Europe as a subject and object of epistemic reflection

Salcedo, Carlos Efraín Montúfar (2025) Europe as a subject and object of epistemic reflection. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 27 (1). pp. 677-681. ISSN 2581-9615

This study proposes a critical and theoretical approach from the social sciences, particularly anthropology and the philosophy of science, to analyze Europe as a subject and object of epistemic reflection. Through a hermeneutic and postfoundational approach, the author examines the emergence of modern science in Europe, its institutional consolidation, and its subsequent questioning from internal (Foucault, Kuhn, Derrida) and external (postcolonial and global south) perspectives. The analysis identifies three key moments: the constitution of the modern European scientific paradigm based on rationality, empiricism, and objectivity; The critique of these foundations from within European tradition itself and from postcolonial thought; and the emergence of a global need to pluralize science by recognizing other forms of knowledge. The text argues that Europe has played a dual role: creator of modern scientific thought and critique of its own heritage. The article's value lies in its ability to interpret Europe as an "epistemic mirror" where continuity and rupture, creation and deconstruction, converge. It introduces a powerful metaphor—the Ouroboros- to describe the self-reflexive dynamics of European science, and links this process to current debates on epistemologies of the South, the pluriverse, and the vital relevance of knowledge. The text concludes that Europe, in facing its own epistemic limits, can become a laboratory for the reconfiguration of global science. A critical review of its legacy does not imply its discarding, but rather its transformation. The construction of an ethically responsible, contextual, and dialogic science is presented as a contemporary urgency in the face of challenges such as sustainability, epistemic justice, and the survival of humanity. The author calls for a rethinking of science not only from the perspective of its effectiveness, but also from the perspective of its vital, ethical, and plural relevance.