Seminario From abstract universality to concrete universalism: a dialogue between Angela Davis and Lélia Gonzalez in the critique of human rights and racial democracy

6 luglio 2026

Intervento di Laíssa Ferreira (Universidade Estadual de Campinas) all'interno del SeRiC - Seminario delle Ricerche in Corso

  • 15:00 - 17:00
  • Online su Microsoft Teams e in presenza : Sala Apollo, Via Zamboni 38, Bologna
  • Società e cultura In inglese
  • Rilascia crediti formativi

Per partecipare

Ingresso libero

Programma

Abstract: This talk investigates the limits of abstract universalism in contemporary human rights theory through a dialogue between the works of Lélia Gonzalez, Angela Davis, Sueli Carneiro, and Seyla Benhabib. It argues that the promise of universality has historically been shaped by exclusions based on race, gender, and colonial domination, producing a gap between formal equality and lived experience. Particular attention is given to Gonzalez's critique of the myth of racial democracy, understood as an ideological mechanism that obscures racial hierarchies while presenting Brazilian society as harmonious and inclusive. Against this framework, the article examines the concept of Amefricanity as a political and epistemological category capable of recovering the experiences and forms of knowledge produced by Black and Indigenous populations across the Americas. By articulating Gonzalez's reflections with debates on racism, freedom, and democratic inclusion, the study proposes a conception of concrete universalism grounded not in abstract sameness but in the recognition of historically marginalized subjects. It concludes that human rights can only become genuinely universal when redefined from the perspective of those traditionally excluded from the category of the human.

L'incontro è valido per la didattica dottorale del corso di dottorato "Philosophy, Science, Cognition, and Semiotics". Non è necessaria alcuna registrazione preventiva. Per il conteggio dei crediti, è sufficiente partecipare agli incontri e firmare il foglio presenze in aula. Per chi partecipa online, la presenza verrà registrata automaticamente attraverso la piattaforma Microsoft Teams. Per poter ottenere i crediti al termine del ciclo, è necessario aver partecipato ad almeno 9 incontri.

Chi interverrà

  • Laíssa Ferreira (Universidade Estadual de Campinas)

    Visiting Professor