INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
CLAIRE ARMSTRONG
STUDENT NUMBER: 11836237
PLS1502
ASSIGNMENT 01: 894664
DUE DATE: 24 MAY 2021
, Claire Armstrong 894664 PLS1502
Student number: 11836237 Assignment 1 10 May 2021
1. African Philosophy
There is no easy way or correct answer to describing what African Philosophy is. There
are so many different opinions of exactly what African Philosophy is. This has been a
common debate over the years. My understanding of African philosophy is that is
mainly the views, religion and ways of life of the people of African. African philosophy
is a post-colonial and recent practice. For a very long-time other people (non-Africans)
have been telling the world what Africans are and been defining Africans in words and
ways which is not always true. African philosophy can be practiced by Africans and
non-Africans, but who better to philosophise over an African way of life that an African
person him/herself? Figures like Imbo, Wiredu and Gyekye would be best to practice
African philosophy as Africa runs through their veins, it is who they are. African
philosophy is a way for African people to make sense of who they are and where they
come from using four trends; ethno-philosophy, philosophical sagacity, nationalist-
ideological philosophy and professional philosophy (Oruka, 2002).
2. Ethnophilosophy
Ethnophilosophy is a trend of African philosophy. Ethnophilosophy is what can
distinguish African philosophy from Western philosophy. Some African beliefs and
ideas are unwritten and passed down from generation to generation through stories,
legends, poems and songs. Ethnophilosophy is the codifying of these beliefs so that
they will be useful in philosophy. They are mostly pre-colonial. Through
ethnophilosophy these beliefs of philosophical positions and arguments are taken and
written or framed in terms of analytical philosophy and rewriting them in the style and
terminology of analytical philosophy (Carneades, 2019). Problems that can arise with
this method is the following; because these philosophies are not in literature with
ancient Greek it is not considered philosophy, it is uncertain about the authenticity
about these beliefs and ideas, and in some instances, it is not considered worthy of
studying (Carneades, 2019).
3. Philosophical sagacity
In our modern world of today it is hard to find people or even a single person who are
still very much intact with their origin and who lives and breathes where they come
from. In South Africa we live in a society that is very much Westernised and where we,
2
CLAIRE ARMSTRONG
STUDENT NUMBER: 11836237
PLS1502
ASSIGNMENT 01: 894664
DUE DATE: 24 MAY 2021
, Claire Armstrong 894664 PLS1502
Student number: 11836237 Assignment 1 10 May 2021
1. African Philosophy
There is no easy way or correct answer to describing what African Philosophy is. There
are so many different opinions of exactly what African Philosophy is. This has been a
common debate over the years. My understanding of African philosophy is that is
mainly the views, religion and ways of life of the people of African. African philosophy
is a post-colonial and recent practice. For a very long-time other people (non-Africans)
have been telling the world what Africans are and been defining Africans in words and
ways which is not always true. African philosophy can be practiced by Africans and
non-Africans, but who better to philosophise over an African way of life that an African
person him/herself? Figures like Imbo, Wiredu and Gyekye would be best to practice
African philosophy as Africa runs through their veins, it is who they are. African
philosophy is a way for African people to make sense of who they are and where they
come from using four trends; ethno-philosophy, philosophical sagacity, nationalist-
ideological philosophy and professional philosophy (Oruka, 2002).
2. Ethnophilosophy
Ethnophilosophy is a trend of African philosophy. Ethnophilosophy is what can
distinguish African philosophy from Western philosophy. Some African beliefs and
ideas are unwritten and passed down from generation to generation through stories,
legends, poems and songs. Ethnophilosophy is the codifying of these beliefs so that
they will be useful in philosophy. They are mostly pre-colonial. Through
ethnophilosophy these beliefs of philosophical positions and arguments are taken and
written or framed in terms of analytical philosophy and rewriting them in the style and
terminology of analytical philosophy (Carneades, 2019). Problems that can arise with
this method is the following; because these philosophies are not in literature with
ancient Greek it is not considered philosophy, it is uncertain about the authenticity
about these beliefs and ideas, and in some instances, it is not considered worthy of
studying (Carneades, 2019).
3. Philosophical sagacity
In our modern world of today it is hard to find people or even a single person who are
still very much intact with their origin and who lives and breathes where they come
from. In South Africa we live in a society that is very much Westernised and where we,
2
