DOES AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY EXIST??

 AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY

Many persons are still in doubt on the existence of an African Philosophy. What is African philosophy? Does it exist? Is philosophy feasible in Africa? Different philosophers argued on the existence of African Philosophy, some in support and others against. It was C. S. MOMOH in his work titled – The Nature, Issues and Substance of African Philosophy, who argued that the question as to whether or not there is an African Philosophy has well-known antecedent. R. A. Wright mentioned that non-African scholars often refused to consider African thoughts as potentially philosophical. C.S. MOMOH asserted that the rejection of African Philosophy was as a result of the early writers on the Africans as a people who lack humanity and rationality. They were portrayed as savages and the continent as dark with no definite human culture, civil traits, society, physical and environmental endowments.

According to RUCH and ANYANWU, the rejection of African Philosophy was due to historical events such as slavery and colonial caricature created by European scholars.

Take note of the following points:

• The following philosophers are proponents of African Philosophy – Aime Cisaire, Leopold Seder Senghor, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, William Abraham, John Mbiti, Kwasi Wiredu, P. I. O. Bodurin, Paul Hountondji, Henry Odera Oruka, J. I. Omorogbe, C. B. Okolo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Alex Kagame, Uzodina Nwala, Emmanuel Edeh, Innocent Onyenwenyi and Henry Olela.
• There were some European philosophers who supported African Philosophy and they include: Jan Jainz, George James and Placid Tempels.
• The philosophers involved in the argument about the existence of African Philosophy can be divided into two schools of thought, namely – EUROCENTRICISMand AFROCENTRICISM.

 

EUROCENTRICISM

These were/are scholars of Western and African origin or ancestry who STOOD IN REJECTION of the possibility of an African Philosophy because it is uncritical. They argued that writing systematic and critical argumentation must be the acid test of a philosophy. They claimed that the concept of African Philosophy is illogical or pre-logical. The philosophers in this school of thought include: PETER BODURIN, KWASI WIREDU, PAULIN HOUNTONDJI, ODERA ORUKA, LUCIEN LEVY-BRUHL ETC.

 

AFROCENTRICISM

This is the School of Thought that argued IN THE DEFENCE of the possibility and existence of African Philosophy. They opposed their Eurocentric counterpart’s position on the issue by stating that writing is not the only channel or pathway for transmitting philosophy. They also claimed that philosophy can be channeled through mythologies, axioms etc. The members of this school of thought include: C. S. MOMOH, ROBIN HORTON, HENRI MAURIER, LACINAY KEITA, KWAME GYEKYE, RICHARD WRIGHT, BARRY HALEN, JOSEPH OMOREGBE, C. B. OKOLO, THEOPHILUS OKERE and GORDON HUNNINGS.

 

SOME PHILOSOPHERS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY

S. O. IMBO – The indigenous cosmologies, the traditional beliefs and magic beliefs, myths and cosmology are believed to be interwoven into the complex ritual practices that are the manifestation of philosophy unwritten and systematized, the ritual and systems of beliefs nevertheless form an intricate web that guides the people in making sense of their lives. HE GAVE THIS DEFINITION IN HIS WORK TITLED “INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY”.

 

According to P. IROEGBU – African Philosophy is a reflective inquiry into the marvels and problematic; it is that systematic explanation and sustained response to them. It is an enquiry into two aspects: Philosophical and African.

 

C. B. OKOLO defined it as – A path to systematic, coherent discovery and disclosure of the African as a being – in the African world. Through this knowledge or disclosure of himself and his world, by critical reflection, the African grasps reality, that is to say, attains the truth about man and the corners’ in its entirety. HE DEFINED IT IN HIS WORK TITLED “PROBLEMS OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY”.

 

According to K. C. ANYANWU defined it as – that which concerns itself with the way the African people of past and present make sense of their existence, of their destiny and of the world in which they live. HE GAVE THIS DEFINITION IN HIS WORK – “AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION”.

 

S. O. SODIPO said that – When you say African Philosophy, you say that aspect of philosophy which arises from a special problem and the unique experience of the African People.

MISCELLANEOUS POINTS

The History and Periods of African philosophy has been contested by various philosophers. Some of their propositions are mentioned below. 

According to the 1995 African Philosophy Conference [Ogunmodede, 2004], the following are the Periods of African Philosophy: 

• Ancient Period 
• Greek Period 
• Early Christian Period 
• Islamic Period 
• Period of Early European Exploration 
• Western Colonial Period 
• Contemporary Period and 
• Post - Contemporary Period

According to C. S. MOMOH:

• Egyptological Period 
• Colonial or Missionary Period or Era 
• Ideological

According to CHIMAKONAM JONATHAN:

• The Early Period 1920s - 1960s 
• Middle Period 1960s - 1980s 
• The Later Period 1980s - 1990s 
• The New Era or Contemporary Period (since 1990s)

We also have various approaches and schools of African Philosophy as mentioned by ODERA HENRY ORUKA and they include:

1. Ethno-philosophy School 
2. Nationalist or Ideological School 
3. Philosophic Sagacity 
4. Hermeneutical School 
5. Literary School 
6. Professional School 
7. Conversational School

There existed certain movements and members in African Philosophy as outlined by CHIMAKONAM JONATHAN:

1. Excavationism 
2. Afro-Constructionism/Afro-Deconstructionism 
3. Critical Reconstructionism/Afro-Eclecticism 
4. Conversationalism 

THE PROBLEMS OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY

Lastly, we must also consider the problems facing African Philosophy. There are lots of them but to mention only a few: 

1. The Problem of Language Translation 
2. The Problem of Tradition 
3. The Problem of Rationality 
4. The Problem of Documentation 
5. The Problem of Logic 
6. The Problem of History/Periods 
7. The Problem of Source 
8. The Problem of Origin 
9. The Problem of Method 
10. The Problem of Definition
11. THe Problem of Application