Bello is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the university of ibadan. Obviously many greeks who learned philosophy ventured to africa to. African philosophy is used in different ways by different philosophers. The african legacy of egyptian philosophy the question as to whether that which existed in egypt was to be termed philosophy, remains debatable, given the plethora of divergent views concerning it. His publications include beauty and culture and numerous articles. An exercise in afrocentrism by philosophy expert innocent c. This paper is an attempt to articulate a singular issue in this evolutionthe originality of african philosophy, through ancient egypt and its influence on greek. However, attention to transformations of the economic base has not proven sufficient to explain the overall dramatic transformations of this period. Jaja institute of foundation studies, rivers state university of science and technology, p. African philosophy is an attempt by philosophers to make the folklores, myth, sooth sayings, religion, education, socio political organizations and other aspects of the african culture relevant to. Africana philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. History of african philosophy internet encyclopedia of.
Steve kquofi and peace amate from the university of science and technology in kumasi, ghana, carried out a study on the significance of akan proverbs. Pdf relevance of african oral philosophy destin feutseu. Onyewuenyi strikes at the foundations of the europeanamerican intellectual model using a multidisciplinary approach. And if so, what is the importance of ancient egyptian. Africana philosophy history of philosophy without any gaps. But to the african, this has led to a lack of selfconfidence and a candoattitude.
Pdf on nov 12, 2017, nicholas chukwudike anakwue and others published the african origins of greek philosophy. Since the independence, most african countries have adopted educational systems that are identical to those of the colonial masters, thus rejecting and denying the importance of local and indigenous culture for education ngara 2007. The knowledge that the african continent gave civilization the arts and sciences. This article traces the history of systematic african philosophy from the early 1920s to date. Major themes include african oral traditions, reactions to the depredations of colonialism and enslavement, political philosophy and philosophy of race developed in the twentieth century, and the emergence of africana thought within academia. Ancient egypt in retrospect find, read and cite all the research you need on. Hegel did every thing in his power to place greece at the center dr. In platos theaetetus, socrates suggests that philosophy begins with wonder. Emergent and contentious issues in african philosophy. Reviewed in the united states on september 7, 2008. For a comprehensive, yet readable, work on greek philosophy, see w. African philosophical systems are traced to a common origin, and groups such as the dogon of mali, the vai of sierra leone, and the yoruba of nigeria are shown to share modern philosophical and scientific systems with those of ancient egypt.
Accepted 4 january, 2012 myths are accounts of the origin of societies and institutions not subject to rationalization but often. Jul 01, 2004 not only is the word philosophy not greek, the practice of philosophy existed long before the greeks. According to dictionaries on greek etymology the origin of the word is. Oct 01, 2008 the origin of sophia is clearly in the african language, mdu neter, the language of ancient egypt, where the word seba, meaning the wise appears first in 2052bc in the tomb of antef i, long before the existence of greece or greek. Africana is a more inclusive term for scholarship related to both africa and the diaspora. Copleston 1993 argues that ones preoccupation should not be with the influence of greek philosophy from egypt, but. Onyewuenyi is the author of the african origin of greek philosophy 3.
In doing this, we shall start by attempting to describe and possibly define what philosophy is. I use the term african to refer to scholarship that is specically concerned with the african continent and its cultures. Have you ever doubted greek origin of western philosophy or wondered about the irony that greek government persecuted socrates and plato. Prof emeritus theophile obenga on the african origin of so. Most of the myths and dogmas about the greek origin of philosophy can be traced back to hegel. The christian scholar of this name was a native of alexandria eusebius, church history 6. Philosophy from greek, philosophia, literally love of wisdom is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Citing egyptian texts, the author reveals that the doctrines of greek philosophers have their prototypes in earlier egyptian philosophy. The origins of philosophy heidegger, 1956, the nature of philosophy priest, 2006. African philosophy general the basics of philosophy.
Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. The demand of philosophising in africa has faced a history of criticism that has been particularly eurocentric and strongly biased. The meaning and nature of african philosophy in a globalising. In the first part of chapter two, he reduced the greek philosophy to egyptian philosophy, and in the second part, he attempted to further reduce the egyptians of the time to.
Greek philosophy was the offspring of the egyptian mystery system. Greek philosophers who came to africa to study by adu. Obengas lecture at a 1990 conference called the infusion of african and african american content in the school curriculum. However, in their determination to maintain racial and intellectual superiority over africans, western historians, since the 18th century, subverted history by attributing the origin of philosophy to the greeks. Imhotep, ptahhotep, amenemhat, merikare, duauf, amenhotep, son of hapu, akhenaten, and the sage of khunanup, are just a few of the african philosophers who lived long before there was a greece or a greek philosopher. Africana philosophy is the name for an emergent and still developing field of ideas and ideaspaces, intellectual endeavors, discourses, and discursive networks within and beyond academic philosophy that was recognized as such by national and international organizations of professional philosophers, including the american philosophical. Startling new book challenges the origins of greek philosophy. Philosophy and studies, coeditor of quest, african philosophy and africana philosophy.
Proverbs in africa are wise philosophical expressions, generally short and sometimes very funny, yet the messages they carry are deep. Chapter ii socalled greek philosophy was alien to the greeks and their conditions of life the period of greek philosophy 640322 b. African philosophy is the philosophical discourse produced by indigenous africans and their descendants, including african americans. The african union should, therefore, create a restoration programme of african history and give it all the necessary importance. However, that trend is changing with the emergence of core philosophical thinking in africa. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A short history of african philosophy peace palace library. The compilation of the history of greek philosophy was the plan of aristotle executed by his school. African origin of philosophy obenga theophile my linked podcast is the audio portion from a vhs videotape of dr.
African philosophers may be found in the various academic fields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy. It studied the nature of philosophy, the meaning of african philosophy, the factors that stimulated the debate on african philosophy, the universality of philosophy as a basis for africa philosophy. Liberation and postcolonial african philosophy 36 african humanism and socialism postcolonial african thought the question of race 4. The existence of this mystery system is integral to the notion that greek philosophy was stolen, because it provides a reason for assuming that greek philosophers had a particular reason for studying in egypt, and for claiming that what they later wrote about in greek was originally egyptian philosophy. An exercise in afrocentrism by onyewuenyi, innocent c. Not only is the word philosophy not greek, the practice of philosophy existed long before the greeks. Steve kquofi andpeace amate from the university of science and technology in kumasi, ghana, carried out a study. Subsequently we shall be in a position to define african philosophy by looking at the origin of the debate on african philosophy which was as a result of the charge of irrationality leveled against the africans. Community and justice 58 persons, individualism, and communalism suffering and injustice poverty and human development 5. Onyewuenyi asserts that the greatest greek thinkers socrates, plato and aristotle found their ideas while traveling in egypt and studying under the priestscholars of the egyptian mystery system.
This volume shows that african priestscholars of the egyptian mystery system originated philosophy. Greek philosophy didnt begin in greece as we know it. Does the history of philosophy start in egypt and thus predate ancient greek philosophy. 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. However, recent research shows that wonder may have different subsets.
Ancient greek philosophy is traditionally divided into presocratic and postsocratic periods, thus indicating the centrality of an enigmatic, quasimystical figure who provided the catalytic presence for a mature burst of philosophical energy in plato and aristotle. African origin of philosophy obenga theophile bboy bongoz. The cosmological character of early greek philosophy it was not till the traditional view of the worldand the customary rules of life hadbroke ndown, that the greeks began tofeel the needs whichphilosophies of nature andof conduct seek to satisfy. Boniface enyeribe nwigwe 2004 university of port harcourt press. It began on the western coast of what is now turkey, an area known then as ionia. Guthries authoritative the history of greek philosophy,six volumes. The greek name origenes signifies born of horus, an egyptian falconheaded deity. Although african philosophers spend their time doing work in many different areas, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy, a great deal of the literature is taken up with a debate concerning the nature of african philosophy itself and if it in fact exists. In onyewuenyis the african origin of greek philosophy however, an ambitious attempt emerges to fill this lacuna in the argument of new philosophy of african redemption. Aug 23, 2007 the african origin of greek philosophy. The paper sets about this task by first exposing the historical debate on the early beginnings of the philosophical enterprise, with a view to establishing the possibility of philosophical.