Pensamiento eurocentrista: Limitante para el uso social del conocimiento en las universidades latinoamericanas

Abstract

The purpose of this essay was to reflect on the influence and predominance of Eurocentric thought in Latin American universities and the limitations it imposes on the social use of the knowledge generated within them. It examined how Eurocentrism manifests itself in the social sciences through theoretical frameworks, research agendas, and educational policies that impose and legitimize power relations between nations. The university context was analyzed, with particular attention to the use of knowledge produced in academic institutions and its actual contribution to Latin American societies. The theoretical framework drew on Caba and García (2014), Quijano (2019), De León (2022), and Gómez and Vicuña (2020), each contributing insights into the relationship between Eurocentrism, modernity, and coloniality, imperial influence on education, and the hierarchization of other forms of knowledge. It was concluded that universities must assume a leading role in promoting democracy, responsibility, and solidarity through policies of epistemological inclusion, effective engagement with social actors, and evaluation criteria that assess the relevance and social impact of scientific production within these institutions.