African Philosophy (PG)

Prerequisites

Students wishing to take the this module as their major option on a programme of study are strongly advised to also take the course 'Afrophone Philosophies' 15PAFH009 . This module can be taken on its own as a minor.

On the following programmes this module may only be taken as a minor:

• MA History (Africa)
• MA Historical Research
• MA Comparative Literature

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

At the end of the module, a student should be able to demonstrate…

1. having solid knowledge of African Philosophy, its history, main topics, and its relationship to other philosophical discourses in the world (European philosophies, Intercultural Philosophy, Latin American philosophy, etc.)
2. having developed the ability of fundamental reflection and critical analysis of central philosophical issues
3. having developed a critical approach to the underlying cultural presuppositions of philosophical discourses
4. being able to give conference papers
5. being able to produce high-quality academic writing
6. being able to give conference papers
7. being able to produce high-quality academic writing

Workload

Total of 10 weeks teaching with 2 hours classroom contact per week consisting of a 1 hour lecture and 1 hour tutorial.

Scope and syllabus

This module outlines the development of African Philosophy in the 20th century, a discourse that hinges on the following questions: does philosophy exist in Africa? What are the specific qualities that distinguish it from Western philosophy? We will survey the trends in African philosophical thought classified under the rubrics of "ethnophilosophy", "nationalist-ideological philosophy", "sage philosophy", and "professional philosophy", and discuss specific concepts with philosophical reference or resonance, such as race, time, but also development or art. Several classes will be devoted to influential contemporary philosophers, in particular Paulin Hountondji, Kwame Anthony Appiah, V.-Y. Mudimbe, Henry Odera Oruka, and Kwasi Wiredu.

Method of assessment

One, 2 500 word essay to be submitted on day 5, week 1 of the term after the term in which the course has run; one 20-minute oral presentation on the selected essay topics and the bibliographic sources for the essays (30%).

Convenor

Elvis Imafidon

Suggested reading

The following titles provide suitable introductory readings. The full reading list for this module will be made available from the convenor at the beginning of the module.

• Hallen, Barry. 2009 (20021). A Short History of African Philosophy. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
• Imbo, Samuel Oluoch. 1998. An Introduction to African Philosophy. Lanham et al.: Rowman and Littlefield.
• Masolo, Dismas A. 1994. African Philosophy in Search of Identity. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
• Wiredu, Kwasi (ed.). 2004. A Companion to African Philosophy. Malden, Oxford, Victoria: Blackwell Publishing.

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules