ALICE

Boaventura de Sousa Santos
Principal Investigator
Acrónimo | Acronym
ALICE
Nome | Name
Strange Mirrors, Unsuspected Lessons: Leading Europe to a new way of sharing the world experiences.
Sobre | About
Advanced Grant (AdG) SH2, ERC-2010-AdG_20100407 2011-07-01 - 2016-12-31 2,4 M€

ALICE

Principal Investigator Boaventura de Sousa Santos
Acronym ALICE
Name

Strange Mirrors, Unsuspected Lessons: Leading Europe to a new way of sharing the world experiences

ERC Type Advanced Grant (AdG), SH2, ERC-2010-AdG_20100407
Year 2010
Value 2,4 M€
Research Unit CES

Summary

alice
Europe sits uncomfortably on the idea that there are no political and cultural alternatives credible enough to respond to the current uneasiness or malaise caused by both a world that is more and more non-European and a Europe that increasingly questions what is European about itself. This project will develop a new grounded theoretical paradigm for contemporary Europe based on two key ideas: the understanding of the world by far exceeds the European understanding of the world; social, political and institutional transformation in Europe may benefit from innovations taking place in regions and countries with which Europe is increasingly interdependent. I will pursue this objective focusing on four main interconnected topics: democratizing democracy, intercultural constitutionalism, the other economy, human rights (right to health in particular). In a sense that the European challenges are unique but, in one way or another, are being experienced in different corners of the world. The novelty resides in bringing new ideas and experiences into the European conversation, show their relevance to our current uncertainties and aspirations and thereby contribute to face them with new intellectual and political resources. The usefulness and relevance of non-European conceptions and experiences un-thinking the conventional knowledge through two epistemological devices I have developed: the ecology of knowledges and intercultural translation. By resorting to them I will show that there are alternatives but they cannot be made credible and powerful if we go on relying on the modes of theoretical and political thinking that have dominated so far. In other words, the claim put forward by and worked through this project is that in Europe we don’t need alternatives but rather an alternative thinking of alternatives.
Start date 2011-07-01
End date 2016-12-31
Website http://alice.ces.uc.pt/en/index.php/about/?lang=pt