This monograph project outlines the discipline of psychology’s complex relationship with human rights, acknowledging instances of complicity in injustice alongside its potential for liberation. Part of the project will be to trace an intellectual history of my work as a psychologist over the past few decades. I will reflect on the epistemological and ontological bases of psychology as a discipline and profession. On one hand psychology offers liberatory potential in that it seeks to create conditions for individuals, families, communities, and society in general to overcome circumstances of oppression and marginalization. On the other hand, psychology’s complicity with human rights violations has been a blight on its history as it has aided and abetted racism, social injustice, and oppression. The project investigates the epistemological tensions between decoloniality, liberation psychology, and evidence-based practice. Furthermore, it reflects on the role of the neoliberal university in potentially hindering but also creating conditions for principled scholarship and activism related to human rights. Ultimately, the project seeks to synthesise diverse theoretical perspectives to address pressing global challenges such as social inequality, human rights violations, and climate change. I intend to explore new ways of conceptualising these difficult issues.
