|
Complementary Reflection,
African Philosophy and General Issues in Philosophy |
RACISM,
PHILOSOPHY AND AFRICAN THOUGHT
Presented
by
Elogbo, James
M.
Enyimba, Maduka
Ezekwem, Ikenna. C.
Gureje, Eumice .O.
Isogon Kizito
Kalu, David .A.
Nduke,Emen .E.
Nwobum, Cordelia .U.
Ubani, Ozioma J.
2.3 Racism and
Hegelianism…. … … … By
Isogon Kizito
Cited works
3.1 Negative
impacts…. … … … … By Gureje, Eunice
3.2 Positive
impacts…. … … … … By Nduke, Emen
3.3 Colonisation…. … … … … By
Obi-Osang, Titilayo
Cited
works.
4.1 The role of
African philosophy in fighting racism…. By
Ubani Joel
4.2
Decolonisation…. … … … … …
4.3
4.4 The question of
African philosophy…. … … By Ezekwem, I
Cited works
CONCLUSION
5.1 Recommendations
and solutions…. … By
Nwobum, Cordelie
CHAPTER ONE:
By Emmanuel
Iniobong.
1.1
1.1 1.1 INTRODUCTION:
Racism as a concept has a derogatory nature and content such that it
spreads a bad odour because of its anti-humanistic tendencies in almost every
aspect of our interest and endeavours.
In
the consideration of this topic one would discover that to the westerner the
Africans do not have any rationality hence they cannot philosophise and make
good value judgement of a particular situation. To them, there is nothing like
an African philosophy and because of this assertion one would crystally see the
racial tendency and prejudice amongst the westerners towards the Africans. The
Africans have hitherto been discriminated in issues that are deemed technical
and systematic because of the alleged fact that they have no rationality. But
is it really the case that the Africans have no rationality and thus cannot
philosophise? Who does set the standards for rationality? This is a food for
thought for all.
Philosophy
is a cognitive cultural human activity. Everybody everywhere philosophises in
one way or the other from time to time, this is because rationality is one of
the characteristics of the psychosomatic nature of men. So for us to say that
philosophy stared with Thales of Miletus brings our understanding to disrepute
makes nonsense of our assertion and claims. Thus it is obvious that there is an
element of racism in the assertion that the African’s have no rationality and
philosophy. Apart from this, some very popular racist like Hegel, David Hume,
Kant etc have all had one degrading remarks made towards the Africans. Some
like Trevor-Roper have made the claim that there is nothing like African
History. Hegel equally dismissed Africa as a candidate of world history. From
all this it seems to me that the westerners are using their culture i.e. the
westerners think that their culture is superior to that of the Africans? When even Hegel in his dialectical turn of
mind affirms that the truth is in the whole? This is partiality in its entirety.
The
reports of the Europeans explorers, merchants, missionaries and
colonialists who visited Africa had an interpretation of Africa coloured by
their motives and sentiments. Because recent discoveries have proved them wrong.
Africa
indeed has suffered a lot as a result of racism and discrimination because our
culture and civilisation has been misrepresented and distorted. There is now a
new challenge to look into the African past in other to understand and explain
her present. Just like what the book of Ecclesiastics posit in chapter 1 verse
9 that there is nothing new under the sun. Most western philosophies are
confortable inherent in our Africa folklores, riddles wise-sayings etc though,
the Europeans would want an extra-faith Knowledge of European history and
social existence ever though Christianity came to Ethiopia first before Paul
took it to Macedonian, the African continent is now pejoratively notioned
“third world” as underdeveloped or on the –way- to- development. The Boer
racism policy in apartheid saw to the extermination of Hottentot tribes and
other killings in Africa readily comes to mind.
Today,
emphases have shifted even to the aspect of knowledge. The African have really
been discriminated intellectually and seen as people that do not have a soul
and rational faculty. And that is why the issue of African philosophy should be
taken very seriously because it has come to be discovered that the philosophies
of most westerners are things that the African have been aware of long-time
ago though it has been modified with
bombastic and jaw-breaking vocabulary like Immanuel Kant’s categorical
imperative for example. The Africans can start from somewhere articulates their
philosophies and document them. Though very impressively, this is already on
course as we have great renowned African philosophers like Hountondji, Bodunri,
Wiredu, Omoregbe etc. towing this line.
In
this work however, we want to, as our contributions to the sustenance of Africa
philosophy, project further this crusade that African philosophy is real and
has come to stay as we argue vividly from true philosophical perspective. Enough
of this racism to African philosophy and in attempt to achieve this we have
divided this work into five chapters where some concepts shall be clarified
like what is racism?, what is philosophy? And what is Africa thought? in
chapter one; then we shall look at racism and philosophy in chapter two, and in
chapter three, we shall talk about the impact of racism in Africa and in
chapter four we shall examine racism in African thought and finally in chapter
five we shall give a conclusions, recommendation and solutions.
1.2
1.2 1.2
WHAT IS
RACISM?
According
to Longman Dictionary of contemporary English, Racism is defined as unfair
treatment of people, or violence against them, because they belong to a
different race from your own; also it is the belief that different race of
people have different character and abilities and that the quanlities of your
own race are the best.
Also in the
Encyclopaedia Britannica vol. 16 racism is seen as the theory or idea that
there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and certain traits of
personality, intellect or culture and combined with it, the notion that some
races are inherently superior to others. The term racism has no necessary
relation to biological or anthropological definitions of race, a subdivision of
a species. Racist ideas are often indiscriminately extended to apply to such
non-biological and non-racial groupings as religious sects, nations, linguistic
groups, and ethnic or cultural groups. As one authority has noted, “racism is
quite different from a mere acceptance of scientific and objective study of
fact of race and the fact of the present inequality of human groups (Cosmas
52-3)
Definition Of Racial Terms
1.
1.
1.
Racial
And Ethnic Criteria: Race, in the sense relevant to racism, refers to human
group that defines itself or is defined by others as culturally different by
virtue of innate immutable physical characteristics. Thus under racism a race
is defined socially but on the basis of physical characteristics.
2.
2.
2.
Ethnocentrism
And Racism: Parallel to the problem of distinguishing between race and ethnic
group is the problem of distinguishing between racism and ethnocentrism. The
distinction is that in ethnocentrism, presumably, the alleged inferiority,
disabilities, and negative traits of the out-group are thought to be culturally
determined only, where as in racism there is a belief that the disabilities are
inborn.
3.
3.
3.
Discrimination
And Prejudice: The term racial discrimination denotes all forms of differential
behaviour based on race. The most notable from of racial discrimination is of
course, physical segregation by race, but there are more others, such as rules
of etiquette defining forms of address between racial superiors and inferiors
or choice of friends or spouses. Racial endogamy (that is, marrying within
one’s own racial group) is frequently required and almost always preferred in
racially stratified societies. Commensality rules (rules determining with whom
one may or may not eat) are also a very common manifestation.
1.3
1.3 1.3 WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
By Elogbo James
Although
people in the western world have philosophised for more than 2,500 years. The
exact nature of philosophy is still a matter of dispute. Philosophy originally
began as a curious mixture of scientific, Theological, magical “and ethical”
explanation of the common and uncommon features of the world. The concept of
philosophy like most other abstract concepts cannot be give a precise
definition that will command general acceptance. This is why the attempt to
define the concept philosophy has itself posed a philosophical problem and to
avoid the difficulties involved in defining philosophy some scholars may resort
to tracing the etymological root meaning of the concept. In these connection
the concept philosophy is derived from two Greek words namely “Philein” meaning
love, and “Sophia” meaning Wisdom. These two words conjoined together gives the
etymological meaning of Philosophy, which in the light of the forgoing would
imply the love of wisdom. And the philosopher therefore can be said to be one
that loves wisdom. But this definition is debatable. This is because the Greek
works “ Sophia” which is literally translated. Into English as “wisdom” had a
much wider application more than the Modern English word Sophia for Homer, for
example refers to the skills of a carpenter, while Herodotus used the verb
“Philosophies” in the context in which it meant the desire to find out. In
these connections it has been stated that philosophia connotes the love of
exercising one’s curiosity and intelligence I wish to state that the exercise
of one’s curiousity or intelligence is not merely an aesthetic disposition. Rather
it is an exercise that yields knowledge, which in some way is useful in the
solution of problems. Since the philosopher inspite of his specialised interest
within the ambit of the discipline of philosophy is to articulate knowledge
that leads to the optimisation of some human interest.
On
a general note, however, the concept philosophy has variously been defined. For
instance the concept philosophy, especially in contemporary usage, could be
interpreted simply as a discipline of study in an academic institution. Apart
from this interpretation, there is also the popular notion of the concept
philosophy, which means any general theory or idea dealing with important questions
about life. In another perspective, philosophy has been defined as a free
rational inquiry into the nature and meaning of reality. Philosophy has also
been defined as thought about thought. This definition is in line with the view
articulated by Fredrick Copleston which posits that philosophy is a
second-order discipline which is capable of being applied to a variety of first
order disciplines and activities.
Finally,
philosophy is the search for authentic nature pre-occupies himself with the
search for this authentic truth.
1.4 WHAT
IS AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY AND AFRICAN THOUGHT
The
status of African philosophy as a philosophical discipline has been a major
point of disagreement. This intellectual bias was instigated mostly by David
Hume and G.W. Hegel who took it for granted that the Negro-African was bereft
of philosophical reflection, and
this was supported by even some
Africans themselves who were sceptical about the existence of African
philosophy. Thus they will not readily say yes to the question: is there an
African philosophy?. Someone like Henri maurier, thinking about philosophy in a
formalised way, as defined by the west,
says that there is no such thing as African philosophy, and if it is, it has
not yet come.
For
some others, there is such a thing as African philosophy that stands as a
legitimate course of study. But even among
those schools, both African and European, who thinks there is such a
discipline called ‘ African philosophy’ opinion are strongly divided. The
preceding view explains the reason why many approaches have been underlined by
scholars and odera Oruka identifies four or three trends to include:
1.
1.
1.
Ethno-philosophy:
these claim that philosophy is cultural. So for there to be an African
philosophy, then it must be rooted in the culture and traditions of the Afrian
people.
2.
2.
2.
Philosophic
sagacity: this belong to the realm of philosophising that seriously holds the
view that philosophy resides in the breast of individuals therefore rejecting
the holistic approaches to African philosophy.
3.
3.
3.
Nationalist-idealistic
philosophy: this is the word view derived from the political reactions of the
Nouveau African intellectuals to the imperialistic domination of the African
people.
4.
4.
4.
Professional-
philosophy: these are philosophers of African origin who received requisite
training in western philosophy and are now looking at philosophy as a universal
discipline with no cultural boundary so to them philosophy whether African or
not must be universal not cultural.
In all, African
philosophy is the critical, rational, systemic and coherent view of the African
on his problem and how to solve them.
African
thought on the other hand is the pre-scientific thought which tend to construct
explanation of natural phenomena in terms of the activities of gods and spirit.
Wiredu distinguished African thought from African philosophy, which according
to him African thought has to do with the inquiries of the African into natural
phenomena, which he attributes to the gods or the spirits.
Nwala,
on the other hand defined (African) thought as the manner and process of
forming ideas, concepts and judgements and hence the process of arriving at
believe and holding opinion as to the truth or nature of anything (Nwala, 76).
CITED WORKS
J. Cosmas, Racial
Myths: In the Race question in Modern Science, Unesco
1995
Long man Dictionary
of contemporary English new Edition, London: 1995
1956
Nwala, T.U. Igbo
philosophy, Lagos; Lantern books,
CHAPTER TWO
Having defined racism and philosophy one will immediately see that
certain racial traits colour or characterise some philosophical thoughts
especially as it concerns the European and the Africans. Most western
philosophers of the likes of David Hume, Immanuel Kant, G.W.F Hegel and Karl
Marx have distinguished themselves in this respect. It is this racist perception
of African that has led western scholars to deny Africans intellectual ability
and to describe them as incapable of any good thing. Such pejorative terms as
savages, primitives, barbarians, backwardness etc have been used to qualify
African and anything African. This is indeed very wrong and should not be the
case.
It
is against this backdrop that we in this chapter will attempt a critical
examination of the altitudes of Hume and Kant towards the Black race. The point
will be made that their thoughts or philosophies are coloured by racism and
therefore should be held with reservation.
2.1
2.1
2.1
HUME
ON NATIONAL CHARACTER
In
his essay on National Character, David Hume exhibited his aversion and contempt
for the black man. Because of his belief that a person’s intellectual ability
or otherwise is a function of his or her nativity or racial descent, Hume, held
that the African (the black-man) is incapable of logical thinking and is
therefore intellectually unproductive, among other inadequacies.
David
Hume has absolutely no respect for the blackman. He believes very strongly in
the idea that Europe is the model of humanity, culture and is history itself. It
is this type of belief; that led Hume, in the aforementioned essays to declare
thus:
I
am apt to suspect the Negroes
to
be naturally inferior to the
whites.
There scarcely ever was
a civilised
notion of that
complexion;
nor even any individual
eminent
in action or speculation…(Wiredu, 198).
From
the above, it is clear that Hume attaches great importance to complexion (the
color of a person’s skin), and accords it a prominent role in the
determination of a person’s rationality or irrationality. Indeed, one
cannot but describe Hume as a racist whose racial prejudice has greatly
coloured his philosophical insight. Continuing in his remarks against the
blackman, Hume said, there is;
No
ingenious manufacturers amongst them,
on
arts, no sciences. On the other hand
the most rude and barbarous of the whites, …
have
still Something eminent about them…
such
a uniform and constant difference
could
not happen…if nature had not made
original
distinction betwist these breeds of men(Eze, 214).
Here
Hume falls into the same error of causality which he earlier refused in his
philosophy, by saying that there is a causal relation between a person’s skin
colour and his intellectual capacity. Thus, he identifies skin colour as the
uniform, constant difference between two races of men. This is categorically as
incorrect as it is conrtradictory.
It
should be recalled here that David Hume in attacking the idea of causality had
argued that we cannot legitimately justify our impressions or sensation. According
him “it is because an object lies contiguous and prior to another that we say
there is a necessary connection”. For
him “there is no causation or succession, all objects are co-existent”
(Njoku,112).
Furthermore
on the black race, Hume asserts that any African who is respected by his people
for his intellectual achievement, must be seen as a mere parrot who cannot say
anything coherently. In his words:
In
Jamaica, indeed they talk of one
negroe
as a man of parts and learning;
but
it is likely that he is admired for
slender
accomplishments, like a parrot who
speaks
a few words plainly. (Wiredu, 199)
This
attitude of Hume puts a question mark on his philosophical disposition and
leaves one wondering how genuine a philosopher he was since he lacks the philosophical
attitude of open-mindedness and tolerance. David Hume is therefore
fundamentally wrong as his argument is based on a weak logic. This is
applicable to Kant whom we now consider.
2.2 KANT ON THE VARIETIES OF DIFFERENT RACES OF MEN
In
his “varieties of the different races of men”’ Immamuel Kant like Hume ascribed
to skin colour (white or black) the evidence of rational and therefore human
capacity or the lack of it. For instance, Kant said of one negroe:
This
man was black from head
to toes and this is a clear proof
that
what he said was stupid (Eze, 215)
This
is undoubtedly another case of fallacious argument. One cannot, as Kant has
just done, in this quotation, dismiss a person’s statement or position as
stupid simply because of his skin colour without first analysing the content or
structure of his or her statement or position to ascertain its truth value. This
attitude indeed does not befit a philosopher.
Yet
on the basis of this skin colour criterion Kant went on to divide the human
race into five distinct groups, namely,
Stem
genus: very brunette
First
Race: very blond (northern Europe)
Second
Race: copper-red (America)
Third
race: Black (Senegambia)
Fourth
race: olive yellow (indians)-(Eze,
215).
This classification
can be likened to the five varieties of human species distinguished by Linnaeus
in which African is at the base. (Mbefo, 26-27).
In
justifying his statement and position on this issue Kant directly appealed to
Hume’s statement. Cited earlier and said:
So
fundamental is the difference between
the two races of men and it appears
to be as
Great in regard to mental capacities
as
in colour (Tsenay, 237).
Indeed,
Kant falls into the same racial prejudice and narrow-mindedness which
characterised Hume’s writing and exposes their lack of genuine philosophical
attitude of open-mindedness and presuppositionless. Philosophical attitude
according to Nwala demands a “curiosity to know, maintenance of critical
attitude to life, openness of mind on all issue and lack of dogmatic assertion
or stand, but an attitude of tolerance and readiness to examine everything
without prejudice or pre-conceived notion” (Nwala, 2).
These
qualities are evidently lacking in the works of Hume and Kant under
consideration. This is particularly most unfortunate, especially when it is
recalled that these are men whose works and various writings have influenced a
lot of changes in the world.
It
is worthy of note here that it is not only in philosophy that racial bigotry
and cultural arrogance has prompted a disfigured perspective of the African by
Europeans. In 1963 for instance, Trevor Roper, a British professor of history
denied that African had a history. Mbefo quotes him as saying:
Perhaps
in the future there will be
some
African history…but at present
there
is none: There is only the history of
The
Europeans in Africa. The rest
is darkness…
And
darkness is not a subject of history (Mbefo, 10)
These
are all one sided and ignorant presentations of Africa history and philosophy
(thought). Apart from cultural arrogance and racial reasons, other reasons for
European’s erroneous view of African society as static and incapable of
initiating change and as possessing unintelligible thought, include the lack of
writing tradition in traditional Africa at that time, and the desire to
facilitate their colonial government in Africa. And this has had grave effects
in the African peoples and Culture.
Conclusively,
it is therefore, racial prejudice to describe some set of human beings as
incapable of reasoning, as primitive and or as savages because of their descent
or simply because they are of different race or origin from one. There is
indeed no moral, rational or logical justification for such far-reaching
conclusion or thinking.
In
fact, in our opinion, it is the one who is prone to such racial delusion that
should be referred to as primitive, inhuman and therefore must not be taken
very seriously. Hence, we Africans should desist from worshipping these people
and from accepting hook-line and sinker their ideas and thought as Connons and
apodectic. This must however, not be done as a matter of prejudice, but as a
matter of fact, because it is the truth; otherwise we will be falling into the
same racial bigotry with them.
As
Wiredu rightly pointed out, the African indeed possess a high degree of
coherent thought. For instance, “ the west has a lot to learn from our moral
thoughts which are free from superstition. It is therefore the task of
contemporary African philosophers to expose these aspects of traditional
thoughts and thereby correct these misconceptions of African thought.
2.3 RACISM
AND HEGELIANISM
By Isogin
Kizito
Of
all the injuries inflicted by racism on people of colour, the most corrosive is
the wound within, the internalised racism that leads some victims at
unspeakable cost to their own cause of say, to embrace the values of their ‘oppressor. “ H. Lack Geiger ( Steinem
1992:118)
Racism described that entrenched social and political distinctions
between sexes, races or classes on the boris of assumed superiority of one race
or clan over the other. This is basically based on prejudice.
Hegel
writing in contradiction to Aristotle, who stated that of all the races, only
the Caucasian race (white European and the descendants) have this inherent
capacity for rationality. According to Hegel the African, Indians and other
races lacked the capacity for rationality. Thus they cannot be classified as
humans. At best they are to be treated as sub-humans. This racial prejudice was
later developed in Germany into the Aryan Calt. This Aryan cult held that the
Aryan race was superior to all races.
Unfortunately,
experience today cart Hegel in this mould of an irrational thinker for
not only has it been proved and established that rationality is a universal
human heritage, race which Hegel excludes from the brackets of rationality have
been shown to have established great civilisation and centre of learning, that
herpes certain European countries at the time of Hegel
CITED
WORKS
Eze, E.C.
“Modern Western Philosophy And African Colonialism” in Eze,
E.C
(ed), African Philosophy: An Anthology, Oxford,
Blackwell
Publishers Inc, 1998.
Mbefo,
L.N, The Reshaping of African Traditions, Enugu, Spritan Publisher,
1988.
Njoku,
F.O.C, The Empiricist’s And Causation In Law, Enugu, Snaap press
Ltd.
2003
Nwala,
T.U, Igbo Philosophy, Lagos Lantern books, 1985.
Tseney,S,
“Colonialism And The Colonised: Violence And Counter
Violence”
Eze, E.C(ed.), African Philosophy: An anthology,
Oxford,
Blackwell, Publishers 1998.
Omoregbe.
J. A, Simplified history of western philosophy vol.3, Lagos
Joja
education research and pub ltd. 1991
Sertima.
I. Ivan, Blacks in science? Ancient and modern, London
transaction
books1983
Steinem.G,
Revolution from within. Boston Little Brown and Co. 1992
Wiredu,K,
“How Not To Compare African Thought With Western Thought”
in
Eze, E.C African philosophy: An anthology, Ibid
CHAPTER THREE
IMPACT OF RACISM IN
AFRICAN
By Gurje Eunice O.
3.1 NEGATIVE
IMPACT OF RACISM IN AFRICA
Before
saying some of the negative impacts of racism, I would like to define or say
what Racism is all about.
Racism
according to W.E.B.D Bois, it is a vast family of human being generally of
common blood and language always of common history, traditions and impulses,
who are both voluntarily and involuntarily striving together for the
accomplishment of ordain more or less vividly conceive ideas of life.
Turning
to real history, there can be no doubt, first, as the wide spread, nay,
universal, prevalence of the race idea, the race spirit the race idea, and as
to its efficiency as the vastest and most ingenious invention for; human
progress.
Racism,
as we have seen, is only one element of a vaster whole; that way of the
systematised oppression of a people. The consequences of Racism on cultural
level, we witness the destruction of cultural values of ways of life. Language,
dress, technique are deralorises.
Enslavement, in the strictest sense of the native
population is the prime necessity, for this its system of reference have to be
broken. Expropriation, spoliation, raids objective murder, are matched by the
sacking of cultural patterns, social panorama is destructured; values are
flaunted, crushed, emptied.
Exploitation-torture, raids collective liquidations,
rational oppression take turns at different levels in order to make of the
native an object in the hands of the occupying nation, the feel we can not
exist without them.
Also
to Westerner, the believe that African cannot philosophic because of anti
humanistic tendencies.
We
must tirelessly look for the repercussions racism at all levels of sociability.
The apathy so universally noted among colonial people is but the logical
consequence of this operation.
3.2
3.2
3.2
THE
POSITIVE IMPACT OF RACISM TO AFRICAN THOUGHT
By Nduke Emen
3.3
3.3
3.3 COLONISATION
By Obi-Osang, .V. Titilayo
Colonisation
means when country imposes its own government on another country and make it
subjects to its home government in which all loyalties and allegiance is to the
home government.
Colonisation
is of course a product of racism. The element of time cannot be eroded on the
impact of colonialism in African. The colonialists and the colonised agreed on
the haphazard nature and the incompleteness of the execution of European
intentions and action on the African continent a long period or duration that
would have given them enough scope to lead up the Africans from the state of
Savagery to that of civilisation.
The
change of policy then surface it was a period when the Africans felt that the
African spirit has to be reawaken. The spirit of nationalism began to emerge
through the African colonies. There were of course “internal force” and
“external force” agitating and pressuring the government to grant independence
to the colonies. By the latter force, it meant the anti-colonial force
determining decision about colonies at the United Nation while the former force
meant the Nationalistic movements and the agitation of a small but vociferous
group in the labour movement which fought for the instance Nnamdi Azikiwe in
Nigeria and Julius Nyerere in Tanganyika used their developed specific form of
diplomacy to win European confidence. Azikiwe used his Newspaper (the Pilot) to
agitate and to bring out his nationalistic and to bring out his nationalistic
view, he was also fired by an ambition he had been imbued with, especially by
the influence in his formative years by his mentor Dr.Aggrey. By this Azikiwe
had the notion that given the opportunity and the education, the Negro would
prove that he is not inferior to the white. As Luke Nnamdi Mbefo said in his
book titled –“ The Reshaping of African traditions”, he said Azikiwe was imitative,
his goal was not to be himself, to evolve his own identity but to be another
Aggery. In the course of his search to reach this ideal, he was given an added
motive to show the white-man, the black-man’s latent possibilities namely, “the
Europeans snubbed me and, as a defence mechanism, to myself that I would one
day be more developed than they intellectually”.
However,
the consequence of those forces is the rapid transfer of power. Its implication
varied with colonies. Which Nigeria possessed a large cluster of competent
professionals and administrators judging from her University degree holders,
there were no trained out personal in such countries as the Belgian, Congo and
Tanganyika. At independence in 1975, after five centuries of Portuguese domination,
98 percent of the Angolans were illiterate. In chad there were no paved roads
120 miles outside the capital, N’Djamens. The facts of bring surprised by
independence is evident in all the colonies, the former colonists have been
seeking and offering excuses for the mess they made of their opportunity in
Africa.
Colonialism also
brought about its negative and positive impacts in Africa. The negatives as
follows:
- It dampened to
African spirit often referred to as “Africanism”. “the way of life” of the Africans
for example by eroding some of our cultural values. Segregation and division
set in by having their own different colonies in Africa oneness was not well
fostered. Hence we have different official languages in Africa.
- It brought about
slave trade, our ancestors were taken to Europe to work as labourers.
-The colonial
masters were exploiting our raw material for their industries in Europe rather
than investing them on our land, they were taking and not putting in. taking
Nigeria for instance, at the gradual withdrawal and tail end of their story,
oil was discovered for the first time in Olobiri (Bayelsa State) in 1956, if
this had happened at the beginning of their story when the whites mostly
dominated the civil service, they would have come in droves like bees piercing
on honey to settle down and drain us of our oil. In south- Africa, we have so
many whites and this of course brought apartheid. In Zimbabwe, so many whites
own farming lands more than the black and this is why President Robert Mugabe
brought the land Reform issue.
-Colonisation sets
in “tribalism” for examples Nigeria the British came with their “ indirect
Rule” i.e. principles of “divide and rule in zoning, they divide the counter
into regions i.e. the northern regions Western region and eastern region. They
were well establish in the North because the North gave them little resistance
as against the other regions, hence they empowered the North politically
against other regions the positive impacts of colonisation an also not be over
looked.
Colonisation brought civilisation, there arose technological
development. In the farming sector for example, manual farming gave way for
mechanise farming, primitive implements were replaced by tractors.
There was improve
by medial heath care, death rate (mortality rate)be came reduced the prevalent
disease then was Malaria, Europeans brought anti-Malaria drugs.
Udo, D.E, King
of Love and Justice: An account of the life and contributions
of Martin Luther
King Jnr; and the State of race reletions in Britain, London:
whintestable , Lintho printer Ltd. 1995
CHAPTER
FOUR
RACISM
AND AFRICAN THOUGHT
4.1 4.1 4.1 THE ROLE OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
IN FIGHTING RACISM
by Ubani Ozioma
We
have heard about David Hume and Hegel’s view towards racism and as well the
impact of racism or what it has done especially to the African such positive
and negative ranging from underdevelopment, colonialism, tribalism and as well
ethnic conflict. But since we have African philosophy notwithstanding the
racial discrimination which is a rational and critical reflective activity
which answer question about African worldview; the question now is –is African
philosophy playing any role as to fight against racism, which has affected
African most?
In
this Chapter, I will look into some strategies Africa philosophy has mapped out
or some role created by Africa philosophy to achieved its functional objective
as regard in fighting against racism like-Africanism, decolonication and so on.
It
is noted that racism stands or shows an individualistic aspect of human
existence in which some set of human is better than others as in the area of
reflection critical and rational reason which is exactly what happened between
the Westerns and Africans who claim that they are rational and critical in
reason than African.
However,
Africa philosophy in its efforts to combat racism has created an identify for
Africa in projecting African worldview which is known as Africanism, and what
is Africaniasm? It is really African ways of life. One may also ask-what is
African ways of life? Africa ways of life is a way of life that holds strongly
on the principle of harmonious complementation in their traditional thought
which maintain that every thing that exist serves as a missing link of reality
and as a result the activity or thought of one person serves as a complement or
fulfilment to the other persons thought.
However,
this traditional thought is nothing more than thoughts of individuals in a
community in which ideas are being gotten through the reflective activity of
some individual philosophers who hence reflected on the fundamental question
arising from African human experience which according to professor Wiredu it is
“The common property of all and sundary”. African philosophy although initially
was not written down but in its effort to fight racism in Africa, African
philosophy developed channels for transmitting its own philosophy through some
categories like mythologies wise saying, traditional proverbs stories and
especially religion so as to show that they can reflect critically as well
because they explain their own world view.
However,
through Africanism which is African way of life –African philosophy has been
able to revolt at least theoretically against aspects of western colonialism
and racism which led the African to estrangement and alienation from customs. African
philosophy in its effort to fight racism not only advocate for Africanism, it
has also advocate for de-colonisation, in-fact some of its scholars has even
gone to the extremity advocate for conceptual de-colonisation which involve
moving away from western way of life entirely including its conceptual
framework.
Also,
African philosophy in creating an avenue for fighting racism completely was
seen able to equiped its citizen in the area of leasing, it is in such efforts
that gave rise to what is called consciencsism in philosophy that has
contributed in fighting racism. In this conseciencism Nkurumah saw racism as
man inhumanity to man and as a condemable distortion of the property of waste
and by conseiencism he mean intellectual map which will enable African society
to dissect the western and islamic and the Euro Christian elements in African
and development in such a way that they fit into the African personality. It is
also as a result of its effort in equipping its citizen through awareness that
made Frantz Fannon to advocate for violence as a means for fighting racism and
colonialism, which he said that it is violence in nature.
Conclusively
Africa philosophy has really created or played so many avenue or role in fighting racism but not only
de-colomication, Africanism, Consciensim and this mentioned there is still more
than that; Although it has done good work but a lot need to be done because
some part of Europe today for example is still holding a strong view towards
racism. However enough effort is needed by making more use some categories.
Beside,
African philosophy today in fighting against racism should also come down home
because racism has generated a negative spirit of ethnicity which has affected
nearly every family, life and groups in Nigeria ranging from racial employment,
admission into universities political appointment. Nigeria today is operating a
one party system because of racial effect inclinations. The political,
religious economic and social conflict in Nigeria today is as a result of
ethnic spirit, so for Africa philosophy to maintain its functional objective
should device a avenue as to eradicate or control racism.
4.2 4.2 4.2 DECOLONISATION
By kalu, David .A.
According
to oxford Advanced learners dictionary, to decolonise means to give independent
status to a colony. To be independent means not dependent on other things, not
controlled by other people or things. Furthermore, decolonisation is the
withdrawal from its former colonies of a colonial power; the acquisition of
political or economic independence by such colonies.
The
question that arises here is who has colonised African and how. In proffering
an answer to this question one must take cognisance that the present African status is not the traditional African
set up. The westerners colonised Africa, they inducted into Africans their own
culture, Religion, Tradition and mode of reasoning as a replacement of ours
which they claim is barberic, timid and unacceptable.
The
bid to colonise African by the Westerners stems from racism which is the belief
that some races are superior to others. The white is of the view that the black
man has nothing to offer, he is ill-educated and thus needs to be trained and
in their own way precisely. But the question that has not been properly
addressed is how and why would we accept that the Westerners are right while
the Africans are wrong? It is this question that necessitates and propels the
urge for decolonization.
Luke
Nnamdi Mbefo in his book the Reshaping of African tradition averres that
decolonization proposes a project of continuing the story of African from where
it was interrupted by the colonial invasion.The schools of set that sets to
effect a positive change on the issue
are the revolutionists Fannon and Cabral as well as the historian Mazrui and
Ajayi. Cabral argues “ we agree that history… is the result of class struggle,
but we have our own class of struggles in our country; the moment imperialism
arrived and colonialism arrived it made us leave our history and enter into
another history. This indicates that African history an be viewed as evolving
in three stages: pre-colonial period, colonial period and post colonial period
which coincides with what Carbal and others are struggling for namely
decolonisation. (61).
Decolonisation
is a call for African disengagement from colonial influence over the years, it
is an imperative to reflect African way of life, promote, her cultural
heritage, philosophise on African philosophy, promote African thoughts, arts,
myths and reality. It is a task that has grown in the mind of true Africans and
has vividly manifestations in their actions, thoughts and ideas. And any form
of cannot hinder this development externally. It is high time African
became African in their “true nature”(positive).
However,
this task might seem unpracticable to some, but then if decolonisation must be
achieved, it must start from the mind because until a colonised mind is
decolonised, then colonial influence would not be liberated. When the mind is
conscious of the fact that African approach, reflection, propaganda and action
would become African.
4.3
4.3 4.3 AFRICAN IDENTITY
Identity has to do with characteristics and distinguished
features by which a thing or someone could be referenced or thought of Identity
reveals who or what somebody or something is
African identity as a discuss implies that there are certain
features which are African and there also exist those that are not associated
with Africa.
…The call for “African way of life”. The heritage left by the
ancestor’s stirs up emotional response in the mass of African population. It is
important, however to ask, in what that heritage consists and what is reality “
the African way of life” is. The contrasts are highlighted in order to emphasise
a specifically African spirit that supposedly differ from the Western European.
(Mbefo,64)
The aphorism that emotion is black as reason is Greek is
controversial. Luke Mbefo in portraying African identity asserts that African
seek to understand and identify with the rhythm of nature rather than with
their effort to manipulate nature. Among themselves, the individual find
his-self fulfilment in the community rather than in isolation. Sympathy and
intuition rather than cold logic and analytic reason guide social procedure. The
moral and spiritual well-being is treasured above material and technological
comfort.(65).
In my analysis, the contemporary African is very conscious,
thoughtful, inventive, and sociable. He appreciates the complementality of both
Western and African cultures to harmonise social existence but refrains from
any ideology that would relegate the authenticity of African way of life. he is
critical and participates rationally to issues that aids mutual existence of
the societies.
The authentication of an identity that reflects African in
culture, tradition, philosophy, dressing, music, etc has become a conscious
orientation of all proud Africans who are involved in the undaunted task of
preaching, propagating, and exposing the uniqueness of the African way of life
as ideal and relevant to the African society and the world at large.
All cultures must be seen as borrowers, none should claim
originality of all she has and upholds. We have shared and would continue to
share diverse ideas, tradition and opinion for the sake of harmony and
complementation to better humanity.
The Western culture must accept that African cultures has
influenced than remarkably just like Africans cannot deny the influence of
Westerns culture.
4.4
4.4 4.4 THE
QUESTION OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY.
By
Ezekwem Ikenna
The question of African philosophy had been a controversial
issue in the study of philosophy. At best we can say it is a matter of mere
historical interest. The subject African philosophy is presently being taught
either as a self-subsisting course or as part of comparative philosophy in many
African universities. A number of these have been written on it by both
undergraduate and postgraduate students we acknowledge the pioneering effort of
such African scholars as P.O Bodunrin, J.O. Sodipo, J.I Omoregbe, K Wiredu, K.C
Anyanwu, Odera Oruka, P. Hountondji, C.Smomoh, B.C Okolo, I Onyewuenyi, Sophie
Oluwole and a host done a lot to promote African Philosophy.
However, a major area of disagreement among African
philosophers is what really is the nature of African philosophy? What
constitutes African philosophy? In considering the nature of African philosophy
we shall proffer three schools of African philosophy, namely, the
universalists, particularist, and the eclectic school.
For the universatist school, philosophy is the same
everywhere, using the same methodology. It was ably represented by P.O
Bodunrin, Kwasi Wiredu, Odera Oruka and Paul Houmtondji. For this school, a
philosophical problem is one that has a universal relevant to all men. This is
to say that fundamental questions and problem that cuts across geographical
boundaries and cultures. They are also of the view that for anything to pass as
philosophy at all, it must essentially be characterised by criticism and
argument for any body of thought that cannot withstand the sledge hammer of
criticism and argument is not worth its salt. They also stated that the
analytic specifically, dialectical method of inquiring is the ideal method of
doing philosophy. Following this method, “ when one is putting forward a
philosophical thesis, we expect him to state his case clearly, to state the
issue at stake as clearly as possible so that we can know what we are being
united to accept”. One must be able to show that his theory solves the problem
being death with than rival theories.
We also have the particularist School who claims that for
philosophy to be worth it salt, it must have local relevance that is to say it
must not be divorced from culture. According to then, we should not deny
African philosophy because of the tradition of writing (i.e. literacy of the
Greek philosophers including Socrates left, no writing, yet their philosophical
reflections are not only preserved through a writing tradition.
For the eclectic school the best approach to an understanding
of philosophy is a combination of the Universalist and particularlist
approached. For this school an intellectual romance between the Universalist
conception and particularist conception will give rise to authentic African
philosophy. The Universalist approach will provide the necessary analytic and
conceptual framework for the particularist school.
Meanwhile the Westerners attitude on Africa have been based on
mere cultural bias, which “gradually grew into a formidable two-proneg
historical reality slavery and slave trade on the one hand, and academic
expressions on the other hand. In the 18th, the black man or Negro
was eloquently given an intellectual rationalisation by G.W Hegel when he says
conciousness has not yet attained to the realisation of any substantial
objective existence.
For Hegel’s estimation, there is an ontological distinction
which the Negro is as yet bereft of: he cannot yet go beyond himself ---beyond
his histructual behaviour and posit the existence of a being outside of himself.
Following Hegel, levy-Bruhl was once attributed to have
gueried about how an untutored African could know God! For him it was the
reason whlie the frist missionary outreach in Black African was conceived as a
venture to rescue soul from the devil and for God.
Furthermore, in giving his report to the ethnological society
of London, Sir Samuel Baker wrote about African. For him without any exception
they are without a belief in a Supreme Being, neither have they any form of
worship or idolatry nor is the darkness of their minds enlightened by eve a ray
of superstition.
All these boils down to the fact that Westerners denies the
possibility of theistic knowledge without Western education where such a
possibility is admitted in the form of such unputed epithets as ‘ fetishism,
animism,’ nature worship and so on.
To conclude granted that philosophy is philosophy every where.
But since there is important areas which have to grapple with the problem of
society philosophy has a cultural dimension. This does not make African
philosophy synonymous with African culture. It simply means that African
philosophy has its roots or reunification in culture. Again it does not means
that we have to curve out some portion of reality and label it ‘African’ but
that like any other cultural philosophy (e.g. Indian philosophy) African
philosophy is adapted to explain reality from an African perspective.
CITED WORKS
Andrew,
F.Uduigwomen, Footmarks on African Philosophy 1995
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION,
From what we have studied, we can see that ‘ racism’ is the
belief, that some races are superior to
other races, and in this case, there is
always unfair treatment or dislike from a superior race.
The
Europeans have really criticised and discriminated African thought and ideas, I
think it is time for us African to say no to
their derogatory statement against
African culture.
Though the Europeans like David Hume, G.E. Hegel, Kant, Marx
etc. discriminates us because of our skin colour. For according to them, skin
colour determines whether a race is rational or irrational. If really the
Europeans call themselves rational human beings they should understand with
logical thinking or reasonable thought that skin colour can never determine a
race or persons ability or rationality.
I’m against such discrimination African culture which they
respect and restore, so why do they find delight in destroying the trace of the
African people? After all, both the Africans and Europeans are born naturally
and originally with the same characteristics. I think the only difference is
that some countries are more developed than the other.
In
tracing down to the Europeans achievement we will discover that their
achievements is based on their exploitation of African ideas, cultures and
thoughts, resources etc,. the Europeans, stole away African ideas which was
very rich in development. African resource which are very rich in wealth ,
African complimentality living which was rich in mutual association of
communities. The Europeans exploited all these, hen went to their countries or
races to developed it and turned back to calling us (Africans) timid and
village dwellers. It is time we say no to such derogatory words used against
our (African) race.
The Europeans should even be ashamed of themselves because
they are not rich in any kind of national acquisition like the Africans, rather
they come to Africans to exploit and steal theirs. What the Europeans do is
that, because of their non-sensical pride, they turn back to call Africans bad
names to cover up their exploits and thefts from African race forgetting that
no matter how a bady is in the womb of
her mother, that surely the mother will deliver of it, the truth is always open
to us and them.
The whites should not forget that “black” is beauty. They
(whites) calls us blacks forgetting that our skin colour if they should think
from that angel determine riches.
Let us African come out stand firm to saying no to the
Europeans, because they came to African and destroyed our African culture and
complimentality living abused our fathers minds, and stole away our culture and
able men, women and children through slavery. That is why these days in
Nigeria, the only three tribes and ethnic groups are against each other because
th imperative rule by the British, brought about the uncomplimentality and
unsymbiotic association between communities in Nigeria.
If the Europeans should call us hewers of wood and carriers of
water and all sorts of bad names, irrational beings, i stall say, it is because
we have strong and able and agile men and women and children in African, they are only jealous of African race and
capabilities which are not found in the white-man’s land. Nature blessed
African in all dimension that the Europeans because of their selfish and
uncontested mind wants to exploit us African of all we have thereby stealing
our possesion , till date . should the Europeans not be ashamed of themselves
for stealing and jealousness. But the problem in African is that the fools
amongst us African gives out our idea and ability to the white-men due to
ambivalence of human interest.
5.2 RECOMMENDATION
Based
on what I mentioned above, it time for African to appreciate their thoughts and
ideas tradition and culture, ethnic and values, which are rich and appetising.
African should remember tat the Europeans love exploited us
badly, that African should +not give room again for that.
African should also note tat most political problem in African
today is due to Europeans influence because they want to cause commotion
amongst and acquire everything we have. Their (white-men) selfishness is too
much.