Contemporary migrations, which bring the rest of the world closer, have abruptly disrupted the era of modernity. When the Other is no longer kept at a distance but begins to appear constantly here, when the encounter between different cultures, histories, religions, and languages is no longer episodic or confined to the colonial borders but emerges at the heart of our daily lives, in our cities and cultures, Western reason must rethink its reference points and foundations, opening itself to new perspectives and pathways.
In encountering alterity and engaging with diverse voices, identities, reasons, and powers, critical thought is compelled to reconsider the languages that represent progress—ranging from historiography to sociology, from music to technology. While facing the “threat” of the foreigner, the rigid defense of a historical identity through the authority of traditions and local institutions becomes a narrow retreat from the inexorable historical and cultural processes at play. The unexpected sense of disorientation emerging from these migratory landscapes suggests establishing a radically different relationship—one that is surely less arrogant and more critical—with one's historical and cultural formation. Thus, our histories, languages, and memories are transformed from endpoints to starting points.
