African philosophical values and constitutionalism. Atissue african philosophy and the lingering question of. It is based on the presupposition that african philosophy and european philosophy are each of a fundamentally different nature. The late kenyan philosopher, henry odera oruka, identified six schools of thought on what. Third, i lay out the theoretical framework within which the research question will be interrogated. By using oral stories, poetry, songs, legends and proverbs, for example, as sources of knowledge one examines the consequences of such knowledge for educational experiences. A short history of african philosophy peace palace library. Before philosophy developed in the west, what was done there was comparable to what you call ethnophilosophy. 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. Distributed in north america by transaction publishers. African philosophy, the status and value of ethnophilosophy, and the position of placide.
Jan 30, 2009 15 for a postmodernistic defense of ethnophilosophy see g. A part of its stimulating power can perhaps be traced to the ambiguity of tempels approach. Article african philosophy, bantu philosophy, colonialism, ethnophilosophy, ethnophilosophy, forces radical philosophy facebook twitter rss. On a general note, the thrust or focus of this paper is an attempt at identifying the nature of african philosophy. Ethnophilosophy of education draws on sources of knowledge such as customs traditions, lifestyles, myths folklores, languages, beliefs, artefacts and histories of different african cultures. But there is one reason for hesitating before embarking on a rereading of this paper. 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. African philosophical products that draw on ethnophilosophy while actively. 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. Culture and democracy in africa, kwame anthony appiah calls african phi losophy. Would you not say, then, that ethnophilosophy is a necessary precondition for philosophy to be possible. African reaction gave rise to various concepts of negritude, harlem re naissance, african personality and panafricanism. 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. Du bois, leopold senghor, edward blyden, frantz fanon, cheikh anta diop, and martin bernal demonstrated efforts toward african selfdefinition and identity.
History of african philosophy internet encyclopedia of. Ethnophilosophy, although glorified by some african philosophers, remains a problem in our undertakings in african philosophy. Paulin hountondji on philosophy and decolonisation. The individual is not conceived as the singular, personal and impenetrable entity, living in glorious isolation. African philosophy enables one to enquire about the importance of tradition and the values they equip an individual with. Ethnophilosophy examines the systems of thought of existing and precolonial african communities in order to determine what can be the ideal forms of. Ethnophilosophy is based on the works of ethnographers, sociologists and anthropologists who interpret collective world views of african peoples, their myths and folklores as a constitutive part of african philosophy. Ethnophilosophy, african routledge encyclopedia of philosophy. Ethnophilosophy and the core constitutional values africa in. Each of these trends has disciplesrepresentatives in and outside africa. Indeterminancy, ethnophilosophy, linguistic philosophy. The african philosophy reader peace palace library.
Pdf paulin hountondji, african philosophy, myth and. 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. Most of the material that has been published to date under the rubric of african philosophy has been methodological in character. This particular approach relies on the use of oral stories, poetry, songs, legends, and proverbs. African sage philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
Ethno philosophy critique international journal of advanced. It is a category invoked by a critic when he wants to express disapproval of the work of someone in african philosophy. African philosophy is divided into two parts, arguments and analyses. 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. The sage philosophy project began in the mid1970s at the department of philosophy of the university of nairobi kenya. Such an approach treats african philosophy as consisting in a set of shared beliefs, a shared worldview an item of communal property rather than an activity for the individual. It then suggest that ethnophilosophy and sage philosophy are not part of the philosophy. In the introduction to the chapter, moya deacon accepts orukas classification as a startingpoint, paints a sympathetic picture of tempels and evaluates his contribution to african philosophy positively. For a more recent, comparatively strident condemnation of virtually the whole of african philosophy as no philosophy, as tooculturally specific and descriptive in other words, as. Ethnophilosophy deals much with the beliefs found in african cultures. In his new book, left universalism, africacentric essays, the ghanaian philosopher ato sekyiotu writes that against the fashionable particularism of our times hountondji is an unabashed adherent to.
Hountondji implicitly acknowledges the level of reaction to this paper in the preface to the second edition of african philosophy. African philosophy and ubuntu university of pretoria. Such an approach treats african philosophy as a set of similar beliefs which are not. Indeterminancy, ethnophilosophy, linguistic philosophy, african.
The statement of this conception of african philosophy is found in the works of john mbiti, who notes that african philosophy here refers. African philosophy, the status and value of ethnophilosophy, and the position of placide tempels in african philosophy. Ethnophilosophy is one possible point of departure, it is a good introduction to african philosophy. Here i critically interrogate three dominant theoretical frameworks within which the. African philosophy, which is largely christened ethnophilosophy, was implicit in the life, thought and talk of the traditional african vi. European philosophy is characterized by logic and individuality on the contrary african philosophy is communal and based on emotion and intuition. The emergence of african philosophy has put many scholarsphilosophers in hot discussions. African political philosophy and ethnophilosophy through theories such as african socialism and african humanism, for example, the paper call for a critical approach to both the african context and precolonial legacy. African philosophy as a set of shared beliefs, a shared worldview, and item of communal property rather than an activity for the. The meaning of ubuntu in african philosophy free essay example. There are significant challenges to the viability of the concept. Second, i develop and outline the research question. Ethnophilosophy is a fourletter word, an intellectual invective.
To philosophers of the rational, theoretical or critical schools the african myths. Especially the black african manual labourers thought of having nothing between their. African philosophy is or could be, namely, ethnophilosophy. 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 in. Despite his sympathy for orukas work and his attempts to find philosophical rigor in the teachings of the sages, bodunrin ulti mately argues that both ethno. For example as sources of knowledge, one examines the consequences of such. In the reading by irele views on african philosophy in francophone africa get attention.
Reviewing okeres critique of traditional african philosophy. In fact, it is an ethnological work with philosophical pre. Many readers and anthologies, introductions, and other paedagogical publications have been published, along with a great number of texts striving to give an overview of the field, often in comparison with. African philosophy is at the same time african and philosoph ical. Ethnophilosophy, african routledge encyclopedia of.
So what does ethnophilosophy of education or an approach to african philosophy of education entail. The sense in which ethnophilosophy can remain relevant in. This was followed by litany of controversies about the nature of african philosophy that made of ethnophilosophy a stream of thought much richer than its name might allow one to suppose. This belgian missionarys bantu philosophy still passes today, in 20 the eyes of some, for a classic of african philosophy 2. The significance of philosophic sagacity in african philosophy. Logical positivism, analytic method, and criticisms of ethnophilosophy. In this, the important contribution by senghor, the development of negritude is highlighted. Biko sources on race, on webcourses discussion posts 4 sept. Ibuanyidanda ontology and ezumezu logical system are two examples of. Ethnophilosophy and public morality in an african tribe. Theirs was a concerted effort to combat racist stereotypes of africa and people. Ethnophilosophy, professional philosophy, africa s modern politicalideo logical thought and african philosophic sagacity.
Evidently, this was an editorial decision intended to balance the book in number of chapters four in each part. Thus, it raises questions on what it entails for a given idea to be termed african philosophy. Ethnophilosophy english definition, grammar, pronunciation. The ethnophilosophy of life the ethnophilosophy of ogba traditional religion in its basic religious tenets and theology postulates a theo centric society and culture. Hountondji who viewed it as a combination of ethnography and philosophy. Professional philosophy this trend has a claim that for a philosophy to be authentic and real, it must be put in writing. African philosophy general the basics of philosophy. I do not know of anyone in african philosophy today who voluntarily identifies themselves as an ethnophilosopher. Such is the case with john mbiti, who emphasizes an african conception of time2, indifferent to the future and which justifies african religions. An example of ethnophilosophy is african philosophy.
The course is taught in term 1 and focuses on philosophy in africa that is expressed in european languages. Wiredu is aware that african professional philosophers who deal with esoteric topics in logic, epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of. Foundations of modern african philosophy 21 ethnophilosophy and the negritude movement critical, scientific philosophy sage philosophy 3. African sage philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. African philosophy cannot rest here but must go beyond ethnophilosophy in the search for individual thoughtsystems that are universally applicable while retaining local flavour. Of these three, the study finds that it is the last one that offers a genuine and noncontroversial approach to african philosophy. In its infancy, the problem revolved around the call for a total. Indeterminancy, ethnophilosophy, linguistic philosophy, african philosophy barry hallen introduction this is a paper about philosophical methodology or, better, methodologies. The first book on african philosophy, containing a sophisticated account of ethnophilosophy and a critique of colonialism. Used with permission, courtesy of indiana university press. It just refers to the institutionalization of african philosophy.
Paulin hountondji, the beninese philosopher, is best known for african philosophy. Liberation and postcolonial african philosophy 36 african humanism and socialism postcolonial african thought the question of race 4. Hountondji alleges that ethnophilosophy disguises a longheld racist myth, propagated by cultural anthropologists as far back as the seventeenth and eigh teenth. The series includes ethnophilosophy, ubuntu philosophy, yoruba epistem. The name ethnophilosophy has been given to the orientation in african. Teaching 10 weeks teaching with 3 contact hours per week 2 hours lecture and 1 hour tutorial. Most of the literature on ethnophilosophy is written about african cultures. The concept of ethnophilosophy ethno philosophy involves the recording of the beliefs found in african cultures. I conclude the article by also observing that ethno philosophy. The concept ubuntu is a focal point in african philosophy, which cannot just be reduced to tradition practices. This video is the first in a short series on several positions in african philosophy. Like other posts, postethnophilosophy promises to define a new agenda and a new way of thinking in african philosophy. Similarly, basile fouda, with his negro african philosophy of existence3, expands on senghors theses about the intuitive or non.
African philosophy is a disputed term, partly because it is not clear if it refers to philosophies with a specifically african theme or context such as distinctively african perceptions of time, personhood, etc. Democracy, emancipation, ethnophilosophy, philosophy, african socialism. Myth and reality, first published in french in 1976 and now considered a classic text in philosophy. Masolo reiterates odera orukas four trends in african philosophy. Ethnophilosophy is the study of indigenous philosophical systems. In particular, it lays emphasis on three approaches namely. The term ethnophilosophy was first used by kwame nkrumah and was. 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. Ths argues that the fundamental assumptions about reality are reflected in the languages of africa.
O hapanyengwi odera orukas four trends and their implications. This video looks at the tradition of ethnophilosophy often used for developing african philosophies based in leopold sedar senghors work on negritude, inclu. It lives in the minds of individuals and not in text. By contrast, post colonial philosophy in africa is the era of the professional philosopher, whose philosophical interests have been formatively shaped by training in the western philosophical tradition. The term ethnophilosophy was first used by kwame nkrumah and was coined by paulin j. For him, ethnophilosophy depicts africans cultural experiences as incommensurable. Salemohamed, african philosophy, philosophy 58, no. Kodjograndvaux highlights a debate about ethnophilosophy that african philosophers have been grappling with for a long time. The episteme of the african intellectual hountondji affirms four main ideas concerning the definition and role of philosophy, all of which are intended to establish the domain in which an african philosophy might be articulated, while excluding ethnophilosophy as an impostor if not as a contra. 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. Article african philosophy, bantu philosophy, colonialism, ethnophilosophy, ethnophilosophy, forces. The readers are thus drawn into a wideranging discussion of what african philosophy is and how it relates to colonialism and western philosophy.
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