African social and political philosophy is an important field of research. History of african philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Ethnophilosophy and public morality in an african tribe. Ethnophilosophy, african routledge encyclopedia of. Similar exclusionary tendencies have also permeated the field of african philosophy. An introduction to african philosophy samuel oluoch imbo. Whether or not compelling responses to these questions are forthcoming, horsthemke argues that the possibility and plausibility of african philosophy of. African philosophers who developed philosophy out of worldviews of african communities. The late kenyan philosopher, henry odera oruka, identified six schools of thought on what african philosophy is or could be, namely, ethnophilosophy, philosophic sagacity, nationalisticideological philosophy, professional philosophy, hermeneutic philosophy, and artistic or literary philosophy. Abanuka in his book, a history of african philosophy, responds that it is. African philosophy is the philosophical discourse produced by indigenous africans and their descendants, including african americans. One wonders why the doubt on the existence of african philosophy. African sage philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
Abstract i examine wiredus views that 1 ethnophilosophy cannot be considered a legitimate philosophy because it has the feature of authoritarianism, and that 2 this feature of african tradition will not allow modern philosophy to flourish because it prevents individuals from rationally and critically examining beliefs. Africana philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. The critique of ethnophilosophy in the mapping and. O hapanyengwi odera orukas four trends and their implications. For the sophists, it would be questioning the foundations of traditional religion, morality and. By ignoring the history of thinking in other traditions around the world, philosophy established itself as a narrow tradition, and in the name of reason, according to bernasconi, it constituted itself as a narrative shaped largely by exclusions. Views of some of the bestknown african philosophers, such as kwasi wiredu, paulin hountondji, h. Ethnophilosophy is a study of ethnic africans and their way of life. Barry hallen is of the opinion that since philosophy is not a science, philosophers are not out to prove things true or false.
Oyeshile department of philosophy, university of ibadan, ibadan, nigeria introduction the definition of philosophy has remained a perennial philosophical problem and there is little agreement as to. Akin makinde ohio university center for international studies, 1988. Pdf odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and. Ethnophilosophy, unanimity, and african critical thought 84. Pdf an essay concerning the foundational myth of ethnophilosophy. Odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and their. The paper first gives an outline of various approaches to african philosophy proposed by african philosophers.
Ethnophilosophy examines the systems of thought of existing and precolonial african communities in order to determine what can be the ideal forms of authentic african philosophy and praxis in the emerging postcolonial situation. The meaning and scope of ethno philosophy is more or less. The term ethnophilosophy was given an inferior meaning such as. Definition of african philosophy introduction philosophy is derived from greek meaning love of wisdom he also corroborates osuagwu s factors on the africanity of african philosophy since he opens up authorship to nonafricans anglophone african philosophy is influenced by the analytical style of philosophising and is more narrow than its. African philosophy general the basics of philosophy. Ths argues that the fundamental assumptions about reality are reflected in the languages of africa. The book can be used as an introduction for students coming to african philosophy for the first time and and should be of interest to those studying literature, religion, anthropology and philosophy courses. Criteria that distinguish it from ethnophilosophy and make it a unique approach within african philosophy.
Samuel oluoch imbo synthesizes the ideas of key african philosophers into an accessible narrative. This video is the first in a short series on several positions in african philosophy. Indeterminancy, ethnophilosophy, linguistic philosophy, african philosophy volume 70 issue 273 barry hallen. Organized topically rather than historically, this book provides an excellent introduction to the subject of african philosophy. This book provides an excellent orientation to, and a logical development of, the major trends and issues that have dominated discussions in african philosophy since the publication of placide tempels bantu philosophy in 1945. African philosophical products that draw on ethnophilosophy while actively. Such an approach treats african philosophy as consisting in a set of shared. What is the implication of ethnophilosophy to education in africa. Discover librarianselected research resources on ethnophilosophy from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. African philosophy has branched out to cover the philosophical activities of various groups. Before now, philosophers were engaged with such question as, whether or not there is an african philosophy.
List of books and articles about ethnophilosophy online. Ethnophilosophy, african ethnophilosophy refers to bodies of belief and knowledge that have philosophical relevance and which can be redescribed in terms drawn from academic philosophy, but which have not been consciously formulated as philosophy by philosophers. African sage philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. African ethnophilosophy 4 negritude 25 panafricanism 6 african philosophy. Criteria that distinguish it from ethnophilosophy and make it a unique approach within african philosophy next article. Novel speculation, cogent argumentation and conceptual analysis are the centres of interest of philosophers. Pdf ethnophilosophy, comparative philosophy, pragmatism. African philosophy, culture, and traditional medicine by m. The egyptian hellenistic philosopher plotinus of the 3rd century b.
An example of ethnophilosophy is african philosophy. Ethnophilosophy refers to bodies of belief and knowledge that have philosophical relevance and which can be redescribed in terms drawn from academic philosophy, but which have not been consciously formulated as philosophy by philosophers. I will sketch an approach that i believe to be appropriate for the development of philosophy in times of globalization. The above is what philosophy and african philosophy are not and can not be. The former seek to build an african episteme untainted by ethnophilosophy. Ethnophilosophy is the study of indigenous philosophical systems. Literacy and the oral tradition in sage philosophy.
Bello is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the university of ibadan. Ethnophilosophy treats african philosophy as consisting in a set of shared beliefs, values, categories and assumptions that are implicit in the language, practices and beliefs of african cultures. One particular subject that many african philosophers have written about. At the university, henry odera oruka 19441995 popularized the term sage philosophy project, and closely related terms such as philosophic sagacity, both by initiating a project of interviewing african sages, and by naming this project. African sage philosophy is the name now commonly given to the body of thought produced by persons considered wise in african communities, and more specifically refers to those who seek a rational foundation for ideas and concepts used to describe and view the world by critically examining the justification of those ideas and concepts.
Thus it is a historical piece, but also an influential piece with which students of african philosophy should come into contact. Trends and issues in african philosophy frederick ochieng. His publications include beauty and culture and numerous articles. Ethnophilosophy is both a philosophical concept and a name given to a school of thought or movement promoted by a group of african philosophers and scholars. Jobs in africanafricana philosophy tilburg university. The ethnophilosophy of life the ethnophilosophy of ogba traditional religion in its basic religious tenets and theology postulates a theo centric society and culture. Choice in this incisive, original exploration of the nature and future of african philosophy, paulin j. It will further show the role ethno philosophy has played in understanding these concepts which are enshrined or are the basis of some concepts in ogba traditional religion. Foundations of modern african philosophy 21 ethnophilosophy and the negritude movement critical, scientific philosophy sage philosophy 3. Although african philosophers may be found in the various academic fields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy, much of the modern african.
Project muse ethnophilosophy, comparative philosophy. Africana philosophy is the name for an emergent and still developing field of ideas and ideaspaces, intellectual endeavors, discourses, and discursive networks within and beyond academic philosophy that was recognized as such by national and international organizations of professional philosophers, including the american philosophical association, starting in the. Criteria that distinguish it from ethnophilosophy and make it a unique approach within african philosophy article in philosophia africana 102. The sage philosophy project began in the mid1970s at the department of philosophy of the university of nairobi kenya. Excavationist, professional, cultural, and sage philosophy schools. Ethnophilosophy s most immediate african antecedents include leopold senghors philosophy of negritude and the writings of the belgian missionary to the congo later zaire, placide tempels. H odera orukas four trends in african philosophy when studying orukas classification, keep in mind that he comes from the englishspeaking side and does not represent francophone african philosophy in his classification. A modern contemporary african philosopher by the name, tsenay serequeberhan teaching african philosophy at hampshire college once remarked that when he told students and the faculty there that he was teaching african philosophy, they were shocked and raised eyebrows by asking if such a thing like african philosophy ever existed at all. Two works by nyerere 1968a, 1968b reveal that these political accounts share with other works of ethnophilosophy the thesis that the central values of africa are. African philosophers may be found in the various academic fields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy. Ethnophilosophy involves the recording of edward jones in 2006 pdf the beliefs found in african cultures. Western scholars that africans lacked culture, history and all those.
The meaning and nature of african philosophy in a globalising world international journal of humanities social sciences and education ijhsse page 88 philosophy would be nothing more than asking and offering rational explanations of the universe. Launched by a methodology pioneered by placide tempels, ethnophilosophy itself gained currency among african and western africanist intellectuals, mainly theologians, as a handy tool that spoke to the autonomy and dignity of african cultural values in a world that was best known for its skepticism about african goodness. Many readers and anthologies, introductions, and other paedagogical publications have. Africana is a more inclusive term for scholarship related to both africa and the diaspora. Definition of african philosophy essay pls1502 unisa. Oral tradition and literacy in philosophic sagacity 85. Liberation and postcolonial african philosophy 36 african humanism and socialism postcolonial african thought the question of race 4. He was born in bibiani, ghana, of nigerian parentage. Understanding of african philosophy through philosophy for. The paper concentrates on its panoramic presentation, evoking main trends and suggesting new debates and challenges. Ethnophilosophy treats african philosophy as consisting in a set of shared beliefs, values, categories and assumptions that are implicit in the language, practices and beliefs of african cultures or the uniquely african world view. Philosophy and studies, coeditor of quest, african philosophy and africana philosophy. African philosophy is philosophy produced by african people, philosophy which presents african worldviews, or philosophy that uses distinct african philosophical methods.
Indeterminancy, ethnophilosophy, linguistic philosophy. Consequently, it utilizes interview, discussion and dialogue. Ebscohost serves thousands of libraries with premium essays, articles and other content including sage philosophy. Pdf ethnophilosophy, although glorified by some african. Today, we will look at ethnophilosophy of education. In orukas method, african philosophy is conceived as a joint venture and product of both the ancient traditional and modern african philosophers. Hountondji attacks a myth popularized by ethnophilosophers such as placide tempels and alexis kagame that there is an indigenous, collective african philosophy separate and distinct from the western philosophical tradition. During this week, we will examine at least two approaches to african thinking and doing. Ethnophilosophy, comparative philosophy, pragmatism. The implicit concept is that a specific culture can have a philosophy that is not applicable and accessible to all peoples and cultures in the world. Africanafricana philosophy bibliography philpapers. Full text views reflects the number of pdf downloads, pdfs sent to.
1449 70 1466 1113 1660 262 1091 1696 1320 1580 1599 1636 1411 1029 802 1093 600 807 574 986 838 1143 919 404 1258 1566 1096 1647 1512 1394 372 1563 1462 213 904 365 135 840 575 1386 297 591 767 924 543 470