Essay
Essay - Defining African Philosophy
- Course
- Institution
Defining African Philosophy using at least one theorists
[Show more]
1 review
By: StuddyScene • 3 year ago
Seller
Follow
StuddyScene
Reviews received
Content preview
Essay - Defining African PhilosophyUsing at least one of the theorists as discussed in the Reader and/or Tutorial
Letter 501, how will you go about defining an African Philosophy
ANSWER:
Introduction
It should be borne in mind that the understanding of the concept philosophy will eventually
guide an understanding of African Philosophy. Defining philosophy is not without
controversy. However, we shall limit the term "philosophy", derived from the Greek
language which means literally the love of wisdom. It is important to recognise that to be
genuine lovers of wisdom we must pay attention to and question every experience.
Therefore, we can define philosophy as a quest, search, inquiry or reflection of human
beings, in all areas of human endeavour. As an inquiry, it reflects on the world, to prefer
explanation to absurdities, mysteries, puzzles or as an appeal to underlying principles of
things in existence, thus involving theorization with a resulting systematization or
generality. Against this aforementioned definition, this essay shall explorer African
Philosophy and its definition. In doing so, the essay puts forward two important elements
when defining African Philosophy, namely, (1) culture of the African people and (2) and the
person doing the philosophy.
Defining African Philosophy
In exploring the definition of "philosophy", One could suggest that African Philosophy is
basically philosophical and typically African. A point of departure is looking at the culture of
the African people and the person doing the philosophy are very important and
indispensable elements. When we speak of the culture of the African people, it means that
African Philosophy must speak to African problems and situations. Secondly, the person
doing the philosophy must either come from Africa, or an African living in Diaspora or
someone not coming from Africa but living in Africa and involved in the life of the African
people. Such a person can meaningfully and authentically contribute to the development
of African thought.
African philosophy can be formally defined as a critical thinking by Africans on their
experiences of reality. It concerns itself with the way in which African people of the past
and present make sense of their destiny and of the world in which they live. African
philosophy bears in mind the African, its world, history, values and the significant impact
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller StuddyScene. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $2.86. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
66579 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now