Hountondji attacks a myth popularized by ethnophilosophers such as placide tempels and alexis kagame that there is an indigenous, collective african philosophy separate and. This paper enters the debate by suggesting that african psychology is both myth and reality, conceived in the above terms. Hountondji is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary african philosophy. An african philosopher in germany in the eighteenth century. 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.
Since the 1970s he has taught at the universite nationale du benin in cotonou, where he is professor of philosophy. African philosophy many of the greatest thinkers of the modern era, including david hume, immanuel kant, and thomas jefferson, considered africans and their descendants to be so intellectually handicapped as to make them philosophical invalids, incapable of moral and scientific reasoning. Choice in this incisive, original exploration of the nature and future of african philosophy, paulin j. Africana philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. African sage philosophy is the name now commonly given to the body of thought produced by persons considered wise in african communities, and more specifically refers to those who seek a rational foundation for ideas and concepts used to describe and view the world by critically examining the justification of those ideas and concepts. Internet encyclopedia of philosophy, hallen, barry, select issues and controversies in contemporary african philosophy, royal institute of philosophy supplement 74 2014. 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.
Africana is a more inclusive term for scholarship related to both africa and the diaspora. God, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious. It shows the existence of african logic using examples from two nigerdelta societies. African sage philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Pdf paulin hountondji, african philosophy, myth and reality. An african philosophy of history for african unity. The african origin of civilization myth or reality download the african origin of civilization myth or reality ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format. Hountondji is one of the leading proponents of this view. I use the term african to refer to scholarship that is specically concerned with the african continent and its cultures. Pdf paulin hountondji, african philosophy, myth and. Jaja institute of foundation studies, rivers state university of science and technology, p.
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. A bibliography of online papers in africanafricana philosophy. Reflections on african philosophical thought as seen by europe and africa no access. Again, both concepts offer a perspective for an interpretation of the world and the mysteries and phenomena of existence in general. African philosophers may be found in the various academic fields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy. This paper attempts to show the existence of a unique philosophy that deserves to be recognized and rightly known as african philosophy. The folds in paulin hountondjis african philosophy, myth and reality article pdf available in philosophical papers 391. Pdf frequently asked questions about african psychology. Aug 17, 2007 from city press column an african origin of philosophy. The folds in paulin hountondjis african philosophy, myth. In this incisive, original exploration of the nature and future of african philosophy, paulin j. Paulin hountondji, african philosophy, myth and reality 1974.
African philosophy is the philosophical discourse produced by indigenous africans and their descendants, including african americans. Published 712004 first published in city press, july, 2004 there is a common belief among whites that philosophy originates with the greeks. The structure for our reading of african philosophy and entering. African philosophy is used in different ways by different philosophers. The african philosophy of history will be situated in african ontology, anthropology, archeology, and proverbial sage philosophy, and by so doing establish the philosophical and cultural unity of africa. Hountondji attacks a myth popularized by ethnophilosophers such as placide tempels and alexis kagame that there is an indigenous, collective african philosophy separate and distinct from the western philosophical tradition. By molefi kete asante first published in city press, july, 2004 there is a common belief among whites that philosophy originates with the greeks. The article printed below is extracted from african philosophy. The idea is so common that almost all of the books on philosophy start with the greeks as. Download pdf the african origin of civilization myth or. Not only is the word philosophy not greek, the practice of philosophy existed long before the greeks. The meaning and nature of african philosophy in a globalising.
Hountondji was born in the ivory coast, and received his higher education in paris, where he was a pupil of althusser in the middle 1960 s. 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. Philosophy and studies, coeditor of quest, african philosophy and africana philosophy. Jan 30, 2009 for a more recent, comparatively strident condemnation of virtually the whole of african philosophy as nophilosophy, as tooculturally specific and descriptive in other words, as ethnophilosophyyet again, see carol pearce, african philosophy and the sociologicalthesis, journal of the philosophy of the social sciences 22, no. Frequently asked questions about african psychology article pdf available in south african journal of psychology 471 april 2017 with 1,706 reads how we measure reads. African philosophyannotated bibliography wikiversity. In the early 1990s he briefly served as minister of education and minister for culture and communications in. Bello is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the university of ibadan. It is this fragmentation that an african philosophy of history tries to address. Hountondji carved out a place in the field of african philosophy largely on the strength of his major work, african philosophy. Accepted 4 january, 2012 myths are accounts of the origin of societies and institutions not subject to rationalization but often. We do not expect you to regard yourselves as a privileged class, engaged in a selfish scramble to acquire wealth and influence. Indeterminancy, ethnophilosophy, linguistic philosophy.
What is here called crosscultural understanding is itself a kind of compara. 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. The philosophical paradigm of african identity and development. Africanafricana philosophy bibliography philpapers. This paper is an attempt to harp on the ontology of african philosophy. This bibliography is part of the divison of african philosophy the bibliography is structured as a list of publications, ordered by author and title. All formats available for pc, mac, ebook readers and other mobile devices. Reflections on philosophy, culture and democracy in africa 1997. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Large selection and many more categories to choose from. Click to increase image sizeclick to decrease image size free first page. Ghana will look to you to serve her with humility, honesty, integrity and loyalty. This paper seeks to examine how africans conceive of the supreme being, divinities and spirits.
The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the supreme being nor worship him. Each entry should contain a link to annother page that contains a description of the publication. Translated by henri evans with the collaboration of jonathan ree. Armed with the above reminders we approach our task with the confidence of listening to and hearing the particulars in the current discussion of african philosophy.
His critique of ethnophilosophy as a colonial, exoticising and racialized undertaking provoked contentious debates among african intellectuals on the proper methods and scope of philosophy and science in an african and global context since the 1970s. Many readers and anthologies, introductions, and other paedagogical publications have. The paper concludes by suggesting that rateles article, although a thoughtful contribution to the debate provoked by my article, is opposed to the current awareness by many african psychologists of the need to build african psychology as a specialized postcolonial study within the discipline of psychology in african universities. The volume is heavily weighted towards contemporary african intellectuals, and draws heavily from regional african philosophies. The volume is heavily weighted towards contemporary african intellectuals, and draws heavily from regional african philosophies such as those in ghana, nigeria, and uganda. Hountondji argues that a genuine african philosophy must assimilate and. Click download or read online button to the african origin of civilization myth or reality book pdf for free now. A short history of african philosophy peace palace. For a more recent, comparatively strident condemnation of virtually the whole of african philosophy as nophilosophy, as tooculturally specific and descriptive in other words, as ethnophilosophyyet again, see carol pearce, african philosophy and the sociologicalthesis, journal of the philosophy of the social sciences 22, no.
Myth and reality, by paulin hountondji, which was published by hutchinson in june 1983. Hountondji attacks a myth popularized by ethnophilosophers such as placide tempels and alexis kagame that there. Hence, philosophy is a universal discipline whose quest is to understand life which is common to all humans though with different approach and method. They would not be free thinkers, if we expected them to hold ideas that were. Paulin hountondji is a beninese philosopher, politician and academic. Paulin j hountondji in this seminal exploration of the nature and future of african philosophy, paulin j. Paulin hountondji born 11 april 1942 in abidjan, cote divoire is a beninese philosopher, politician and academic. 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. Another version regards it as an obvious reality, in that there is a substantial body of psychological literature that originates in the african context and is engaged with african issues and problems. His publications include beauty and culture and numerous articles. 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.
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