politics is also very abstract, yet there are books written about it all the time, with way less explanations/backgrounds/angles uncovered. There are a lot of abstract terms we take for granted, but if asked from people they would define them very differently. Epistemic issue of the Eurocentrism is just sth new.
As a person coming from the border, the periphery, everything made sense on some kind of inner-feeling level and voiced exactly the pressures my country and people are under. The rush of progress is exhausting. Is it needed?
Definitely not in the ways it’s been done and managed until now.
The text isn’t written in the academic style, because that’s the point of decolonial praxis. The authors point out several times that they are offering a vision and a praxis (their work being exactly the process of that praxis in their lives) that is meant to give a vague idea of an outline. The idea of or a process of decoloniality isn’t finished, there is no end-point, no bigger agenda than all the humans who feel like they belong together and have shared memories of coexistence in their own specific and honored-by-them ways could live in dignity. The force of eurocentrism will continue for a while, but not forever, however decolonial living will give a push-back, a space of freedom of people being themselves without imposed representations. At least in their own countries and communities.
If I could suggest something I’d only ask for a more nuanced explanation of how sexism is part of the Eurocentric model of thought. Because as was mentioned a form of sexism existed before the “conquest” of the “New World” among the indigenous peoples.
Overwhelming read. Because no matter how much Mignolo talked about epistemic problem of Eurocentrism and all the derivatives and the background issues of the named global problem, it’s still hard to intellectually grasp that what is needed to be done in order to begin understanding the Eurocentrist matrix, is to question all the ways in which our lives are intentionally made to be divisive and alienating.
Still he managed pretty well to give something as abstract as epistemic reconstruction a pretty solid baseline. For people who wish this read was more “concrete” - um, the topic of politics is also very abstract, yet there are books written about it all the time, with way less explanations/backgrounds/angles uncovered. There are a lot of abstract terms we take for granted, but if asked from people they would define them very differently. Epistemic issue of the Eurocentrism is just sth new.
As a person coming from the border, the periphery, everything made sense on some kind of inner-feeling level and voiced exactly the pressures my country and people are under. The rush of progress is exhausting. Is it needed?
Definitely not in the ways it’s been done and managed until now.
The text isn’t written in the academic style, because that’s the point of decolonial praxis. The authors point out several times that they are offering a vision and a praxis (their work being exactly the process of that praxis in their lives) that is meant to give a vague idea of an outline. The idea of or a process of decoloniality isn’t finished, there is no end-point, no bigger agenda than all the humans who feel like they belong together and have shared memories of coexistence in their own specific and honored-by-them ways could live in dignity. The force of eurocentrism will continue for a while, but not forever, however decolonial living will give a push-back, a space of freedom of people being themselves without imposed representations. At least in their own countries and communities.
If I could suggest something I’d only ask for a more nuanced explanation of how sexism is part of the Eurocentric model of thought. Because as was mentioned a form of sexism existed before the “conquest” of the “New World” among the indigenous peoples.
February 7, 2023
Sugeruje pominąć pierwszą część napisaną przez Catherine Walsh, chyba, że lubicie takie zbitki jak:
Decoloniality, without a doubt, is also contextual, relational, practice based, and lived. In addition, it is intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and existentially entangled and interwoven. The concern of this part I then is with the ongoing processes and practices, pedagogies and paths, projects and propositions that build, cultivate, enable, and engender decoloniality, this understood as a praxis—as a walking, asking, reflecting, analyzing, theorizing, and actioning—in continuous movement, contention, relation, and formation.
Dużo wyliczeń. Ale przynajmniej Walsh nabiła 100 stron tego.
Decoloniality, without a doubt, is also contextual, relational, practice based, and lived. In addition, it is intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and existentially entangled and interwoven. The concern of this part I then is with the ongoing processes and practices, pedagogies and paths, projects and propositions that build, cultivate, enable, and engender decoloniality, this understood as a praxis—as a walking, asking, reflecting, analyzing, theorizing, and actioning—in continuous movement, contention, relation, and formation.
Dużo wyliczeń. Ale przynajmniej Walsh nabiła 100 stron tego.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 2, 2025Note to self: at some point I'll need to revisit this from start to finish, as I found some paradigm-shifting stuff in here that's certainly worth engaging with. I do have to say - thumbs down for the amount of repetition and redundancy, at least throughout the 2nd section.
May 15, 2022
One of the most important theories in this century and beyond.
August 8, 2023
An essential book to everyone regardless of academic or professional background.
August 11, 2023
Probably one of the best books I’ve read. The decolonial praxis goes beyond any decolonizing framework from the Global North
November 9, 2024
U bitches need to start reading!!!
February 11, 2019
Interesting, though I was not expecting the Latin America focus (should have read more about it before checking it out).
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews