Jeovet Baca Virgínia: Two Systems of Reference: Fanon and the Ontological Fragmentation of the Black Subject in ...

Jeovet Baca Virgínia

Two Systems of Reference: Fanon and the Ontological Fragmentation of the Black Subject in Portuguese Colonialism

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Abstract

The article examines the construction of the Black subject within the context of Portuguese colonialism, drawing on Frantz Fanon’s theoretical framework to analyze the ontological fragmentation produced by colonial structures. Through the mythical narratives of national identity and the discourse of “racial harmony,” it reveals how such imaginaries concealed deep racial hierarchies and legitimized domination. In dialogue with contemporary historiography, it demonstrates that ethnic diversity in Portugal predates the Age of Discoveries, challenging the notion of a homogeneous society. However, colonialism introduced new forms of racial categorization, dehumanizing the African subject and reinforcing the ontological superiority of the colonizer. Inspired by Fanon, the article argues that Portuguese colonialism established a “dual system of reference” that divided the world into two: the…