Philosophy

1.
Introduction to
African Philosophy
This chapter examines and
critically discusses the salient
views and works of the major
scholarly communities on the
question of African philosophy.
As countries from Africa shake
off the old cloak of colonialism
and racism, it is up to Africans to
define and shape their lives, to
assert themselves, to gain the
respect they are due as human
beings, and to take control of
their own destiny. The
developing sense of national
identity in Africa has thrown the
questions of African philosophy,
culture, and indeed the African
identity into sharper focus. What
is African philosophy? And who is
an African philosopher? Are they
Africans who philosophize,
amateur and professional
philosophers from Africa,
individuals with a preoccupation
with philosophical questions,
including problems about Africa,
or are they members of a unique
group of professional thinkers?
Are they simply individuals
whose philosophical thinking and
teaching are influenced by the
concept of an African
personality? These and other
related questions have led to four
identifiable perspectives on what
African philosophy is (or is not),
led by different groups of
professional scholars.
The chapter also inquires about
the possible application of the
diverse and rich cultural
inheritance of the African people
to enrich the discipline of
philosophy in a universal sense.
Alternatively, should African
philosophy serve as an adjunct
to the main discipline like it does
in the case of other philosophical
traditions? Philosophers who
seek solutions to the problems of
economic, political, and cultural
empowerment of the African
people seriously wonder how
their
research can serve these
important and pragmatic, yet
noble, goals. They have to seek
new forms of philosophical
engagement which redefine the
role of philosophy in modern
African society.
1.1. Defining African
Philosophy
The search for an authentic
African philosophy has passed
through various stages. The
present stage might be called the
crucial or testing stage. The bulk
of what passes for African
philosophy today is the work of
persons who are searching for,
or are in search of, African
philosophy. At least, we have
made some headway. Before
and after our encounter with
marks and textbooks, philosophy
rarely mentioned African
philosophy, much less attributed
to it any antiquity or specificity.
Today, most of the generally
accepted theories of African
philosophy began to be
formulated during
the last decade or two. What is
different from earlier views is less
the novel descriptions and
definitions offered in recent
works since they seem frequently
to ignore virtually all the prior
literature than that recent authors
presume to have privileged
perspectives and now forcefully
insert their descriptions into the
center of the field.
We need to be more inquiring
and understanding about what
we are doing. It is evident, for
example, that to claim that
defining African philosophy is no
different from defining Chinese or
postmodern philosophy is to be
funny or to be showing one's
ignorance of the great
differences and still very low
level of understanding that the
global community has about
African philosophy. African
philosophy is more theoretical
than purely mimetic. Its scope,
also broader than mere political
organization,
shows what could have been
done earlier with the theoretical
concern of being more practical-
social. We know, for instance,
that African medicine also
involves ethical choices about
what should be conserved and
what should be discarded in
received diagnoses and
treatments. Certain works are
required reading for African
social leaders. In short, African
philosophy must be more
theoretical because that
character described, presumably,
much of the traditional past that
initially also involved aspects of
the African people's total
experience.
1.2. Historical
Development
Certainly enough work appears
of Egyptian thinkers in such
fields as agriculture, medicine,
chemistry, and mathematics. The
sophisticated structure of
Egyptian society required the
highest level of intellectual
expression. Given the fact that
Thales, the
Greek philosopher, was known to
have studied in Egypt, it is
reasonable to assume that he
was acquainted with some of
these intellectual symbols.
Nevertheless, I do not believe
that this influence is sufficient
causation for postulating the
existence of an Egyptian
philosophy, as is often done. I
would argue that these symbols
are not original "enlightenments"
of a tradition of reason and
systematic freedom, such as
those found in the Near East,
Hellenic society, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Taoism, and Zen
traditions; but more expressions
of discreet objects, time-
reflecting pragmatic symbols to
be treasured. In other words,
they represent the product of
disciplined activity based on
sensitively felt relations, patterns
critically modified for human
convenience. These differences
are important, since the mentality
that produced them would seem
to be unique.

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