Hegel, Haiti, and the Decolonial Gaze

Hegel's Denial and Buck-Morss's Revelation

Exploitation and Oppression in Colonial History

In her groundbreaking work, Susan Buck-Morss exposes the deep-seated exploitation that characterized colonial slave labor. She brings to light the extent to which millions of individuals were subjected to unimaginable horrors, their humanity denied in the pursuit of profit.

Hegel's Blind Spot: The Haitian Revolution

Buck-Morss confronts Hegel's glaring omission of the Haitian Revolution from his historical analysis. This pivotal event, which saw enslaved people successfully overthrow their oppressors, challenged Eurocentric narratives of history and the very foundations of Western philosophy.

Decolonial Thinking and the Reckoning of History

Buck-Morss's work represents a tour-de-force of decolonial thinking. It compels us to critically examine the ways in which dominant historiography has obscured the experiences of marginalized peoples. By shining a light on the Haitian Revolution, she opens up new pathways for understanding inequality, social conflict, and the ongoing legacy of colonialism.