PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary

Table of Contents Part 1: Defining scope and trends in African philosophy.....................................................2 SU 1: Defining African philosophy .............................................................................................. 2 Defining the term 'Bantu'________________________________________________________________ 4 Africanity of Afican philosophy .................................................................................................................7 SU 2: Discourses on Africa ........................................................................................................ 11 How to examine essays...........................................................................................................................13 Biakolo: essay analysis.............................................................................................................................14 Ramose: essay analysis............................................................................................................................19 SU 3: Trends in African philosophy ........................................................................................... 21 Notes on Odera Oruka’s “Four trends in current African philosophy”....................................................26 Part 1: Defining scope and trends in African philosophy................................................... 31 SU 4: Philosophical anthropology ............................................................................................. 31 African cosmology and ontology .............................................................................................................31 Discussion: Kwame Gyekye .....................................................................................................................33 “Person and community in African thought” ..........................................................................................33 Q&A from study guide _________________________________________________________________ 33 Analysis of Gyekye’s text _______________________________________________________________ 35 SU 5: Morality in African thought............................................................................................. 39 Distinction between morality and ethics.................................................................................................42 Comparison chart ..................................................................................................................... 42 Prescribed reading: John Ayetunde Isola Bewaji – “Ethics and morality in the Yoruba Culture” ...........44 PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary 2 Part 1: Defining scope and trends in African philosophy SU 1: Defining African philosophy • For this module, Africans are: o = Afs located on continent of Af + o = Afs living in dispora1 . What is Af phil? “Af phil is, at the same time, basically philosophical and typically African” (Osuabwu, vol 4:28). Controversy of term “Africa” • Word / term “Africa” – imposed from outside. o Not used self-referentially by “Africans”. o Need min knowledge of Af hist = added advantage to study Af phl. Multiple dimensions of Af: • “Arab Af” • “Maghreb2 Af” • “sub-Saharan3 Af” the expressions: historical dimensions + multiple dimensions of Af. 1 Dispora: dispersion / spread of any people from their homeland. 2 Maghreb: NW Af (predominantly Muslim) – Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia = all members of Arab Maghreb Union. 3 Sub-Saharan Af: all countries S of Saharah (46 out of Af’s 54). Alternative names Azania (for SA) Alkebulan (for Africa) • Indigenous name applied to SA by black nationalists + liberationists. • In Hebrew Azania means ‘God listens’. Azania can also be of Arabic origin. • Means “mother of mankind” or “Garden of Eden”. • Alkebulan is oldest + only word of inidenouse origin. Is used by Moors, Nebious Numidians, Khart-Haddans (Carthegenious) + Ethiopians. Philosophy: - The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. - The study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge or experience. - Experience of own self-understanding. PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary 3 Questioned … reasonable to accept geographical meaning of Af?: Contention 1: • Raised from natural history perspective. • At one time all continents joined – geographic divs didn’t exist. The undivided whole (supercontinent) was called Pangea4 . Divided over millennia, naturally formed = Af, Asia, Euro, Americas + islands. Contention 2: • Humans named diff continents. • Understanding reasonableness of naming “Af”. o 5 forms bridge between understanding term “Af” from geographic perspective + “Af” from historic perspective.