African Philosophy, Search for Identity of

The question of African philosophy’s identity – its existence, nature, and function – has been a central focus of discussion and argument among African philosophers during the decades following the demise of colonialism. Doubts about the existence of anything that might be called “African philosophy” are often perceived as manifestations of an uncritical acceptance of Western definitions and criteria, and of its bias concerning the absence of logic, rationality, and philosophical temperament among Africans. In other words, a denial of the existence of African philosophy has often been construed as tantamount to the denial that Africans are fully human. However, some African thinkers question the existence of an African philosophy on the grounds that African traditional thought is communal and communicated orally, as distinguished from genuine philosophy, which is the product of individual thinkers and requires writing.

H. Odera Oruka’s distinction of four main trends observable in...