African Philosophy

Wilfred Lajul

Description

African philosophy has for long been rejected on the basis that it is not known, or has not been written down. Behind this view is the idealist presumption that for something to exist, it must first be perceived. However, for something to be perceived, it must first exist. African Philosophy: Critical Dimensions examines what constitutes African philosophy in terms of its meaning, foundation, sources, methodology, characteristics, and relevance. The book analyses traditional African philosophy from the political, social, ethical, epistemological and metaphysical angles.

The book further critically discusses modern African political philosophy, modern African social philosophy, modern African economic philosophy, and modern African philosophy of religion. It ends with the identification of the different conclusions that were derived from the study and general recommendations, some specifically for researchers and writers, especially in the area of African philosophy. Wilfred Lajul joins other authentic voices examining African Philosophy.

1. General Introduction

2. The Nature of African Philosophy

3. Traditional African Philosophy

4. Modern African Philosophy

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

Sujets

• Religion
• African Studies
• Ethnic Studies
• PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophie et théologie
• African philosophy
• Criticism
• Social sciences

Informations

• Publié par: Fountain Publishers
• Date de parution: 29 décembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• EAN13: 9789970196807
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

African Philosophy Crîtîca Dîmensîons

Wîred aju

FOUNTAINPUBLISHERS www.fountainpublishers.co.ug

Fountain Publishers P.O. Box 488 Kampala, Uganda E-mail: [e-mail]  [e-mail] Website: www.fountainpublishers.co.ug

Distributed in Europe and Commonwealth countries outside Africa by: African Books Collective Ltd, P.O. Box 721, Oxford OX1 9EN, UK. Tel/Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Website: www.africanbookscollective.com

©Wilfred Lajul 2013 First published 2013

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior wrien permission from the publishers.

ISBN: 978-9970-25-307-4

Dedîcatîon

ï dedîcate tîs book to my moter Rosaba Angom and ate Fater, Sergîo Otto or a wat tey ave done or me to make me become wo ï am now. May te sou o my ate ater rest în eterna peace.

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Contents

Preace ................................................................................................vîî Acknowedgement ..................................................................................x 1. General Introduction ............................................................... 1 ïntroductîon ................................................................................ 1 he Hîstory o Arîcan hougt ................................................... 5 Organîsatîon o te Book ............................................................. 9 Concusîon ............................................................................... 14 2. e Nature of African Philosophy.......................................... 16 ïntroductîon .............................................................................. 16 Dîscussîons on te Nature o Arîcan Pîosopy ....................... 16 Trends în Arîcan Pîosopy ..................................................... 31 Concusîon ................................................................................ 77 3. Traditional African Philosophy.............................................. 88 ïntroductîon .............................................................................. 88 Tradîtîona Arîcan Poîtîca Pîosopy ..................................... 88 Tradîtîona Arîcan Socîa Pîosopy....................................... 103 Tradîtîona Arîcan Etîcs ........................................................ 116 Tradîtîona Arîcan Epîstemoogy ............................................. 132 Tradîtîona Arîcan Metapysîcs ............................................... 140 Concusîon .............................................................................. 145 4. Modern African Philosophy................................................. 154 ïntroductîon ............................................................................ 154 Modern Arîcan Poîtîca Pîosopy........................................ 155 Modern Arîcan Socîa Pîosopy ........................................... 177 Socîaîsm.................................................................................. 182 Modern Arîcan Economîc Pîosopy..................................... 192 Modern Arîcan Pîosopy o Reîgîon ................................... 201 Concusîon .............................................................................. 208

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5. Conclusions and Recommendations .................................... 218 ïntroductîon ............................................................................ 218 Concusîons ............................................................................. 218 Recommendatîons .................................................................. 223 Areas or Furter Researc ...................................................... 230 Concusîon .............................................................................. 231 Index ............................................................................................... 249

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Preace

Arîcan Pîosopy: Crîtîca Dîmensîons, îs a book tat dîscusses te content o Arîcan pîosopy despîte contradîctory caîms tat suc content does not exîst. Some voîces ave însînuated tat Arîcan pîosopy as a îstory o ratîona tougt îs just a myt, sînce tere îs 1 no îstory o teory to wîc Arîcan pîosopy beongs. Some say, Arîcan pîosopy îs just a egend because Arîca does not ave any 2 3 îstory o ratîonaîty. However, în îne wît Vaentîne Y. Mudîmbe, tîs book airms tat Arîca as a îstory o ratîonaîty, so Arîcan pîosopy îs neîter a myt nor a egend. he book ten goes aead to îdentîy te content o te îstory 4 o Arîcan tougt. ïn doîng tîs, agaîn în îne wît Mudîmbe, te book asserts tat, despîte a arguments raîsed agaînst te exîstence o Arîcan pîosopy, tegnosîso Arîcan geograpîca space as an area în wîc Arîcan ratîona îstory îs based as reused to vanîs, so ît wî contînue to exîst. Moreover, over tîme ît as become apparent tat tîs ratîona îstory must be te startîng poînt, oter tan te 5 dead end, rom wîc Arîcan îstory o tougt can be studîed. he centra tesîs o tîs book îs te act tat Arîcan pîosopy îs one and te same subject tat can be crîtîcay approaced rom dîferent anges or dîmensîons. So, te apparent destructîve and antagonîstîc crîtîcîsm în te study o Arîcan pîosopy îs uncaed or. he poemîcs tat are apparent în most books on Arîcan pîosopy, toug eaty în te process o înteectua growt, tey do not ep to extract te exact meanîngs o te ratîona îstory o Arîcan tougt. hîs books aîms ten to expîcate te unîty and coesîon în Arîcan pîosopy. Uncompromîsîngy destructîve crîtîcîsm în dîscussîng Arîcan pîosopy îs not acceptabe and soud be avoîded î we are to deveop a better and cearer pîcture o Arîcan pîosopy. ïn dîscussîng te content o Arîcan pîosopy, one woud raîse some basîc questîons îke: î te îstory o Arîcan tougt truy exîsts, ten wat îs îts nature? hîs book as trîed to gîve answers to

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viiiArican Philosophy:Critical Dimensions

tîs basîc questîon în capter two. ïn tryîng to expaîn te nature o Arîcan pîosopy, te book aby îdentîIes; te meanîng o Arîcan pîosopy, te oundatîon on wîc Arîcan pîosopy îs estabîsed, te sources, metodoogy and basîc caracterîstîcs by wîc ît can be îdentîIed. Besîdes, te book traces te dîferent trends te study o Arîcan pîosopy as so ar taken. ïn tracîng te dîferent trends în te study o Arîcan pîosopy, te book aîms at gîvîng possîbe dîrectîons to oow în te study o Arîcan pîosopy. hîs îs în îne 6 wît Odera Oruka’s sîx trends o Arîcan pîosopy, wîc tîs book dîvîdes ony înto two: namey, tradîtîona Arîcan pîosopy and contemporary or modern Arîcan pîosopy. hese two dîstînctîons became te basîs on wîc te two subsequent capters were deveoped; namey, tradîtîona Arîcan pîosopy and modern Arîcan pîosopy. Wîe tradîtîona Arîcan pîosopy concentrated on tryîng to reînvent te Arîcan past, modern Arîcan pîosopy ocussed on creatîng coesîon and a dîaogue between te Arîcan past and te present. ïn tryîng to reînvent te Arîcan past, tîs book wîc îs based on a researc carrîed out în bot East and West Arîca, captures tradîtîona Arîcan poîtîca pîosopy, tradîtîona Arîcan socîa pîosopy, Arîcan tradîtîona etîcs, Arîcan tradîtîona epîstemoogy and tradîtîona Arîcan metapysîcs. Attemptîng to create a coesîon and dîaogue between Arîcan past and present, te book crîtîcay dîscusses modern Arîcan poîtîca pîosopy, modern Arîcan socîa pîosopy, modern Arîcan economîc pîosopy, and modern Arîcan pîosopy o reîgîon. ïn te concudîng capter, te book trîes to make some crîtîcay anaysed concusîons and recommendatîons. One o te key concusîons derîved îs tat Arîcan pîosopy exîsts and ît requîres serîous menta dîscîpîne to reînvent te Arîcan past and to create coesîon between te Arîcan past and present or te good o Arîca and as a contrîbutîon to te Ied o knowedge caed pîosopy.

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2 3 4 5 6

Endnotes

Mudîmbe, Y.V. (1988)he Inventîon o Arîca: Gnosîs, Pîosopy and te Order o Knowedge(1988), p.187, were e quotes Braude, p.203.

Ibîd,.p.192, were Mudîmbe quotes Jan Muntu, 1961:17.

Ibîd., pp.187-200.

Ibîd., p.200

Ibîd., p.200

Ocîeng, F.,On Samue Oouc Imbo: An Introductîon to Arîcan Pîosopy - Vîew rom te Fence?,ttp://ît.poyog.org/1/ro-en.tm.

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