ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the decolonization conversation in science, arguing that it is neither a luxury nor a threat, but a necessity and an opportunity for science to bring itself closer to the context of the society in which it operates. We have previously shown how many of the issues in this conversation result from different legitimation rules. We will now explore this in more detail, with the aim of offering suggestions for a way forward. To this end, the chapter highlights various tensions in the literature on decolonizing science. Using the concept of constellations and enacting the LCT dimension of Specialization, we show how the cosmologies or worldviews underpinning the calls for decolonization from within science and the humanities set up an axiologically charged dichotomy between science and indigenous knowledges. Finally, drawing on previous LCT work on climate change, where a similar dichotomy has been observed, we explore the ideas of translating and transforming as possible ways to advance the conversation.
