This book provides an excellent orientation to, and a logical development of, the major trends and issues that have dominated discussions in african philosophy since the publication of placide tempels bantu philosophy in 1945. African philosophy, the status and value of ethnophilosophy, and the position of placide tempels in african philosophy. They had little time for african philosophy as they harbored doubts about the ability of africans to think. Odera oruka is best known for his views on sage philosophy, he spent a considerable portion of his philosophical career agonizing over the question of human rights. View notes orukafour trends in current african philosophy. 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. In this regard our effort is historical, in the sense that we feel the urge to begin to document the movement of ideas that culminated into african philosophy as tension on the debate about the existence of african philosophy is gradually cooling down today. Odera oruka, the late kenyan philosopher who popularised this orientation. African culture african philosophy african thought akan ancient greece anthropology argued argument bantu bantu philosophy beliefs bukusu buried christian claim clan concept context critical culture philosophy customs dead death discourse discussion ethnophilosophy ethnographical european example existence four trends g. Trends in african philosophy, philosophy of education, henry odera oruka. African philosophy of education kai and penny 2009.
In particular, it lays emphasis on three approaches namely. The late kenyan philosopher, henry odera oruka, identified six schools of thought on what african philosophy is or could be, namely, ethnophilosophy. This becomes even more apparent when one considers that the arguments that have been profferred against the existence of african philosophy have also been deployed to deny the existence of african indigenous. Our author, bodunrin, however, falls into the first category.
Odera oruka s four trends in african philosophy and their implications for education in africa 43 the need to express and to render faithfully the unity and the coherence of traditional philosophies. 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. Odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and their. Dec 02, 20 odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and their implications for education in africa. Jan 21, 20 a discourse on the major orientations in african philosophy. Dec 29, 2015 african philosophy is philosophy produced by african people, philosophy which presents african worldviews, or philosophy that uses distinct african philosophical methods.
Ebscohost serves thousands of libraries with premium essays, articles and other content including odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and their implications for education in africa. The article traces the development of the ideals of henry odera oruka, founder of sage philosophy in relation to african philosophy in africa. African sage philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Masolo who was a long time colleague of odera oruka at the department of philosophy differ on interpreting oruka s philosophy or his works. According to this school represented by basically four african philosophers, kwasi wiredu, paulin hountondji, oruka odera and peter bodunrin, african philosophy is the philosophy done by african philosophers be it on the subject matter that is african or alien. Odera oruka the expression african philosophy often ani mates the question w hat is african philoso phy. In his famous four trends article, he divided african philosophy into four. African sage philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
Consequently, in this paper, we reflect on the relevance to education in africa of the four trends in african philosophy clearly outlined by oruka. Oswell hapanyengwichemhuru, odera orukas four trends in. Module year of publication title of publication edition publisher chapter. Indeed, among ethnophilosophers are those who, to use outlaws words, sought. Gail presbey, who had done some collaborative researches with odcra oruka on sage philosophy for several months until just before his death, and d. Pdf from llb pls1502 at university of south africa. At the university, henry odera oruka 19441995 popularized the term sage. Henry odera oruka was a kenyan philosopher who is best known for sage philosophy. 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. Odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and their implications for education in africa oswell hapanyengwichemhuru department of educational foundations university of zimbabwe zimbabwe email protected thought and practice. In sage philosophy 1991, oruka makes additions to this list to bring the number of the trends to six, including hermeneutic philosophy and artistic or literary philosophy. Odera oruka s four trends in african philosophy and their implications for education in africa 41 reflections on the four trends in african philosophy to shed light on education in africa. Many readers and anthologies, introductions, and other paedagogical publications have. O hapanyengwi odera orukas four trends and their implications.
In a paper presented at the international symposium in memory of dr william amo, the ghanaian philosopher who taught in german universities in the early part of the eighteenth century, professor odera oruka identified four trends, perhaps more appropriately approaches, in current african philosophy. Phi 207 trends and orientations in african philosophy. A journal of the philosophical association of kenya pak new series, 52. Pdf odera orukas account of the foundation of human rights. Odera oruka s four trends in african philosophy and their implications for education in africa. Methodology, african philosophy, philosophic sagacity. Odera oruka, four trends in current african philosophy. The four philosophical trends identified by oruka are, thus. Definition of african philosophy essay pls1502 unisa. Understanding of african philosophy through philosophy for.
The question of african philosophy philosophy cambridge core. Consequently, african philosophy is embedded in both the oral and written traditions of africa oladipo 2002, 334. The sage philosophy project began in the mid1970s at the department of philosophy of the university of nairobi kenya. This undertaking is pertinent in the light of the dearth of literature on african philosophy of education. The four trends of african philosophy introduced by oruka are. These trends are significant in that they illustrate that there is more to african philosophy than traditions and cultures or even a worldviews such as ubuntu. Phi 207 trends and orientations in african philosophy youtube. The present paper argues that there is need for further philosophical. A discourse on the major orientations in african philosophy. In another essay popularly associated with his name, oruka identified four main trends to be constitutive of african philosophy, namely i african ethnophilosophy, ii african nationalistideological philosophy, iii professional african philosophy, and of course, iv the african sage philosophy under consideration here. Odera oruka identified four trends or approaches in this discussion. Project muse african philosophy and thought systems. Henry odera oruka 1 june 1944, nyanza province 9 december 1995, nairobi was a kenyan philosopher who is best known for sage philosophy.
African philosophy is or could be, namely, ethnophilosophy. Odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and their implications for. The classification by this nairobian philosopher odera oruka of different approaches in african. A critique 201 page 201 of 20 contemporary af rican philosophy, the method has the goal of retrieving the authentic. What is here called crosscultural understanding is itself a kind of compara. Current trends and perspectives in african philosophy a. The first four are the generally well known and well explained schools of african philosophy. H odera orukas four trends in african philosophy when studying orukas classification, keep in mind that he comes from the englishspeaking side and does not represent francophone african philosophy in his classification. And he dwells particularly on the nature of african philosophy, bringing orukas framework into focus. Unit 3 essay oruka four trends pls1502 unisa studocu. In his article, sagacity in african philosophy 1991, oruka maintains that among the traditional folk of africa, uninfluenced by modern education, there are genuine. It was a project started in the 1970s in an attempt to preserve the knowledge of the indigenous thinkers in traditional african communities.
Pdf odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and their. In the last four decades, there has been a lively debate regarding the nature and status of african philosophy. He starts by examining four trends or approaches identified by odera oruka regarding what people have charac terized as african philosophy. Of these three, the study finds that it is the last one that offers a genuine and noncontroversial approach to african philosophy. Henry odera oruka and the question of methodology in african philosophy. In this philosophical trend, sages get the status of formal community thinkers. The significance of philosophic sagacity in african philosophy. Oruka, four trends in current african philosophy, presented at the william amo symposium in accra, 2429 july 1978. Odera oruka 19441995 to the growth of contemporary african philosophy, as well as on the way in which he helped to locate african philosophy within the global philosophical discourse.
The late kenyan philosopher, henry odera oruka, identified six schools of thought on what. Pdf henry odera oruka and the question of methodology in. The late kenyan philosopher, henry odera oruka, identified six schools of thought on what african philosophy is or could be, namely, ethno philosophy, philosophic sagacity, nationalisticideological philosophy, professional philosophy, hermeneutic philosophy, and artistic or literary philosophy. It is important to note that oruka did not see these trends as separated in a strong sense.
Representative authors in this category are tempels, senghor, mbiti and kagame. A journal of the philosophical association of kenya pak new series, vol. Philosophy from africa r cm trends in current african csoph h. His work in areas such as normative and applied ethics, political philosophy, epistemology, and, most notably, philosophic sagacity, continues to. African philosophy is philosophy produced by african people, philosophy which presents african worldviews, or philosophy that uses distinct african philosophical methods. In an attempt either to answer this ques tion or demonstrate examples of african philo sophical thought, various proposals and findings have sprang up. H odera oruka s four trends in african philosophy when studying oruka s classification, keep in mind that he comes from the englishspeaking side and does not represent francophone african philosophy in his classification. In the introduction to the chapter, moya deacon accepts orukas classification as a startingpoint, paints a sympathetic picture of tempels and evaluates his contribution to african philosophy positively. View notes oruka four trends in current african philosophy.
At the university, henry odera oruka 19441995 popularized the term sage philosophy project, and closely related terms such as philosophic sagacity, both by initiating a project of interviewing african sages, and by naming this project in. In his treatment of the question of african philosophy, he deals with the twin question of the existence and nature of african philosophy. To these philosophers, african philosophy today is predominantly a metaphilosophy. Oruka 1990a identifies four main trends in contemporary african philosophy. Odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and. Odera orukas contribution to philosophy 171 homage to odera oruka, in our view, would be incomplete without touching on his antidote to the tirade on reason in africa as found in two trends in african philosophy that he branded as ethnophilosophy and professional philosophy. The late kenyan philosopher, henry odera oruka, identified six schools of thought on what african philosophy is or could be, namely, ethnophilosophy, philosophic sagacity, nationalisticideological philosophy, professional philosophy, hermeneutic philosophy, and artistic or literary philosophy. Pdf odera orukas four trends in african philosophy and.
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