Border Thinking

 

'Border thinking' originates from decolonial theory and was first introduced by Gloria Anzaldúa in her work 'Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza.' Other decolonial thinkers, notably Walter Mignolo, have further developed this concept. The idea behind border thinking is that theoretical and epistemic perspectives must have a real-life dimension. It emphasizes the existence of theories situated at the edges, or even outside, of the colonial power structure.

In this context, 'lived' refers to the experiences of those who have been marginalized from contributing to knowledge production in the context of modernity. Border thinking doesn't emerge independently of modernity; instead, it arises in response to it, as part of the ongoing struggles against the oppressive nature of the colonial power structure. Essentially, "border thinking is the epistemology of the exteriority; that is, of the outside created from the inside" (Mignolo & Tlostanova, 2006:206). The border, in this context, is characterized by differences in knowledge and geographical

Consider the difference between knowledge in modern European languages and imperial languages like Russian, Arabic, and Mandarin. This difference is not just about being distinct; it's influenced by imperial contexts. In the modern and colonial understanding, these languages are seen as occupying different levels of knowledge. The fields of 'modern' science, philosophy, and social sciences primarily rely on English, French, or German, not Russian, Chinese, or Arabic.

 

Border thinking involves looking at things from an external perspective, using alternative knowledge traditions and different languages for expression. For instance, Islamic philosophical and scientific thought or the knowledge traditions of First Nations could be considered examples of border thinking. The Haitian revolution and more recent events like the World Social Forum are examples where this alternative thinking has been put into action. These perspectives bring in different worldviews that challenge the dominant discourse of Western modernity, offering insights not constrained by its framework.