3 December 2017
Dear African philosophers, you noble minds!
What those African scholars who undermine African philosophy fail to realize is that Western philosophy doesn't need African scholars! The West has more than enough brilliant scholars to take care of Western philosophy. What new information can an African philosopher supply on Hegel, for instance? Hardly any.
The African scholars of Western philosophy who mock African philosophy are copy and paste scholars. If the realization that they'll forever remain copy and paste scholars dawns on them they'll have a change of mind. Our contribution to knowledge must not be footnotes to Western philosophy.
One reason for the scepticism about African philosophy is that our tradition has very few original minds. Originality is always rare and precious. Yet, it is essential to the establishment of an African philosophy that will flourish. The relative lack of innovation works against African thought.
Then there is the shameful anomaly of tribal jingoism that Diana Abasi pointed out: philosophers not wanting to read and cite their peers who belong to a different tribe or a minority tribe. I ask, how do we blame Western philosophical hegemony here? Unfortunately, even professors are guilty of tribalism. We Africans have cursed ourselves. If philosophers are tribalistic, just imagine what non-philosophers are. 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves, that we are underlings,' Shakespeare wrote. We have to make our tomorrow ourselves.
The black man's tragedy is his own making. Europe can't help African philosophy. Let us now speak of Africa. The time is now to prioritize African philosophy in our departments ahead of Western philosophy if we must not be the last. I just wish the professors will be the vanguard of our revolution. I wish! An intellectual revolution is absolutely necessary, one based on a genuine love for Africa, not the racialized, ideological type.
Ada Agada
Is an African Philosopher & Chief-proponent of Consolation Philosophy
