The Dream of Another Humanity

Juliana Robles de la Pava critically examines “the Human” as a historically produced, normative category shaped by Western colonial modernity. Drawing on post- and decolonial theory as well as Indigenous cosmologies, the contribution challenges human exceptionalism and argues for a decentring of the human in heritage research. Rather than proposing fixed definitions, it advances a relational, more-than-human understanding of humanity in which humans, non-human beings, objects, and spirits are recognised as active participants in heritage-making. Conceived as an open, transformative process, the text frames the “dream of another humanity” as both a conceptual and ethical task, opening space for alternative ways of relating, knowing, and acting amid ongoing ecological and epistemic crises. “tbc. working through heritage concepts" is a wordbook series published by the Centre of Advanced Study “inherit. heritage in transformation". Every issue works with a key concept of heritage, its history, current state, or future transformations. "inherit" team and fellows contribute to the series, which is updated with every fellow intake. Concept-work in heritage is always in a process of tbc: “to be confirmed” (still under development, evolving) and “to be continued” (an ongoing process, part of a longer historical narrative). This series of short publications captures work-in-progress on concepts, notions, and words that are significant in the research taking place at "inherit". It gives space to experimentation, highlighting the continuous, transforming and transformative nature of heritage research.