On Humanization as the Foundation of Violence

Abstract

This article argues that the inflection point of violence does not lie in dehumanization or pre-humanity, but in humanization itself. The text contends that the idea of Humanity establishes a hierarchy between Man and other living beings, relegating to the realm of Nature all those over whom dominion is intended to be exercised, such as Black people, Indigenous peoples, women, and the LGBTQIA PN+ population. The analysis demonstrates that violence against Nature –manifested in the rupture of metabolic structures –constitutes the foundation of social violence and lies at the origin of oppressions related to race, gender, and more. From this perspective, a link is established between the Anthropocene and the Coloniality of Power. The paper concludes by positing Relation as the guiding principle of an eco-Amefrican mode of thought, anchored in an integral, integrating, and integrative epistemic stance toward Nature (pachamama).