ILEIA Newsletter Vol. 11 No. 2 p. 23

Science is not universal: diversity in knowledge systems

Stephan Rist

The agroecology programme of the university of Cochabamba (AGRUCO) started its activities in the Bolivian Andes in 1986 with the aim to contribute to sustainable development. This article describes how the programme changed from a transfer-of-technology agent to an institution seeking the enhancement of the intercultural dialogue.

The programme was launched on the basis of the European approach to ecological agriculture. Ecological agriculture mainly concentrates on biological processes, which in the field, however, did not permit to take socioeconomic, cultural and political aspects into consideration. The concept of the programme therefore gradually changed towards agroecology, which sees the agroecosystem as the result of a co-evolution of society and nature (Noorgaard, 1987).

We saw ourselves obliged to investigate thoroughly the philosophical and mental basis underlying the present agroecosystem as expressed in the Andean cosmovision. While studying the Andean cosmovision, a series of observations, made during on-farm research, were quite important: the majority of social and technological events such as the celebration of feasts, ploughing, sowing or harvesting are always preceded by rituals, in order to ask permission and assistance of Pachamama (Mother Earth and fountain of life) and a number of other spiritual beings. It also became apparent, that this symbolic dimension of reality is one of the constituent elements of regenerating and creating knowledge, practices and technologies.

Three dimensions

In the Andean world view nature, society and the spiritual world are inseparable as they are in constant and dynamic interaction with each other. None of the components is superior. For Western science the interaction of society and nature is not hard to understand. However, to comprehend the Andean cosmovision it is necessary to include the transcendental component as well.

Scientists find this rather difficult. Spiritual beings not only inhabit the planet earth but also dwell in the more distant spheres of the universe. This leads to the holistic understanding that man is simultaneously rooted in the earth and in the universe. The following example illustrates how this cosmovision influences the explantation of natural phenomena.

Every year on Carnival Tuesday the campesinos go to their fields to celebrate their crops, just then in full growth, with a ritual called ch’alla. This ritual is held in honour of the Ispalla spirit. "Ispalla is the soul and spirit of all food… It is Ispalla who gives life to human beings, animals and plants. Therefore we harvest some plants, put them on our shoulders and make them feel happy by dancing with them to our music". A good crop, qualitatively and quantitatively, depends not only on appropriate technology but also on the positive motivation – through the rituals – of the transcendental world.

Science explains only one dimension

Having achieved this first understanding of Andean cosmovision, a difficulty with the agroecological approach arose: although the agroecology approach is holistic and interdisciplinary, it still defines itself as a "science". It is based on the biological and historic materialism and furthermore claims to be objective and universal.

One of the fundamental differences between agroecology and Andean cosmovision is related to spiritual life: because it is admitted only at a subjective level it cannot interact with "objective" science. In none of the scientific disciplines could we find elements which would allow us to link the scientific and the Andean explanation of the phenomena.

For instance, from a scientific point of view it is inadmissible that a ritual such as ch’alla could have a positive influence on the quality or quantity of crops, whereas from the point of view of the great majority of the peasants it is absolutely certain that ch’alla is effective. This gives them reason to invest a considerable amount of time and means in their rituals. We were confronted with a typical problem of modern science in the sense that "only the surface of things is explained, only one dimension of the reality" (Havel, 1994).

Revaluing world views

How should the two world views interrelate, knowing that the scientific worldview presents itself as universal but cannot explain the effects of rituals? It was important for us to realise that in social and historic sciences numerous studies exist which prove that "modern sciences" are the result of the social construction of knowledge and hence only one system among many others (Chambers, 1994).

Based on this fundamental conclusion we managed to assign ourselves – as a university programme and formal representative of science – a new role in the interaction with Andean cosmovision: taking both systems as the expression of knowledge valued by two different cultural systems. This allows us to overcome supposed incompatibilities. Understanding both systems as the result of social construction of knowledge does not deprive either of them of their legitimacy. Scientific knowledge system merely loses the right to claim universality. On the other hand, for the Andean knowledge system this signifies a revaluation by being put on equal terms with other existing systems.

The equal relation between different cultures with their respective knowledge systems marks the beginning of an intercultural dialogue which, instead of seeking the domination of one over the other, tries to induce the reciprocal enrichment as a contribution to create more sustainable societies as a result of cultural diversity.

The acknowledgement of the importance of the intercultural dialogue should not stay a mere theory but it should lead to the redefinition of institutional and methodological aspects. As a first step, we had to abandon our identity as "development programme" in the conventional sense: it is not any longer the programme which, through "planned interventions" is the cause or the "motor" of the evolution of the target group.

Due to the emphasis given to the participation of the peasant as a social actor, mainly in the field of research activities, we became aware that our institutional objectives had gradually shifted: from the initial approach of transferring ecological agriculture technology, we evolved into an institution seeking the enhancement of the intercultural dialogue.

Stephan Rist, AGRUCO, Casilla 3392, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

References
– Chambers, R. 1994. Foreword to "Beyond Farmers First". London: IT Publications.
– Havel, V. 1994. La nueva medida del hombre. Discurso pronunciado en la conmemoración de 218 Aniversario de los Estados Unidos. Opinión del 13/12/94. Cochabamba, Bolivia.
– Norgaard, RB. 1987. The epistemological basis of agroecology. In: Altieri, MA. Agroecology. Boulder: Westview Press.

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