Mahdi Elmandjra and the Critique of the Global System Postcolonialism and Civilizational Pluralism

Abstract

This article examines the Moroccan thinker Mahdi El Mandjra conception of “post-colonialism” as a new form of hegemony that transcends classical colonialism to encompass cultural, economic, and political domination. It outlines the three phases of contemporary history identified by El Mandjra: direct colonialism, neo-colonialism, and finally “post-colonialism,” in which culture becomes an instrument of control and the unipolar American power imposes a unipolar world order.  The article further focuses on Africa’s position within this system, demonstrating that formal independence has perpetuated structural dependency through financial institutions and technical assistance that have weakened the self-immunity of states and entrenched mercenary elites. El Mandjra concludes by advocating self-reliance and South-South cooperation, as well as the rehabilitation of local languages and cultures as a precondition for development. In contrast to Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” thesis, he proposes an alternative grounded in “civilizational plurality and interaction,” based on mutual respect and a just redistribution of wealth and power within a democratic international system.