Essay
Essay - Controversy Around the term Africa
- Institution
- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
A Critical discussion on the controversy around the term 'Africa' and if it make sense to continue using this term
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Essay - Controversy Around the term AfricaNB: The question can be phrased in the following ways
● Discuss critically the controversy around the term 'Africa' In your opinion
does it make sense to continue using this term?
● Does it make sense to retain the term ‘Africa’ for the name of the continent
even though it was initially an imposition on Africans? Discuss critically.
ANSWER:
Introduction
The meaning of “Africa” is by no means undisputed. The controversy revolves around
various questions. Who named the continent? What influenced this naming? What is the
connotation of the term Africa today? Therefore, the indigenous people do not take the
name for granted. This essay shall discuss the controversy around the term 'Africa', in
more particular “Africa” as a geographical location, as well as its historical meaning.
Who Named the continent?
The philosophical meaning of the term “Africa” and “African” ultimately pertains to
questions of natural and historical justice. Political and social history human beings gave
names to various African regions. From the geo-numerical designation of Africa, one can
point to a place, or even on a map and say that this is Africa. Although the geographical
meaning of the term "Africa" is widely accepted as settled, Question and problems arise as
soon as "Arab Africa", Maghreb Africa" or "subSaharan Africa" are used. These
expressions manifest the historical meaning of Africa as well as indicate the multiple
dimensions of the term "Africa".
However, the meaning of “Africa” is contentious as it arose at a particular time under
specific historical circumstances. The history of Africa plays a big role in the influence of
the naming of the continent, the geographical divisions, science, the Western philosophy
and different philosophers arguing to get to the true meaning of Africa. It is reasonable to
infer that the name Africa was not given by the continent’s indigenous, conquered
inhabitants. It is a description based initially by the colonial powers of the Greeks and the
Roman when they conquered less powerful regions.
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