Understanding African Philosophy: A Cross-cultural Approach to Classical and Contemporary IssuesUnderstanding African Philosophy serves as a critical guide to some of the most important issues in modern African philosophy. Richard Bell introduces readers to the complexity of Africa, the legacy of colonialism, the challenges of post independence Africa, and other recent developments in African Philosophy. Chapters discuss the value of African oral and written texts for philosophy, concepts of negritude, African socialism, and race, as well as current discussions in international development ethics connected to poverty and human suffering. Two chapters are focused on moral issues related to community, justice, and civic responsibility. Bell's sensitivity to and engagement with the complications of cross-cultural understandings help non-African readers connect with African culture and thought. |
Contents
1 | |
2 Foundations of Modern African Philosophy | 21 |
3 Liberation and Postcolonial African Philosophy | 37 |
Community and Justice | 59 |
5 African Moral Philosophy II | 85 |
6 Narrative in African Philosophy | 109 |
7 Some Concluding Remarks | 135 |
notes | 139 |
bibliography | 171 |
index | 183 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abiola Irele aesthetic consciousness African context African humanism African music African Philosophy African socialism African thought African World amnesty Antjie Krog apartheid Appiah Bessie Head Boraine called chapter colonial communitarian compassion concept contemporary critical cross-cultural debate dialogue discourse discussion essay ethical ethnophilosophy example expression Fanon Gagiano Gyekye Hallen Hountondji iconic forms important individual injustice Irele issues kind Krog Kwasi Wiredu language liberation literature lives Mahmood Mamdani Mamdani meaning modern moral Narrative in African negritude Nkrumah non-African notion Odera Oruka one's ophy oppression oral Oxford particular person philos philosophical reflection political postcolonial Postcolonial African poverty Quayson race Reader Reconciliation Commission responsibility restorative justice Sage Philosophy says Senghor sense Simone Simone Weil society Socrates South Africa stories struggle suffering Tempels texts thinking tion traditional translation TRC process Truth and Reconciliation Tutu ubuntu University Press values Verwoerd victims voice Western Winch Wittgenstein Wole Soyinka writes Yoruba