A critical evaluation of the Inter-Dependence between Culture and Philosophy with particular reference to African Philosophy

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the place of philosophy in the African culture. It does this by demonstrating that, an emerging African philosophical tradition needs to be rooted in and also to be nourished within the context of the African culture, history and the experience of the African people. This study therefore, focuses on the place of African culture in the production of philosophy. Whereas philosophy may begin at the level of culture, it should not end there but should in turn subject the culture in question to a rational scrutiny and if necessary, to a transformative reconstruction. A method of critical evaluation has been employed because a critical examination of the raw materials of the African cultural experience and their systematic formulation constitutes the foundations of African philosophy. This study is organised into five chapters. Chapter one introduces the background to the study; the statement of the problem, the statement of purpose, the sources and methodology used, the scope and limitations, the significance of the study, the definition of operational terms and finally the literature review. In chapter two, the nature of culture is discussed; its meaning, locus and the existential relevance. This chapter concludes with the findings that African people are inseparable from their history and culture. Chapter three discusses the four trends in contemporary African philosophy. These trends help to invalidate the claim that some particular sense of philosophy is the authentic African philosophy while philosophy in any other sense is foreign to Africa. Chapter four deals with the intimate relationship between culture and philosophy and how the two criss-cross and mutually enrich and strengthen each other. However, because man is the author of culture and at the same time he philosophises on his cultural experience and conditions of life, the African conception of man is discussed in part two of this chapter. The reason for this is to determine how this conception governs the understanding of African philosophy and how he becomes the point of convergence between culture and philosophy. Chapter five is the conclusion of the study which is basically a summary of the findings and recommendation