Abstract
The Zapatistas of Chiapas, Mexico, have engaged the Mexican government in a 15-year struggle over political, cultural, and economic autonomy. In the process, they have challenged fundamental precepts of modern thought, including the idea of 'modernity' itself. This article argues that the Zapatistas, both through their counternarrative and their political organization, offer insight and possibilities in current debates over hegemony, universality, and historical agency. In turn, the Zapatistas weigh in on the merits of postcolonialism, postmodernism, and post-Marxism.