Boaventura de Sousa Santos argues that the "abyssal thinking" that structured colonial and modern Western thought continues to shape global relations, dividing the world into two realms: one of the "known" and one of the "unknown." This division, rooted in the "lines of global separation," has led to the exclusion of non-Western knowledge systems, such as indigenous and popular knowledge, from the dominant scientific and legal frameworks. The "ecology of knowledges" is proposed as a counterpoint to this abyssal thinking, emphasizing the coexistence and interdependence of diverse knowledge systems. The article critiques the Western paradigm of regulation and emancipation, which has been used to justify colonialism and the subjugation of non-Western societies. It highlights how the logic of appropriation and violence has been used to dominate and control non-Western populations, often through legal and political mechanisms. The author argues that the modern world is marked by a dual cartography: one legal and one epistemological, which together produce a radical absence, a sub-humanity, and a form of exclusion that is both radical and non-existent. The article calls for a post-abyssal thinking that recognizes the co-presence of all knowledge systems and promotes an ecology of knowledges that values diversity and interdependence. This thinking challenges the dominant Western epistemology and legal system, advocating for a more inclusive and equitable approach to knowledge and justice.Boaventura de Sousa Santos argues that the "abyssal thinking" that structured colonial and modern Western thought continues to shape global relations, dividing the world into two realms: one of the "known" and one of the "unknown." This division, rooted in the "lines of global separation," has led to the exclusion of non-Western knowledge systems, such as indigenous and popular knowledge, from the dominant scientific and legal frameworks. The "ecology of knowledges" is proposed as a counterpoint to this abyssal thinking, emphasizing the coexistence and interdependence of diverse knowledge systems. The article critiques the Western paradigm of regulation and emancipation, which has been used to justify colonialism and the subjugation of non-Western societies. It highlights how the logic of appropriation and violence has been used to dominate and control non-Western populations, often through legal and political mechanisms. The author argues that the modern world is marked by a dual cartography: one legal and one epistemological, which together produce a radical absence, a sub-humanity, and a form of exclusion that is both radical and non-existent. The article calls for a post-abyssal thinking that recognizes the co-presence of all knowledge systems and promotes an ecology of knowledges that values diversity and interdependence. This thinking challenges the dominant Western epistemology and legal system, advocating for a more inclusive and equitable approach to knowledge and justice.