In recent debates about hegemonic knowledge in the modern world, a number of basic assumptions have emerged that allow us to characterize the dominant conception of knowledge as Eurocentric (Lander 2000a). After providing a concise description of its main assumptions, I will explore here the pervasiveness of the Eurocentric perspective in the principles or fundamentals that guide current practices by which the global order of capital is planned, justified, and naturalized (i.e., made less artificial). Along these same lines, I will demonstrate the presence of the fundamentals of Eurocentrism in the international norms of protection of private investment in the failed Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) and in the protection of intellectual property set out by World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements.

Published as:Lander, Edgardo. Eurocentrism, Modern Knowledge and the Naturalization of the Global Capital Order. Translated by Mariana Past. Nepantla: Views from South 3, no. 2 (2002): 245-68. For more information on the published version, visit Project Muse's Website.

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