Abstract
The claim for a lateral and transcultural universalism starts from the observation that neither the monological universalism that would descend on other cultures from a European centre, nor the apology of provincial particularisms are practicable paths for the contemporary world. Based on Merleau-Ponty's distinction of "overarching" and "lateral" universalism, the article aims to formulate a new conception of the universal that would emerge from a transcultural exchange and would require, on the part of every participant in such an exchange, the ability to decentralise her own perspective.
Such an approach to universality, influenced by fallibilism, recognizes that our supposedly universal ideas are provisionally valid if they prove themselves in different parts of the world, even though their formulation remains contingent on local and historical contexts.