Decolonization of Knowledge in Philosophical Academic Discourse in the Context of the Ukrainian Experience and Global Trends

Abstract

The article considers the issue of decolonization of knowledge in the philosophical dimension. The main attention is devoted to Ukraine, since the process of decolonization from cultural and political is gradually transforming into a process of epistemological rethinking of the boundaries of scientific knowledge. The study analyzes a number of theoretical approaches to understanding the phenomenon of decolonization of knowledge, the concepts of colonization of knowledge, epistemic freedom, justice and disobedience. At the same time, the author's attention is focused on the international experience of decolonization of knowledge and its role in the transformational aspects of modern space.

The central part of the scientific research reveals the global processes of decolonial studies related to the criticism of Eurocentrism, the development of epistemological pluralism, the variability of ways of knowing the world in the production of knowledge. Among the important components of modern decolonial discourse, ensuring epistemic freedom of individuals who participate in the formation of new knowledge capable of reflecting the specifics of individual societies and cultures is of particular importance.

In modern Ukraine, the decolonization of knowledge is primarily associated with the need to overcome the consequences of the Soviet era and Russian influence, to form new knowledge based on the restoration of Ukrainian intellectual traditions and the affirmation of one's own epistemic subjectivity. In the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, this process gained importance, reinforcing the need for a critical rethinking of established scientific narratives, cleansing the educational space from the achievements of the past, and strengthening the role of Ukrainian experience in the production of knowledge.

The conclusions establish that the decolonization of knowledge is aimed at overcoming epistemic inequality and expanding the boundaries of scientific knowledge. It contributes to the development of epistemological pluralism, epistemic justice, and the formation of a vast scientific space. Within the framework of Ukraine, the decolonization of knowledge is defined as a means of overcoming the colonial legacy, as well as an element of strengthening national science and its integration into the global academic space and establishing one's own position in the production of new knowledge.