Philosophy and an African Culture

Kwasi Wiredu demonstrates a role for contemporary African philosophers that is distinctive but by no means parochial.

Kwasi Wiredu (Author)

9780521296472, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 10 April 1980

256 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.5 cm, 0.33 kg

What can philosophy contribute to African culture? What can it draw from it? Could there be a truly African philosophy that goes beyond traditional folk thought? Kwasi Wiredu tries in these essays to define and demonstrate a role for contemporary African philosophers which is distinctive but by no means parochial. He shows how they can assimilate the advances of analytical philosophy and apply them to the general social and intellectual changes associated with 'modernisation' and the transition to new national identities. But we see too how they can exploit traditional resources and test the assumptions of Western philosophy against the intimations of their own language and culture. The volume as a whole presents some of the best non-technical work of a distinguished African philosopher, of importance equally to professional philosophers and to those with a more general interest in contemporary African thought and culture.

Part I: 1. Philosophy and an African culture
2. On an African orientation in philosophy
3. How not to compare African traditional thought with Western thought
4. What can philosophy do for Africa?
Part II: 5. Marxism, philosophy and ideology
6. In praise of utopianism
Part III: 7. Philosophy, mysticism and rationality
8. Truth as opinion
9. To be is to be known
10. What is philosophy?
11. In defence of opinion
12. Truth: a dialogue
Origins of the essays
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]