Pluriversality

Pluriversality is a philosophical and political concept that asserts the co-presence of multiple, legitimate worlds, life practices, and knowledge systems within a single social space. It counters universalist claims that a single set of norms, sciences, or political arrangements can universally apply, and it promotes intercultural recognition of diverse ontologies and epistemologies without subsuming them under a dominant framework.

The term gained prominence in decolonial and Indigenous scholarship and is closely associated with Boaventura de Sousa Santos, who advocates a pluriverse of knowledges in opposition to worldviews that claim universality. Santos argues for epistemologies of the South and for worlds otherwise that can guide governance and law. Pluriversality is not a call for moral relativism; rather, it seeks political and ethical space for different knowledge traditions to be heard, negotiated, and sometimes co-managed, while upholding universal human rights where applicable.

In practice, pluriversality informs debates in development, law, education, science, and environmental governance. It supports plural legal orders, Indigenous sovereignty, participatory policy-making, and the inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge in research and decision-making. It also foregrounds the risk of epistemicide—the erasure of non-dominant knowledges—and seeks to counter this through intercultural institutions and reflexive methodologies.

Critics warn that pluriversality can blur lines between incompatible normative claims and create practical challenges for accountability and rights enforcement. Critics call for clear safeguards to protect fundamental rights and prevent forced accommodation that could disadvantage marginalized groups. Proponents respond that careful, negotiated frameworks can balance pluralism with universal rights and democratic legitimacy.