PLS1502 2020 Summary - Summarises Introduction to African Philosophy study guide, and provides additional PDF

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Summarises Introduction to African Philosophy study guide, and provides additional research on the philosophers, maps, definitions and the regions under discussion - to give more insight into the material, and to enhance the learning experience....

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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 ! !

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PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary

Part 1: Defining scope and trends in African philosophy 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.

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.

Alternative names •

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Azania (for SA) Indigenous name applied to SA by black nationalists + liberationists. In Hebrew Azania means ‘God listens’. Azania can also be of Arabic origin.

Alkebulan (for Africa) 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. •

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Dispora: dispersion / spread of any people from their homeland. 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). 2

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PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary 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 5forms bridge between understanding term “Af” from geographic perspective + “Af” from historic perspective.

SWA - Nambia

SA - not Azania Kingdom of Basutoland Lesotho

Tanganyika Tanzania

S Rhodesia Zimbabwe

N Rhodesia Zambia

From social,

history + political perspectives, human named parts of Af (+ changed the names) == study of nat.science - why + when changes

Thus, geographic meaning of "Af" must be complemented by hist.meaning

Name of Africa arose at a particular time, under specific hist. circumstances

In antiquity, the Greeks are said to have called the continent Libya and the Romans Africa, perhaps from the Latin aprica (sunny), or the Greeks aphrike (without cold). The name Africa, however, was chiefly applied to the northern coast of the continent, which was in effect regarded as a southern extension of Europe. The Romans, who for a time ruled the North African coast, are also said to have called the area south of their settlements, Afriga, or the Land of the Afrigs – the name of a Berber community south of Carthage. Another explanation occassionally offered is that the name applied to a productive region of what is now Tunisia meant Ears of Corn. The Ifriqiyah is apparently the Arabic trasliteration of Africa (“Encylopaedia Britannica) 1974:117).

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or Pangaea: supercontinent – when all continents were one B4 breaking up + theories on tectonics. Azania: indigenous name applied to SA by black nationalists & liberationists. In Hebrew Azania means ‘God listens’. Azania can also be of Arabic origin.

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PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary From citation above note: 1

Mediterranean = platform of cultural interact.between Romans+Greeks+N.Af peoples+Arabs. 1st only N part of Af, then whole continent.

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Because of 1 above, Romans+Greeks name “Af” because of their experience with the continent’s climate. - - Because of Roman rulership + settlements of Rome in N.Af + conquered inhabitants = indigenous not give name. “Carthago delednda est6”. - Over time, Af became part of vocab.of those of S.Europe, later W.Euro. - Conquest of Af – colonisation = spoke of Af as if it comprised only 1 ethnic group, of single common culture. - = must question name “Af”: 7

[T]he name Africa may have originally been either Semitic or Greco-Roman … {T}he application of the name is more recent centuries has been due almost entirely to W.Euro … [W]e should question Euro’s decisions about boundaries of Af + the identity of Africans. (Ali

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Mazrui 1986:25, 29, 38). Name & naming = on-going problem of identity. Most Af countries change names at independence = Namibia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe. Discovery that “Af” name imposed = desc.of outsiders = problems. Descrip. of its climate is not descrip of its phil. African phil means the study of “sunny” / solar phil. o Diff.to speak of one Af phil because its peoples belong to diff.complex, diverse ethinic groups, such as: Defining the term 'Bantu' § phil of Bantu Abantu (or 'Bantu' as used by colonists) is Zulu word for § phil of San people. Is plural of the word 'umuntu', meaning 'person', § phil of Akan, etc. and is based on the stem '--ntu' plus the plural prefix 'aba'.

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“Af” refs more of W.Euro hist. experience with peoples of continent; less of own people’s self-understanding. e.g. Encyclopaedia Britannica (1974:461): The Egyptians were a practical people, + they reveal thru the products of their arts + crafts their particular genius. In classical times those early Egyptians were also credited by the Greeks with great knowledge + wisdom; but the evidence proved by Egyptian writings does not support this Greek opinion. It is probable that the Greek travellers in Egypt, impressed by the grandeur + antiquity of the monuments of the land + misled by the accounts of past ages given to them by their priestly guides, grossly misinterpreted the evidence + jumped to unwarranted conclusions. Unlike the Greeks, the Egyptians were not philosophically inclined, intellectually inquisitive, or prone to theorising …

This original meaning changed through the history of South Africa. It is a term used in two ways in archaeology, history and anthropology: (1) it named a major linguistic group in Africa, and more locally, to identify the sizeable group of Nguni languages spoken by many Africans in sub-Saharan Africa, and (2) it identifies those Bantu-speakers who spoke that group of closely related languages which linguists divide into four categories: Nguni, Sotho-Tswana, Venda and Tsonga-speakers. It is important to note that the Bantu-speaking peoples are not an homogenous group. They comprise more than a 100 million Negroid people who live in southern and central Africa, ranging from Nigeria and Uganda to South Africa, and who speak about 700 languages, including many dialects. How these languages spread into southern Africa remains uncertain. https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/defining-term-bantu

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“Carthage has been destroyed” – Roman Gen.Scipio Africanus. Africanus = his nickname: his tactical reforms gave Rome dominant position in N.Africa, Spain and Greece. Carthage, N tip of Tunisia, near Siciliy (across Mediterranean), approx.450km. 7 Semitic: denotes family of langs.incl. Hebrew, Arabic, Phoenician, Arkadian.

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PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary Problem 1:

author contradicts “Greek opinion” on facts not revealed, exept to say “Egyptian writings”.

Problem 2:

Not only “Greek travellers” visited + sojourned8 in Egypt, but from other parts of world. Not only “priestly guides” imparted “knownledge + wisdom”, but these also received priestly training from Egyptians = had to stay longer than just a visit. Aristotle (Metaphysicas 1.1981b:14-24), acknowledged Egyptian origin of sciences, mathematics, astronomy. – testimony such as this that above author misses/ignores/denies. Even Copleston showed similar disregard + denial of 1st-hand testimony of ancient Greeks. Osuagwu (1997:87, 94), states: Copleston totally rejcts a histo.+sci Af phil of ancient Black E + its subsequent influ.on + relation to early Greek phil … Copleston (1907-1985), and Amer.Catholic clergyman, … typical view which denies + severs all hist.phil links of ancient E with Greece + Rome … Copleston would not st accpet even the personally + 1 hand literary testimoiens of ancient Greek nd phils, he would certainly be less ready to accept the 2 ary reports of later past authors like Herodotus …

= Copleston’s rejectiong / denial / disregard / misinterpretation of ancient Black E arrogate9 phil + reason exclusively to the W. = author of Ency.Brit ascribes “wisdom” but not thought / reason to ancient E … ascribes “magic” to body of knowledge of ancient Black Egypt.

One of robust pillars of West.Euro phil is this willingness to appropriate reason as the exclusive quality + right of Western philosophy

Ramose

8 9

Sojourned: stayed, stopped; brief visit. Arrogate: assum; lay claim to; appropriate.

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PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary

Man is a rational animal Is there an Af phil? Can there be an Af phil? ------ these are onological10 (not empirical questions) -- the Af expr. Bondy: wrote essay on Latin Am + asked these questions. Indicates that Af, Amerindian + Australasian also “rational animal” (Bondy 1986:240-243). Where is the cause, the deremining complex of this condition of Hipanic American as an entity + also of 11 each of its constituent nations? If we are aware that this condition is not perculiar to Hispanic Am countries, but is largely similar to that of other communities + regional groups of nations, belonging to rd what today is called the 3 World, then it is clear that, to explain it, we must utulize the concept of underdevelopment, with the correlative concept of domination … Philosophy in Hispanic American has a possiblity of being authentic in the midst of the unauthenticity that surrounds and consumes it, and to convert itself into the lucid awareness of this condition and into the thought capable of unleashing the process to overcome it. It must be a mediation about our anthropological status and from our own negative status, with a view to is cancellation. Consequently, Hispanic American phil has before it – as a probability of its own recuperation – a destructive task that, in the long run, will be destructive to its current form. It must be an awareness that cancels prejudice, myths, idols; an awareness that will awaken us to our subjection as peoples and our depression as men. In consequence, it must be an awareness that liberates us from the obstacles that impede our anthropological expansion, which is also the anthropological expansion of the world. It must be, in addition, a critical and analytical awareness of the potentialities and demans of our affirmation as humanity.

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• •

•

•

Although Onyewwuenyi, Cheikh Anta Diop, Obenga + Osuagwu take meaning of “science 12” for granted, it is “science” that gave rise to probs in Af hist in genaral + Af phil in particular. “Science” is not neutral / not objective / not free from spec.values. = Af phil wants space – to be integrated into full body of phil. o Need to critically examine meaning of “science” + determine exigencies13 of Af experience as a critique of concept of “science”. o Amerindian , Af, Australasion defect in ontology lies in putative14 fact that these peoples don’t qualify for status of “rational animal”. – Bondy. § Africans want to affirm their humanity to qualify as “rational animal”.

Writings of histories + cultures of Afs have been: o disregarded o rejected o misrepresented ==== standard of “objectivity””was not allowed to prevail”. = rather were subjected to the writer’s interests, resulting in o disfigurement o distortion of image + identity of indigenous of Af.

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Ontology: branch of metaphysics dealing with nature of being. Hispanic: relating to Spanish / Spanish-speaking countries. Science: intellectual + practical activity encompassing systematic study of structure of behaviour of physical + natural world thru obs + experiment. 13 Exigency: urgent need / demand. 14 Putative: generally considered / reputed to be.

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PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary UNESCO’s General history of Af (1978-1993) underlines need to deal with distortion of Af identity. Recognises ethno-political duty to put record straight; let indigenous speak for selves, in their own right … so might not need to abolish word “Africa”. = Thus, this will mean that there must be acknowledgment of many philosphies within Africa: need for Af to include foci15 on: • Rwandan Bantu Phil • Akan conceptual Scheme • Yoruba Concept of a Person • Human Person and Immortaility in Ibo Metaphysics • Philosophy of Ubuntu

Africanity of Afican philosophy Africanity of African philosophy refers to:

• •

set of characteristics distinguish Af phil from W / Indian / Chinese phils. = specif. + particularity of Af’s phil.

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Osuagwu (African historical reconstruction, vol1:30),

Africanity sets of factors includes: o

“geo-ethno-lego-technological” factors in philosophic enterprise; Africanity refs to a set of members: § person § place § time event / actions § culture § lang § doctrine § method

So, what makes phil of Af is variety of factors. Osuagwu identifies 4 factors: 16

ethno -African

Ethnic group Identifies • Af authors, or • authors by - origin - nature - birth - ancestry - tribe - physiology - colour - culture

15 16 17 18 19 20

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geo-temporal African (or spacio-temporal)

geography + time Qualifies the Af space + time within which African phil is typically occurring. = immediate physical placement within: • Af continent, or • by remote spatail presence anywhere else where Af finds him/itself.

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lego -African

ancient wisdom Qualifies an expatriate author or issue which becomes Af by virtue of • civil law • ecclesiastical law • academic law which empowers or mandates him / it.

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techno -African expat identifies works as Af

Identifies: 1. expat Af who becomes Af phil by - interest - preoccupation - enterprise20 - research - literature - doctrine undertaken - doctrine produced 2. any work produced as Af phil

Foci: plural of focus. Ethnic: fact / state of belonging to social group that has common national / cultural tradition. Temporal: relates to time. Legonisim: ancient wisdom. Techno: from Greek (used in combinations), meaning art / skill. Enterprise: company, business, organization or other purposeful endeavor.

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PLS1502 Introduction to African Philosophy Summary According to Osuagwu, any phil / phil’er influenced by one or more factors above, qualifies to be regarded as African philosopher. Prof. Ali Mazrui in Daily Monitor (Dec.12, 2009) distinguishes 4 types of Afs: We must distinguish between [1] Africans of the blood and [2] Africans of the soil. Africans of the blood are defined in racial and genealogical terms; they are identified with the black race. Africans of the soil, on the other hand, are defined in geographical terms; they are identified with the African’s continent in nationality and ancenstral locations. However, most Ghanaians, Nigerians and Ugandans are [3] both Africans of the blood, genealogically belonging to the Af race, and Africans of the soil, geographically located in or belonging to, the Af continent … F W de Klerk and other white South Africans are [4] Africans of the soil by adoption. This also applies to East Africans of Indian or Pakistani ancestry. They are indeed Africans of the soil by adoption.

Osuagwu

Mazrui

ethno-African spacial-temporal (or geo-temporal) African

Africans of the blood Africans of the soil

lego- African

Africans of both blood + soil

techno- African

Africans of soil by adoption

Philosophicality of Af phil Greek philosophia means love of wisdom

Philo = love -sophos = wisdom Philosophers want to understand how and why people do certain things and how to live a good life – want to know meaning of life

Not mean phil originated in Greece: Chinese + ancient Eqyptian phil older. • = phil specifically associated with Greece; o Greek has become known as Western philosphy. • hence, term phil has particular historical tradition.

Philosophy

study of general + fundamental questions about: • existence • knowledge • value...