The world has been under the impression that Africa was a dark continent, that it was primitive. Scholars always refrained from using the words 'philosophy' and 'wisdom' in the same sentence when it came to Africa. People tend to look at this vast continent with scorn as a place where its natives delved in black magic and the belief in the occult practices. The truth is far from that.
As far as philosophy is concerned, Africa can be divided into two geographical locations - North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. The contributions by the North African dwellers are said to be predating the Egyptian dynastic era. With the spread of the Abrahamic religions to this area, many thinkers gifted their input into Jewish, Christian and Islamic epistemologies. Offhand, philosophers such as Augustine of Hippo, Ibn Sab'in, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), and Ibn Bajjah come to mind.The Sub Saharan region, however, is more complicated. With 3,000 over tribes occupying that area with no written language or sacred text, analysis becomes problematic. The similarity is there, nevertheless, on the concept of time and personhood. If they are any indications, oral history and proverbs that had passed from generations to generations may give insight into their general outlook of life.
John Samuel Mbiti, a professor and a parish minister, through his research into African oral traditions, has challenged the long-held Christian assumption that African religious ideas were 'demonic and anti-Christian'.
Exciting concepts that I gathered after listening to Professor Peter Adamson's 'History of Africana Philosophy' involve the idea of God and time.
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| Sankofa symbol - Twi language, means 'reach back and get it' |
In these cultures, time is categorised into the past, present and immediate future. There is no future because the future is actually only in memory as we move along in time. Sasha (now) slowly moves along to become the long-forgotten past (Zamani). Sasha denotes spirits remembered by those living. As the present dies, they would eventually go into the hidden history, Zamani, where nobody present remembers. So, in a way, they are telling that time moves in a loop. We live for the future, but in actual fact, we get pushed into the past. The spirits only leave the mortal body but are forever present in the spiritual world. There is no distinction between the physical and spiritual world. The physical body decays, but the spirit moves to another existence.
This pretty much resonates with David Eagleman's 'Three Stages of Death': the first is when the body ceases to function. The second is when the body is consigned to the grave. The third is that moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time.
The African concept of God is closely linked to their dependence on Nature and land. A non-anthropomorphic omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient Supreme Being that exerts His powers via Nature and in phenomena beyond human control.
This pretty much resonates with David Eagleman's 'Three Stages of Death': the first is when the body ceases to function. The second is when the body is consigned to the grave. The third is that moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time.
The African concept of God is closely linked to their dependence on Nature and land. A non-anthropomorphic omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient Supreme Being that exerts His powers via Nature and in phenomena beyond human control.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/African_philosophy
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Every ancient culture has its own unique wisdom and philosophy. Thanks to evangelism so many ancient cultures are lost - along with the ancient wisdom and insights they carried.
ReplyDeleteThe ancient civilisations were too humble. They realised that to know everything, one has to realise that he knows nothing. These give the colonialists a card blanche for them to steamroll their subjects.
ReplyDeleteReminded of the story. The bushmen of Kalahari!
ReplyDeleteThe essence of ancient civilization brought out here so beautifully
They lived in sync with Nature
DeleteThe ancients acquire their own wisdom by understanding and learning from the surrounding and nature. Hence co-exist with nature to develop believes and practices!
ReplyDeleteWhich we lost since Industrial Revolution. Our rapacious needs have no boundaries!
DeleteThe ancients acquire their own wisdom by understanding and learning from the surrounding and nature. Hence co-exist with nature to develop believes and practices!
ReplyDelete