Between the European legacy and critical daring: epistemological reflections for critical discourse analysis

摘要

The colonialism of knowledge in Latin America has led as a consequence to the forming of a body of researchers competent in understanding and applying theories and methods but who are petrified at their own ideas as they always need to be legitimated by foreign thinkers. The problem is that creativity plays a fundamental role in scientific progress and in creating theory. Our low scientific self-esteem has made us hostage to imported progress given that we do not see ourselves in many instances as being able to contribute effectively in developing the theories we use. In this essay, I seek to deconstruct this logic by establishing a dialogue between the European legacy in critical discourse analysis in its interdisciplinary relation with critical realism and epistemological reflection that identifies contradictions in the manner in which this relation has been concretised in research studies. What I propose is not a discussion in the sense of a debate that seeks to establish truth but rather a dialogue that aims at mutual comprehension, construction through the word.