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Philosophy Around the World

African Philosophy

For years debate has raged among African philosophers: does Africa have a distinct philosophical tradition, and if so, what is its nature? Rick Lewis asked Emmanuel Eze, who though based in the United States is a leading figure on the African philosophical scene.

Are there philosophical traditions which are distinctively African?

There certainly are distinctive traditions of philosophical reflection in Africa, both written and non-written. In the later category would be included Yoruba and Igbo works by guilds of Ifa and Afa priests of Ife and Nri in Western and Eastern parts of Nigeria, or works by equally non-literate individuals in other parts of West Africa, such as the famous Ogotemeli whose ideas were captured in a French translation by Marcel Griaule. On occasion, the philosophical status of some of these non-written works has been questioned – and not always by unsympathetic or ideologicallymotivated critics. Most of the works however survive the scrutiny. In addition to Griaule, Barry Hallen has more recently done some interesting works in the area, specifically in the Yoruba tradition.

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