PLS1502 EXAMPACKS
2016 & 2017
INTRODUCTION TO
AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
,2016 MAY/JUNE ANSWERS:
Section A
1.1. Savage v civilised
The difference between civilized and savage is that civilized is having a highly developed society or
culture while savage is an uncivilized or feral human, a barbarian or inferior, not cultivated society.
In this case, the civilised was the western world whereas the savage was the African world. In this
context, Africa was referred to as a nation that cannot be the strategic intellectuals in running its own
affairs because it suffers from lack of extraordinary intelligence or individual genius. Westerners are
referred to as the civilised society because it has the ability to put things into writings, they are the
carrier of the wisdom and sagacity.
Pre-logical v logical
Africans were regarded as the nation that is represented by the notion of pre-logical as opposed to
logical. This is because Africa practices that which includes cultural activities and has a lot of unwritten
beliefs. The westerners on the other hand are the ones who are logical because they undergo evolution
in thinking daily.
Westerners in this case are the superiors because they claim to be capable of using logic and reason and
invent things. And not using the communal beliefs but individual ingenuity.
Perceptual v conceptual
, Perceptual involves the ability of an individual to be aware of his surrounding through the senses.
Conceptual, on the other hand, comes from concepts or else abstract ideas. Africans are described as
the perceptual nation because they rely on the mythical and scientific spirit to understand themselves.
The westerners classify themselves as the conceptual nations because they rely on ideas and knowledge
through reason to keep moving.
Oral v written
This cause claims that Western civilisation is derived from writing, in the absence of which, Western
civilisation could never exist whereas African ‘savage’ is based on the oral (magical) things which are
commonly communal and not individualised.
Religious v scientific
African thought is taken as an illogical thought which does not understand or take serious alternative
thoughts, it lacks philosophy and logic, because it is religious and not scientific.
Western thought has a claim of its own, a claim that it is the only scientific and logical thought only
because it is a model of knowledge construction itself.
1.2. Ethnophilosophy deals much with the beliefs found in African cultures. These beliefs include the
activities of the kind. Such an approach treats African philosophy as a set of similar beliefs which are not
based on human reason or scientific knowledge. Ethonophilosophy is a communal thing and not an
individualised belief. He classifies it as trend which came from ethnic philosophy.
Philosophic sagacity is an individualist version of ethnophilosophy, this trend characterises the beliefs of
individuals as opposed to those of a community. The premise here is that, The sage goes beyond mere
knowledge and understanding to reflection and questioning the truth against all odds. Sage philosophy
is still known as the widely unwritten aspect of African philosophy. It lives in the minds of individuals and
not in text.
Professional philosophy this trend has a claim that for a philosophy to be authentic and real, it must be
put in writing. It then suggest that ethnophilosophy and sage philosophy are not part of the philosophy
because what they represent is not in text.
Nationalist-ideological philosophy might be seen as a special trend of philosophic sagacity, in which not
sages but ideologues are the subjects. We might see it as ‘professional political’ philosophy because it
has a lot of political techniques in it. I refer to it as a tank of ideology and not philosophy.
2016 & 2017
INTRODUCTION TO
AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
,2016 MAY/JUNE ANSWERS:
Section A
1.1. Savage v civilised
The difference between civilized and savage is that civilized is having a highly developed society or
culture while savage is an uncivilized or feral human, a barbarian or inferior, not cultivated society.
In this case, the civilised was the western world whereas the savage was the African world. In this
context, Africa was referred to as a nation that cannot be the strategic intellectuals in running its own
affairs because it suffers from lack of extraordinary intelligence or individual genius. Westerners are
referred to as the civilised society because it has the ability to put things into writings, they are the
carrier of the wisdom and sagacity.
Pre-logical v logical
Africans were regarded as the nation that is represented by the notion of pre-logical as opposed to
logical. This is because Africa practices that which includes cultural activities and has a lot of unwritten
beliefs. The westerners on the other hand are the ones who are logical because they undergo evolution
in thinking daily.
Westerners in this case are the superiors because they claim to be capable of using logic and reason and
invent things. And not using the communal beliefs but individual ingenuity.
Perceptual v conceptual
, Perceptual involves the ability of an individual to be aware of his surrounding through the senses.
Conceptual, on the other hand, comes from concepts or else abstract ideas. Africans are described as
the perceptual nation because they rely on the mythical and scientific spirit to understand themselves.
The westerners classify themselves as the conceptual nations because they rely on ideas and knowledge
through reason to keep moving.
Oral v written
This cause claims that Western civilisation is derived from writing, in the absence of which, Western
civilisation could never exist whereas African ‘savage’ is based on the oral (magical) things which are
commonly communal and not individualised.
Religious v scientific
African thought is taken as an illogical thought which does not understand or take serious alternative
thoughts, it lacks philosophy and logic, because it is religious and not scientific.
Western thought has a claim of its own, a claim that it is the only scientific and logical thought only
because it is a model of knowledge construction itself.
1.2. Ethnophilosophy deals much with the beliefs found in African cultures. These beliefs include the
activities of the kind. Such an approach treats African philosophy as a set of similar beliefs which are not
based on human reason or scientific knowledge. Ethonophilosophy is a communal thing and not an
individualised belief. He classifies it as trend which came from ethnic philosophy.
Philosophic sagacity is an individualist version of ethnophilosophy, this trend characterises the beliefs of
individuals as opposed to those of a community. The premise here is that, The sage goes beyond mere
knowledge and understanding to reflection and questioning the truth against all odds. Sage philosophy
is still known as the widely unwritten aspect of African philosophy. It lives in the minds of individuals and
not in text.
Professional philosophy this trend has a claim that for a philosophy to be authentic and real, it must be
put in writing. It then suggest that ethnophilosophy and sage philosophy are not part of the philosophy
because what they represent is not in text.
Nationalist-ideological philosophy might be seen as a special trend of philosophic sagacity, in which not
sages but ideologues are the subjects. We might see it as ‘professional political’ philosophy because it
has a lot of political techniques in it. I refer to it as a tank of ideology and not philosophy.
