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Summary PLS1502 - Introduction To African Philosophy (PLS1502)
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SAMUEL IMBODescribe briefly what African Philosophy is
African philosophy can be formally defined as critical thinking by Africans on their experiences of
reality. The term “philosophy” is derived from the Greek language (philosophia)-which literally
means the love of wisdom. African philosophy is a systematic search for truth and meaning arising
from Africa’s experience of reality. African philosophy is “that which 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 is the work of philosophers of African descent and others whose work
deals with the subject matter of the African diaspora.Similar to western philosophy,African
philosophy contemplates the perceptions of time,personhood,space and other subjects.
ORUKA
Compare and contrast Oruka’s four trends in African philosophy
ETHNOPHILOSOPHY
Ethno philosophy is the recorded beliefs and practises found in African cultures. It is a set of shared
beliefs or a shared world-view which becomes part of communal property rather than an individual
activity.it can be seen as a philosophy without philosophers and because of this, this view of
philosophy has attracted a lot of critics to African philosophy.
PHILOSOPHIC SAGACITY
Philosophic sagacity is a version of ethno philosophy where the focus is more on the individual
rather than the community. Philosophic sagacity is where certain members of a community records
their beliefs. These people are called sages and are said to have reached a particular high level of
knowledge and understanding of their culture’s world view. Sages goes beyond mere knowledge and
understanding, to reflection and questioning.
PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY
Professional philosophy promotes a particular way of thinking, reflecting and reasoning.it consists
out of work of African philosophers who got a formal philosophical education in western colleges
and universities. They are called academic philosophers. They reject the assumptions of ethno
philosophy since they believe philosophy is conceived as a discipline or activity whose meaning
cannot depend on region or race. Professional philosophy involves critical, reflective and logical
inquiry.
NATIONALIST-IDEOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHY
Nationalist-ideological philosophy can be seen as a special of philosophic sagacity in which
ideologues and their pronouncers are the subjects or it can be seen as Professional political
philosophy as this trend of African philosophical literature have so far been politicians or statesmen.
, BIAKOLO
Explain five categories of cross-cultural cognition discussed by Biakolo
SAVAGE V CIVILIZED
The difference between the African and Caucasian people are based on the anthropological study of
cultures and people. Henry Morgan as cited in Biakolo’s essay identified 7 progress stages that a
cultures goes through which includes lower savagery, middle savagery, upper savagery, lower
barbarism, middle barbarism, upper barbarism and civilisation. In these stages the African is seen as
an ignorant, brutish, thievish and superstitious person. This portrays the image of an African based
on social difference characterized by the lack or absence of “individual genius”. The western world
was seen as civilised due to having a highly developed society or culture and showed evidence of
moral and intellectual advancement. They were seen as humane, reasonable and ethical as opposed
to the non-cultivated, barbaric Africans.
PRE-LOGICAL V LOGICAL
Here we see the focus on mental processes as a means of establishing difference. The work of Levy-
Brul who characterized the representations of underdeveloped people as evidence of a “pre-logical
mentality”.Africans were characterized by a supposed mode of thought that isn’t governed by logic
or reason.Westerners are portrayed as people who reason and Africans who are unable to reason.
Africans are wholly indifferent to western logical procedure.Westerners were characterized by
logical thinking since they were perceived as being capable of clear,sound reasoning.
PERCEPTUAL V CONCEPTUAL
Here we are still focussing on mental processes. Here Africans are portrayed as also being able to
think but in such a way that still establishes their difference. Levy Brul is cited again as he proposed
to show the logicality of the primitive mind and the structural orderliness of his schema. Here
Africans are said to think in terms of “bricoleur” where knowledge is formed through conversation
by reorganizing what it already knows. Western thought is seen as thought that retains its logical
character and regarded as scientific and true knowledge.
ORAL V WRITTEN
Here the difference is established by considering the origin of the civilization’s knowledge. Western
civilization is generally characterized as having a written history .Africans are being based on oral
tradition since they are perceived as traditionalists and perceptual.
RELIGIOUS V SCIENTIFIC
This establishes the difference by characterizing a whole civilization’s way of thought. Western
thinkers would be characterized by their scientific method as this is regarded as a superior way of
thought where non-western people are characterized as having their own way of thought. It is
different from the western world as it is more religiously based.
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