Re-discovering African Wholistic Approach to Life: Ways of Acquiring and Appropriating Knowledge

Abstract

The introduction of western science and Christianity in Africa at the turn of the 20 th century seems to have revolutionized the African mind and indeed way of life. Western science and Christianity, a product of the western worldview, are today perceived as the source of hope for Africa by African governments, politicians, scholars and the general public. In recent times however, questions have been asked by scholars and scientists as to whether science is the only way to attain objective knowledge and Christianity the only path to spiritual truth. This lecture is informed by the fact that every culture and civilization has and provides knowledge and way of life to its community. Religious worldviews teach many truths and values and play central role in the lives of their adherents. But more importantly, each religious worldview has its own unique way of approach to God, man, the universe and to life. This lecture argues that, like other faiths, the African worldview has granted African people a wholistic approach of acquiring and appropriating knowledge from time immemorial. This however has been ignored and in its place, Africans have heavily relied on western knowledge. The perception of the western worldview as the ideal has enslaved and impoverished the African mind. This enslavement hinders the African mind from being creative, innovative and able to think outside a constricting box. For this reason, African contribution to knowledge has been ignored in the last century. The lecture explores how the western worldview has created conflict in the African psyche, making them live painful and debilitating “double lives”. The characteristics of the future global community are discussed in this lecture and it is argued that such a community can only be forged by incorporating a wholistic African worldview with its hitherto denigrated cultures on board.