Escovando a história colonial a contrapelo: teoria da memória como base epistemológica para uma teoria crítica dos direitos humanos

Abstract

This article aims to present the intersection between Walter Benjamin's theory of memory and Enrique Dussel's decolonial thinking as epistemological foundations for a Critical Theory of Human Rights. In this sense, the critique of progress, defended by Benjamin, and the critique of the Eurocentric colonizing discourse, undertaken by Dussel, will allow the narrative of a new history, of a history “brushed against the grain” (BENJAMIN, 1994). The concern of both theories with victims silenced by official history leads us to propose a critical theory of human rights that takes into account a demand for memory and justice for these victims.