According to Mignolo(2011), what are the two radical economic and epistemological shifts that enabled the rise of capitalism? Discuss how they intersect with slavery and racism
According to Mignolo (2011), the two radical economic shifts that enabled the rise of capitalism were the colonization of the Americas and the emergence of a world system in which Europe dominated. These shifts were accompanied by significant epistemological changes that justified the subjugation of non-European peoples and cultures.
Slavery and racism intersect with these economic and epistemological shifts in several ways. The colonization of the Americas involved the forced labor of indigenous peoples and the transatlantic slave trade, both of which were central to the economic prosperity of European powers. The dehumanization of enslaved Africans and indigenous peoples was justified through racist ideologies that positioned them as inferior to Europeans and therefore deserving of subjugation.
The epistemological shifts that accompanied the rise of capitalism also played a role in the construction of racial hierarchies. European knowledge systems and ways of knowing were elevated at the expense of indigenous knowledges, which were often dismissed as superstition or ignorance. This epistemic violence served to further marginalize and disempower non-European peoples, reinforcing the economic exploitation of their labor.
In this way, slavery and racism were not incidental to the rise of capitalism but were integral to its development. The intersections of these systems of oppression continue to shape our world today, as the legacies of colonialism and racism persist in global economic inequalities and social injustices.