In this sense within this context about the west we will discuss moral currents or moral. Westerners tend to romanticize traditional african beliefs when they treat them as inherently arational. Students should answer questions 1, 2, and 3 each week, then choose at least five other questions that are most. The rebirth of african moral traditions as key to the. For the sophists, it would be questioning the foundations of traditional religion, morality and. This essay explores the concept of destiny in yoruba philosophical discourse. In west african traditions, land belongs to the person who works it. The concepts of ori and human destiny it is the ancestral guardian soul, having its physical symbolization as the physical head. May 28, 2017 the idea of an african philosophy is still controversial with many within academia denying its existence andor its possibility to exist. He argues that much of modern africana thought emerged out of. Segun gbadegesin, african philosophy traditional yoruba. References to the concept of destiny in traditional yoruba philosophy, the problem of choice, interconnectedness of destinies, individual and communal destinies. Reinventing ontology, gnosis, and values in african philosophy.
Community and justice 58 persons, individualism, and communalism suffering and injustice poverty and human development 5. Traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities. Though, gbadegesins interpretation is not absolute in yoruba lingua structure, as oluiwa could denote. Given this consideration, ori is nothing short of what the yoruba call ipin or okeipori. The debate surrounding its existence is, as stated by kenyan philosopher masolo, defined by western discourse on africa and the african response 1. The african philosophy reader, second edition, is a substantially revised and greatly enhanced collection of writings on african philosophy. Segun gbadegesin, kwame gyekye, paulin hountondji, mahmood mamdani, john mbiti, ngugi wa thiongo, henry odera oruka, sedar leopold senghor, tsenay serequeberhan, kwasi wiredu. Download african philosophy ebook free in pdf and epub format. The concepts of ori and human destiny in traditional yoruba. In these works, the traditional thought systems are analyzed using the western conceptual. Current trends and perspectives in african philosophy. Oyeshile department of philosophy, university of ibadan, ibadan, nigeria introduction the definition of philosophy has remained a perennial philosophical problem and there is little agreement as to what it is.
Traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities, new york. The concept of person in an african culture and its implication for social order elvis imafidon department of philosophy, catholic major seminary of all saints, p. There is a welldeveloped body of literature in yoruba philosophical studies. It argues that the yoruba concept of destiny is complex, and that this complexity may be the source of the problems encountered by scholars. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books. The concept of the person in luo modes of thought, d. The akan conceptual scheme cup, cambridge new york 1987 or segun gbadegesins african philosophy. The role of african languages in african philosophy. The african philosophy reader peace palace library. It offers a distinctive historical treatment of african philosophy.
An outline of a theory of destiny request pdf researchgate. It is accessible and handy to a wider range of readers, ranging from educators and students of african philosophy, anthropology, african studies, cultural studies, and all those concerned with the further development of african philosophy and thought systems on the african continent. I use the term african to refer to scholarship that is specically concerned with the african continent and its cultures. In part i, the author examines, with refreshing insights, the philosophical concepts of the person, individuality, community and morality, religiosity. It covers all the main branches of philosophy as addressed in the african tradition.
African philosophy ultimately tries to bring a more rigorous conception of african philosophy into fruitful contact with western philosophical concerns, specifically in the philosophies of psychology, mind, science, and language, as well as in metaphysics and epistemology. Many african scholars have expressed varied thoughts about the concept of a person, specifically about that which constitutes a person in african philosophy. John mbiti, kwasi wiredu, segun gbadegesin, and several. African philosophy new and traditional perspectives ed.
The following pages engage a hermeneutic approach to african philosophy, focusing on the work of tsenay serequeberhan. Roux have brought together thirtyseven philosophers, thirtythree of whom are black africans, to present the most current philosophical discussions. Traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities paperback by. African philosophy, the status and value of ethnophilosophy, and the position of placide.
Africana is a more inclusive term for scholarship related to both africa and the diaspora. A reinterpretation of african philosophical idea of man and the universe. Segun gbadegesin identifies one when he interpreted oluiwa as god, the creator of every baby and as every baby is an omoluwabi 2007. These philosophers include kwasi wiredu, kwame gyekye and segun gbadegesin.
Request pdf on mar 11, 2007, abdulrasheed naallah and others published. A critical survey 332 didier njirayamanda kaphagawani vi contents. This volume of newly commissioned essays provides comprehensive coverage of african philosophy, ranging across disciplines and throughout the ages. Segun gbadegesin argues about acceptability or nonacceptability of that which is handed on, what is handed on and how it is handed on as making up the character of tradition. The importance of contemporary african philosophy iai tv. The contributors, established and budding philosophers, have succeeded in further opening the windows of the discipline to the world of scholarship. Segun gbadegesin 24 on the normative conception of a person 324 ifeanyi a. African diasporic consciousness in the afroarabic world of the middle ages. Nature, agency, and causation in african traditional thought, i. Journal of philosophy and culture the problem of destiny.
Yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities by segun gbadegsin. Segun gbadegesin 1991 authors segun gbadegesin howard university abstract this article has no associated abstract. A modern contemporary african philosopher by the name, tsenay serequeberhan teaching african philosophy at hampshire college once remarked that when he told students and the faculty there that he was teaching african philosophy, they were shocked and raised eyebrows by asking if such a thing like. Traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african. The meaning and nature of african philosophy in a globalising. Bringing together canonical philosophical texts from african, africanamerican, afrocaribbean, and black european thinkers, this major new anthology is designed to serve both as a textbook and as the authoritative reference volume in. The african philosophy reader second edition a text with readings.
Segun gbadegesin 5 personal identity in african metaphysics. Pertinent among such beliefs, are the beliefs in ori1 and human destiny. But anyone who expects to find a refuge from rationality in modern african philosophy should stop reading now. On the terms ethics and morality the term ethics is technically used by philosophers to mean a philosophical study of moralitymorality understood as a set of social rules, principles, norms that guide or are intended to guide the conduct of people in a society, and as beliefs about right and wrong conduct as well as good or bad character. This book features a collection of essays that seek to provide accurate and welldeveloped characterizations of the epistemological and metaphysical concerns that shaped the conceptual languages and philosophical thought of subsaharan africa. Traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities, by. Read african philosophy online, read in mobile or kindle. Whatever is created belongs to the creatorsnot to the god that created them, and certainly not to the colonist or slavemaster. An outline of a theory of destiny an outline of a theory of destiny chapter.
The yoruba concept of a person, in african philosophy. What they have in common, though, is that their ideas on the concept of a person issue largely from the. African philosophy traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities. Reflections on african philosophy, culture and democracy in africa.
A short history of african philosophy peace palace library. In the last four decades, there has been a lively debate regarding the nature and status of african philosophy. Masolo, albert mosley, ifeanyi menkiti, and kwasi wiredu, incorporate. The meaning and nature of african philosophy in a globalising world international journal of humanities social sciences and education ijhsse page 88 philosophy would be nothing more than asking and offering rational explanations of the universe.
Bringing together canonical philosophical texts from african, african american, afrocaribbean, and black european thinkers, this major new anthology is designed to serve both as a textbook and as the authoritative reference volume in africana philosophical and cultural studies. Current trends and perspectives in african philosophy a. This study adopts a heuristic technique to argue the thesis that a set of norms rooted in the african philosophy of. At the heart of the discussion is the question of where to locate such an approach in the existing philosophical literature.
New essays in african metaethics examines an often neglected metaethical issue in african philosophical discourse. A companion to african philosophy edited by kwasi wiredu. The specific concept of narrative in african philosophy and its value for crosscultural understanding will surface often and be developed in several ways throughout the book. First, african philosophy queries the habitual universality claims of western philosophy. He has published journal articles touching on issues in metaphysics, african philosophy, social philosophy, and philosophy of science. The palgrave handbook of african philosophy adeshina. This paper examines, and further reflects, on segun gbadegesin. A companion to african philosophy electronic resource in. The concepts of ori and human destiny in traditional. An introduction to africana philosophy in this book lewis r. A modern contemporary african philosopher by the name, tsenay serequeberhan teaching african philosophy at hampshire college once remarked that when he told students and the faculty there that he was teaching african philosophy, they were shocked and raised eyebrows by asking if such a thing like african philosophy ever existed at all.
An outline of a theory of destiny, segun gbadegesin 5. Gbadegesin segun gbadegesin the issues of interest to us in. Below, i shall briefly speak to both these points in the course of reflecting on the rise. Personal identity in african metaphysics, leke adeofe 6. Segun gbadegesin 1991 authors segun gbadegesin howard university. Gbadegesin the focus is on the concept of person in the yoruba conceptual scheme, but. Elvis imafidon teaches philosophy in the department of philosophy at ambrose alli university, ekpoma nigeria. Selected bibliography on african philosophy bibliography 1. Traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities peter lang, new york, san francisco, bern, frankfurt am main, paris, london, 1991. A common theme between the essays is that a word shared by different cultures can have different extensions while being.
Gbadegesin segun gbadegesin the issues of interest to us. The concepts of ori and human destiny across different strata of human existence. What they have in common, though, is that their ideas on the concept of a person issue largely from the traditional philosophies of some west. A companion to african philosophy wiley online books. In this pathbreaking book, segun gbadegesin offers a new and promising approach which recognizes the traditional and contemporary facets of african philosophy by exploring the issues they raise. However, not all of them are equally important for all thinkers. Oyeshile department of philosophy, university of ibadan, ibadan, nigeria introduction the definition of philosophy has remained a perennial philosophical problem and there is little agreement as to. Though, gbadegesins interpretation is not absolute in yoruba lingua structure, as oluiwa could denote a dignified parent with excellent character. Liberation and postcolonial african philosophy 36 african humanism and socialism postcolonial african thought the question of race 4. Ontologized ethics by elvis imafidon overdrive rakuten. The contributors, who include leke adeofe, kwame anthony appiah, lee brown, segun gbadegesin, d.
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