Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: What does decolonial justice require in response to the epistemic devastation of colonisation? Recent work proposes restoring lost epistemic status or compensating victims with epistemic goods. I argue that neither restitution nor compensation is a viable response to the destruction of Indigenous knowledge systems. Drawing on international law and reparations theory, I show that these frameworks neglect the role of proportionality as a normative constraint on adequate redress. Once this constraint is taken seriously, it becomes clear that the logic of repair is incompatible with the aims of decolonisation.
Source: Episteme
Author: Paul-Mikhail Catapang Podosky
Institution: Macquarie University
Language: English
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
Funder: University of Cambridge
OpenAlex ID: W7123343289