Decolonizing Liberal Arts Curricula For a Global Era

Abstract

The liberal arts tradition faces a profound crisis of legitimacy as scholars and activists worldwide challenge the Eurocentric epistemological foundations upon which Western higher education has been constructed. This article examines the movement to decolonize liberal arts curricula by tracing the colonial legacies embedded in Western educational institutions, analyzing the theoretical frameworks that inform decolonization efforts, and evaluating practical initiatives undertaken by universities in Africa, Latin America, and the Global North. Drawing on postcolonial theory, indigenous epistemology, and critical pedagogy, the analysis engages with key concepts including epistemicide, epistemic disobedience, and the ecology of knowledges. The article argues that decolonizing the liberal arts is not merely a matter of representational diversity but a necessary condition for producing knowledge that is genuinely universal in its scope, relevance, and responsiveness to the interconnected challenges of the twenty-first century.