Introduction: Rationality and the World
The ‘arrogant absolutist reason’ pointed out by Vaclav Havel is said to have gotten its basis on a premise that suggests how the world is objectively knowable, and that this said knowledge can be subject to generalization. Because of this premise, the knowledge of experts from a wide variety of fields may be spread across the globe and can be applied in several different contexts. Contrary to local knowledge, this modern thought is perceived to be not without the privilege of universality. As such, this mode of knowing has undermined the local ways of both knowing and doing which is further exhibited by how the First World is considered to be ‘developed’ while the Third World is perceived to be either ‘underdeveloped’ or ‘developing’. Local knowledge is said to be taking a step backwards while universal knowledge would aid in moving forward. It is seen, however, that the colonization of the mind is one of the measures whereby goods industrialization is gained. This book look challenges this claim to universality of Cartesian rationality.
Keywords: Vaclav Havel, knowledge, modern thought, local knowledge, universality, industrialization, colonization, Cartesian rationality
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