Critical discussion on the central argument in Ramose's article, The struggle for reason in Africa and how philosophy, in its conceptions of the 'rational animal', can be used as a tool of subjugation.
NB: The question can be phrased in the following ways
● African Philosophy has found itself within a debate where it has not only
had to prove its existence, but also the existence of people as a site of
knowledge production. Using Mogobe Ramose's arguments as contained in
the essay 'The Struggle for Reason in Africa (2002), explain how philosophy,
in its conceptions of the 'rational animal', can be used as a tool of
subjugation.
● One of the bases of colonisation was that the belief 'man is a rational
animal' was not spoken of the African, the Amerindian, and the Australisia'
(Ramose, 2002 14)
● Critically discuss the above statement, as discussed by Mogobe Ramose in
the essay 'The Struggle for reason in Africa' (2002)
● What is the central argument in Ramose's article, The struggle for reason in
Africa?
Introduction
This essay shall critically discuss Ramose's arguments as contained in the essay 'The
Struggle for Reason in Africa (2002). His critical point of departure Is the concept
afforded by Aristotle’s famous definition of ‘man’ as ‘a rational animal’ which was used
by the Westerners as a tool of subjugation;
A human being as a rational animal
For centuries, African discourses have been dominated by non-Africans (Ramose
2002:1). Philosophy was largely dominated by the West and so seemed by definition
Eurocentric. This has led to African scholars challenging the Eurocentrism of Philosophy,
and Ramose’s article is no different. In his essay, Ramose questions the commonly held
view by the colonisers that only rationality is the distinguishing factor of humans. Ramose
locates this arrogance and the prejudices of Western thought in what he termed “the
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