The U.N. Committee of 24's Dogmatic Philosophy of Recognition: Toward a Sui Generis Approach to Decolonization

Abstract:The time is ripe for the U.N. Special Committee on Decolonization (the Committee of 24) to accept sui generis categories that enable it to achieve its aim of finishing the job of decolonization. This would mean a departure from the Committee of 24's rigid adherence to the three forms of decolonization currently recognized: independence, integration, and free association. This article adopts Gilles Deleuze's critiques of the "dogmatic philosophy of recognition" and how they can be overcome through his articulation of "the Encounter" to analyse the philosophical basis of the Committee of 24's inability to recognize sui generis forms of decolonization. Unyielding adherence to the categories is challenged through the Encounter because sui generis categories are created in furtherance of the committee's stated aim. In applying this theoretical analysis, the article uses Gibraltar as a promising example of what a sui generis category of decolonization could resemble.