Colonial cosmologies and the search for extraterrestrial life: How Western science frames the cosmos through a lens of scarcity and domination
Original framing: “Are aliens real? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life since the time of Aristotle” — The Conversation - Global
The original framing omits Indigenous cosmologies that do not separate humanity from the cosmos, such as the Māori concept of 'whakapapa' (genealogy connecting all beings) or the Hindu idea of the universe as a living, breathing entity. It also ignores the historical parallels of scientific racism, where the search for extraterrestrial life has been used to justify colonial expansion and the subjugation of non-Western peoples. Additionally, the narrative excludes the voices of marginalized scientists who challenge the anthropocentric assumptions of Western astrobiology.
Medium structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
The narrative is produced by Western scientific institutions and media outlets, serving the interests of a global elite that benefits from technological advancement and the commodification of space. The framing reinforces a colonial mindset that positions Earth as the center of the universe and other worlds as resources to be exploited. This obscures alternative cosmologies, such as those in Indigenous and Eastern traditions, which view the cosmos as a web of interconnected relationships rather than a hierarchy of value.
Indigenous cosmologies universally reject the Western binary of 'self' and 'other,' instead framing the cosmos as a relational web where all beings are kin. The search for extraterrestrial life as framed by Western science is a colonial project that seeks to assert human dominance over the unknown, mirroring the same logic used to justify the conquest of Indigenous lands. Traditional knowledge systems, such as those of the Māori or Navajo, do not separate the spiritual from the scientific, and thus would not recognize the Western distinction between 'aliens' and 'humans.' These perspectives highlight the ethical and epistemological limitations of the current scientific approach.
The search for extraterrestrial life, as framed by Western science, is not merely a neutral scientific endeavor but a continuation of colonial cosmologies that prioritize human dominance and resource extraction.