African Philosophy of Education Through a (Post)Critical Lens
Yusef Waghid and Phillip Higgs
1 Introduction
Our current understandings of the notion of an African philosophy of education emanate from
our pedagogical encounters with students and insights of philosophy of education over the
past two decades. Both of us (the authors) have been influenced to a large extent by the
(post)analytical tradition of philosophy of education that focuses on firstly, a critical view of
education; and secondly, a poststructuralist understanding of education. In other words,
inasmuch as we are attracted to an African philosophy of education that is commensurable
with critical discourse and poststructuralist thought, we remain concerned with concepts and
practices that are in consonance with the achievement of socially just human relations,
specifically on the African continent. Unlike an exclusively analytical view of African
philosophy of education that focuses overwhelmingly on ideas that make the concept what it
is, we are also concerned with how practices of such a philosophy of education attune to the
achievement of social justice within human forms of engagement – that is, to consider an
African philosophy of education in action. In this regard, by drawing on established
understandings of an African philosophy of education we show as to why and how the
concept can firstly be linked to critical understanding; and secondly, we make a case for
African philosophy of education as a poststructuralist notion of education.
2 Philosophical/Conceptual Underpinning of an African Philosophy of Education
2.1 African philosophy of education and what it mean to be “an African”?
What is so unique about an African philosophy of education? Does the construction of an
African philosophy of education isolate it, or exclude it from other forms of philosophy? To
pre-fix the notion of ‘African’ to philosophy of education suggests that such a philosophy of
education is framed by what it means to be African. We use ‘African’ in the sense not that
every African adheres to such a philosophy; but in the sense that an African philosophical
system arises from, and hence, is somewhat related to African thought, practice, and tradition.
And, just as European philosophy, Western philosophy and Oriental philosophy are labels
one accords to different experiences, traditions, cultures, values and attitudes of people in
those areas, so we use African in a non-essentialist way. In other words, we approach an
African philosophy of education as a means to make sense of, and make visible those
experiences and enactments, which speak to its African-ness, yet remains accessible to other
thoughts and traditions. In this sense, it is not as if ideas about African philosophy are not
found in other traditions. Similar ideas on African philosophy are echoed, seen, interpreted,
and analysed by us as African thinkers. Drawing on our foundational understanding of an
African philosophy of education, our contention is that being ‘African’ is an identity which
accentuates human beings’ concern to act in the interest of Africa even if it means that one
might not necessarily reside on the continent. This means that having an African identity does
Yusef Waghid and Phillip Higgs
1 Introduction
Our current understandings of the notion of an African philosophy of education emanate from
our pedagogical encounters with students and insights of philosophy of education over the
past two decades. Both of us (the authors) have been influenced to a large extent by the
(post)analytical tradition of philosophy of education that focuses on firstly, a critical view of
education; and secondly, a poststructuralist understanding of education. In other words,
inasmuch as we are attracted to an African philosophy of education that is commensurable
with critical discourse and poststructuralist thought, we remain concerned with concepts and
practices that are in consonance with the achievement of socially just human relations,
specifically on the African continent. Unlike an exclusively analytical view of African
philosophy of education that focuses overwhelmingly on ideas that make the concept what it
is, we are also concerned with how practices of such a philosophy of education attune to the
achievement of social justice within human forms of engagement – that is, to consider an
African philosophy of education in action. In this regard, by drawing on established
understandings of an African philosophy of education we show as to why and how the
concept can firstly be linked to critical understanding; and secondly, we make a case for
African philosophy of education as a poststructuralist notion of education.
2 Philosophical/Conceptual Underpinning of an African Philosophy of Education
2.1 African philosophy of education and what it mean to be “an African”?
What is so unique about an African philosophy of education? Does the construction of an
African philosophy of education isolate it, or exclude it from other forms of philosophy? To
pre-fix the notion of ‘African’ to philosophy of education suggests that such a philosophy of
education is framed by what it means to be African. We use ‘African’ in the sense not that
every African adheres to such a philosophy; but in the sense that an African philosophical
system arises from, and hence, is somewhat related to African thought, practice, and tradition.
And, just as European philosophy, Western philosophy and Oriental philosophy are labels
one accords to different experiences, traditions, cultures, values and attitudes of people in
those areas, so we use African in a non-essentialist way. In other words, we approach an
African philosophy of education as a means to make sense of, and make visible those
experiences and enactments, which speak to its African-ness, yet remains accessible to other
thoughts and traditions. In this sense, it is not as if ideas about African philosophy are not
found in other traditions. Similar ideas on African philosophy are echoed, seen, interpreted,
and analysed by us as African thinkers. Drawing on our foundational understanding of an
African philosophy of education, our contention is that being ‘African’ is an identity which
accentuates human beings’ concern to act in the interest of Africa even if it means that one
might not necessarily reside on the continent. This means that having an African identity does
