, CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION iv
Study unit 1: Defining African philosophy 1
1.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 1
1.2 The controversy of the term “Africa” 2
1.3 Africanity of African philosophy 7
1.4 Philosophicality of African philosophy 8
1.5 Summary 9
1.6 Primary reading – Imbo 11
1.7 Further Reading (see Appendix 1 for list of Readings) 11
Study unit 2: Discourses on Africa 12
2.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 12
2.2 The term “discourse” 12
2.3 Discourses on Africa 13
2.4 Prescribed readings 16
2.5 Further Reading (see list in Appendix 1) 22
Study unit 3: Trends in African philosophy 23
3.1 Introduction and outcomes 23
3.2 What is a trend? 23
3.3 The most general classification of African philosophy:
language 25
3.4 Wiredu’s classification 27
3.5 Nkombe and Smet’s classification of African philosophy 27
3.6 H Odera Oruka’s four trends in African philosophy 28
3.7 Conclusion 30
3.8 Further Reading (see Appendix 1) 30
Study unit 4: Philosophical anthropology 31
4.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 31
4.2 African cosmology 31
4.3 Two poles of African anthropology 32
4.4 Prescribed reading: Kwame Gyekye 33
4.5 Conclusion 37
4.6 Further Reading (see Appendix 1) 38
Study unit 5: Morality in African thought 39
5.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 39
5.2 The distinction between morality and ethics 40
5.3 Prescribed readings: JAI Bewaji – “Ethics and morality
in the Yoruba culture” 41
5.4 Conclusion 43
5.5 Further Reading (see Appendix 1) 43
PLS1502/1 (iii)
, 1 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the module, Introduction to African Philosophy (PLS1502)!
We hope that you will find this course interesting, meaningful and challenging.
The PLS1502 module is offered by the Discipline of Philosophy, which forms part
of the Department of Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology, in the School
of Humanities at Unisa.
This is an introductory module to African philosophy. You are about to embark on
a study of philosophy arising from the African experience or focused upon it. We
wish to emphasise that this is African philosophy. In addition, it is philosophy proper
that you will be studying. It is therefore important that you adopt the only correct
attitude towards African philosophy, namely, that it is a field of study that demands
your serious intellectual attention, and will demand intellectual rigour from you.
1 OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE
This module will be useful to students of all disciplines of all colleges.
• Those who achieve this module will be able to think critically and creatively about
Africa and her experiences.
• Learners who enrol in this module will be introduced to a systematic reflection on
the African experience of the world.
• Introduction to African philosophy exposes learners to the history of the emergence
of African philosophy.
• Learners will explore critically what it means to be human in the African culture
and what constitutes “right” or “wrong” in the African experience.
OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Outcomes Assessment Criteria
• Learners will be able to understand • Attempt to answer the question: What is
and explain an inclusivist definition of (African) philosophy?
philosophy and correlate it with the • Analyse concepts such as Africa, African,
exclusivist definition. philosophy and African philosophy.
• Show that philosophising is a human
activity open to all rational animals in
the world.
• Learners will be able to identify, evaluate • Various criteria are used to decide who
and critique various criteria used for may qualify to be an African and who
delineating or describing who or what may not.
an African is. • Implications of transcending the
geographical space of Africa in defining
“African”.
(iv)
, • Learners will be able to identify and • Various approaches and trends to African
critique the different approaches and philosophy are analysed in order to
trends to African philosophy attempt a comprehensive understanding
of African philosophy.
• Compare and contrast different
approaches to African philosophy
• Learners will be able to understand • Different moral values and norms are
and explain the African conceptions of discussed from an African perspective.
“morality” and “a person,” and contrast • Some theories of “man” from an African
them to the Western conceptions. perspective are critically evaluated.
• Comparisons are drawn between African
and Western conceptions of “man” and
“morality.”
Link with other modules
BREAKDOWN OF MODULE
This module consists of two parts. Part one deals with African philosophy and its
scope and trends, and has three study units. Part two deals with issues and themes
in African philosophy and has two chapters.
• Study unit 1 explores the term “African philosophy’ in its particularity and
universality. It specifically problematises the term “Africa”, showing how the term
is imposed from outside and not used self-referentially by the so-called Africans.
• Study unit 2 critically analyses some of the discourses on Africa. It exposes the
ethnocentrism, especially the Eurocentrism endemic in discourses about Africa
and Africans. It then proposes how African and Western philosophical discourses
can coexist.
• Study unit 3 outlines various trends and approaches adopted by African
philosophers in the study of the discipline of African philosophy.
• Study unit 4 discusses philosophical anthropology. This is discourses on what
it means to be a human being in the African culture and traditions. The chapter
focuses specifically on the communitarian dimension of being a person in the
African culture.
• Study unit 5 discusses morality in African thought. It describes broad principles
on what it means to be a good and bad person.
PLS1502/1 (v)
Page
INTRODUCTION iv
Study unit 1: Defining African philosophy 1
1.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 1
1.2 The controversy of the term “Africa” 2
1.3 Africanity of African philosophy 7
1.4 Philosophicality of African philosophy 8
1.5 Summary 9
1.6 Primary reading – Imbo 11
1.7 Further Reading (see Appendix 1 for list of Readings) 11
Study unit 2: Discourses on Africa 12
2.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 12
2.2 The term “discourse” 12
2.3 Discourses on Africa 13
2.4 Prescribed readings 16
2.5 Further Reading (see list in Appendix 1) 22
Study unit 3: Trends in African philosophy 23
3.1 Introduction and outcomes 23
3.2 What is a trend? 23
3.3 The most general classification of African philosophy:
language 25
3.4 Wiredu’s classification 27
3.5 Nkombe and Smet’s classification of African philosophy 27
3.6 H Odera Oruka’s four trends in African philosophy 28
3.7 Conclusion 30
3.8 Further Reading (see Appendix 1) 30
Study unit 4: Philosophical anthropology 31
4.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 31
4.2 African cosmology 31
4.3 Two poles of African anthropology 32
4.4 Prescribed reading: Kwame Gyekye 33
4.5 Conclusion 37
4.6 Further Reading (see Appendix 1) 38
Study unit 5: Morality in African thought 39
5.1 Introduction and learning outcomes 39
5.2 The distinction between morality and ethics 40
5.3 Prescribed readings: JAI Bewaji – “Ethics and morality
in the Yoruba culture” 41
5.4 Conclusion 43
5.5 Further Reading (see Appendix 1) 43
PLS1502/1 (iii)
, 1 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the module, Introduction to African Philosophy (PLS1502)!
We hope that you will find this course interesting, meaningful and challenging.
The PLS1502 module is offered by the Discipline of Philosophy, which forms part
of the Department of Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology, in the School
of Humanities at Unisa.
This is an introductory module to African philosophy. You are about to embark on
a study of philosophy arising from the African experience or focused upon it. We
wish to emphasise that this is African philosophy. In addition, it is philosophy proper
that you will be studying. It is therefore important that you adopt the only correct
attitude towards African philosophy, namely, that it is a field of study that demands
your serious intellectual attention, and will demand intellectual rigour from you.
1 OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE
This module will be useful to students of all disciplines of all colleges.
• Those who achieve this module will be able to think critically and creatively about
Africa and her experiences.
• Learners who enrol in this module will be introduced to a systematic reflection on
the African experience of the world.
• Introduction to African philosophy exposes learners to the history of the emergence
of African philosophy.
• Learners will explore critically what it means to be human in the African culture
and what constitutes “right” or “wrong” in the African experience.
OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Outcomes Assessment Criteria
• Learners will be able to understand • Attempt to answer the question: What is
and explain an inclusivist definition of (African) philosophy?
philosophy and correlate it with the • Analyse concepts such as Africa, African,
exclusivist definition. philosophy and African philosophy.
• Show that philosophising is a human
activity open to all rational animals in
the world.
• Learners will be able to identify, evaluate • Various criteria are used to decide who
and critique various criteria used for may qualify to be an African and who
delineating or describing who or what may not.
an African is. • Implications of transcending the
geographical space of Africa in defining
“African”.
(iv)
, • Learners will be able to identify and • Various approaches and trends to African
critique the different approaches and philosophy are analysed in order to
trends to African philosophy attempt a comprehensive understanding
of African philosophy.
• Compare and contrast different
approaches to African philosophy
• Learners will be able to understand • Different moral values and norms are
and explain the African conceptions of discussed from an African perspective.
“morality” and “a person,” and contrast • Some theories of “man” from an African
them to the Western conceptions. perspective are critically evaluated.
• Comparisons are drawn between African
and Western conceptions of “man” and
“morality.”
Link with other modules
BREAKDOWN OF MODULE
This module consists of two parts. Part one deals with African philosophy and its
scope and trends, and has three study units. Part two deals with issues and themes
in African philosophy and has two chapters.
• Study unit 1 explores the term “African philosophy’ in its particularity and
universality. It specifically problematises the term “Africa”, showing how the term
is imposed from outside and not used self-referentially by the so-called Africans.
• Study unit 2 critically analyses some of the discourses on Africa. It exposes the
ethnocentrism, especially the Eurocentrism endemic in discourses about Africa
and Africans. It then proposes how African and Western philosophical discourses
can coexist.
• Study unit 3 outlines various trends and approaches adopted by African
philosophers in the study of the discipline of African philosophy.
• Study unit 4 discusses philosophical anthropology. This is discourses on what
it means to be a human being in the African culture and traditions. The chapter
focuses specifically on the communitarian dimension of being a person in the
African culture.
• Study unit 5 discusses morality in African thought. It describes broad principles
on what it means to be a good and bad person.
PLS1502/1 (v)
