• Glossary,  Posts

    Hubris of Zero Degrees

    The Hubris of Zero Degrees is a popular concept in decolonial theory, elaborated by thinkers such as Walter Mignolo and Santiago Castro-Gómez, to describe the illusion of objectivity and neutrality in Western knowledge production. It refers to the assumption that modern European science, philosophy, and historiography represent a universal, detached, and neutral perspective, rather than a historically and geopolitically situated way of knowing. The Hubris of Zero Degrees is foundational to the geopolitics of knowledge, as it reveals how power structures determine what is considered legitimate knowledge. This concept is crucial for understanding epistemic coloniality, as it exposes how Western academia continues to privilege European frameworks while dismissing other ways…