UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

(All rights reserved)

INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN STUDIES

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES
SECOND SEMESTER 2023/2024 ACADEMIC YEAR

UGRC 234 PHILOSOPHY IN AFRICAN CULTURES

3 CREDITS

Main Campus

Day/Time: Saturdays, 9.30 am – 11.20 am

Venue JQB, Room 23

City Campus

Day/Time: Mondays, 9.30 am – 11.20 am

Venue: Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84243891007?

pwd=c3BTWFVMOU9KQkpOUkppK0p0UXViZz09

Dr. Chika C. Mba

Institute of African Studies, Room 207
Office Hours: Open
Email: cmba@ug.edu.gh

TAs: Princess Marie-Lois Quame (Main Campus)

Course Description
Philosophy and philosophical beliefs are integral to every culture. Philosophical thought
presupposes human rationality and an ability to think in abstract terms, and African
peoples are not any different. By using written materials by African philosophers and
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Africanists, the course introduces students to philosophical thought in African cultures,
emphasizing its relationship and strategic relevance to contemporary African
development. Topics will include African cosmologies, concepts of God, deities and
ancestors; African communal and individualist values; African concepts of the human
being, destiny, evil and morality; gender and race.

Course Objectives
At the end of the course students will be enabled to:
 Examine the various trends in African Philosophy.
 Evaluate the relevance of African philosophy to African development.
 Appreciate the philosophical underpinnings of traditional African thoughts.
 Acquire skills to understand and engage meaningfully in the contemporary
discourses on African philosophy.

Assessment and Grading:

Students are expected to attend classes and tutorials and participate in discussions
Two written IAs: Gender 20%; Intro to African Studies 10%; Attendance: 10%;
End of semester final written examination 60%

Grading Scale: Refer to Undergraduate Handbook

Course Delivery Schedule

WEEK 7: Introduction to the course: What is philosophy?

The four trends in African Philosophy (Ethno-philosophy, Sage Philosophy, Nationalists
philosophy, Professional philosophy)

WEEK 8 & 9: Cosmologies and Metaphysical thinking in Africa: concepts of God,

deities, ancestors; human personality, destiny; witchcraft, the concept of cause and effect

WEEK 10: African Epistemologies: logic, rationality, symbols, proverbs as sources of

knowledge; divination

WEEK 11: Ethics and Community: concepts of evil and morality; communal and
individualistic values

WEEK 12: African philosophy and development; political thoughts in African traditions;
leadership, democracy, human rights, social justice

Reading List
Akrong, A. A. 2003. “African Traditional Religion and Development.” Trinity Journal of
Church and Society. Vol. XIII, July, No. 1, 36-50.
Bell, R. H. 2002. Understanding African philosophy: a cross-cultural approach to
classical and contemporary issues. New York: Routledge.

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Bodunrin, P. O. 1985. Philosophy in Africa: Trends and Perspectives. Ife: University of
Ife Press.
Coetzee P. H. and A. P. J. Roux. 2002. (eds.), The African philosophy reader, (also under
the title, Philosophy from Africa: a text with readings), 2ND Edition. New York:
Routledge.
Dolphyne, F. A. 1995. “Polygamy and the Emancipation of Women: An African
Perspective,” in Safro Kwame, (ed.), Readings in African Philosophy, (ed).
Lanham: University Press of America, pp.238-249.
Dzobo, N. K. 1992. “Knowledge and Truth: Ewe and Akan Conceptions” in Wiredu,
Kwasi and Kwame Gyekye (Eds.), Person and Community: Ghanaian
Philosophical Studies, 1. Washington, DC: CIPSH/UNESCO, pp. 73-84.
Dzobo, N. K. 1992. “African Symbols and Proverbs as Source of Knowledge and Truth,”
in Wiredu, Kwasi and Kwame Gyekye (Eds.), Person and Community: Ghanaian
Philosophical Studies, 1. Washington, DC: CIPSH/UNESCO, pp. 85-90.
Eze, E. C. 1998. (Ed) African philosophy: An Anthology. Blackwell Publishers.
Gyekye, K. 1987. An essay on African philosophical thought: the Akan conceptual
scheme. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gyekye, K. 1995. “The Concept of a Person”, in Safro Kwame (ed.), Readings in African
Philosophy: Akan Collection, Lanham: University Press of America, pp.153-167.
Gyekye, K. 1997. Tradition and modernity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gyekye, K. 1992. “Traditional Political Ideas: Their Relevance to Development in
Contemporary Africa,” in Kwasi Wiredu and Kwame Gyekye (eds.), Person and
Community: Ghanaian Philosophical Studies, 1. (Eds.), Person and Community:
Ghanaian Philosophical Studies, 1. Washington, DC: CIPSH/UNESCO. pp.241-
255.
Gyekye, K. 1996. African Cultural Values. An Introduction. Philadelphia: Sankofa
Publishing Company.
Gyekye, K. 1998. “The Problem of Evil: An Akan Perspective.” In Eze, Emanuel
Chukwudi, (ed), African philosophy: An Anthology, Blackwell Publishers, 1998.
Gyekye, K. 2000. Beyond Cultures: Perceiving a Common Humanity. Accra: Ghana
Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Horton, R. 1967. “African Traditional Thought and Western Science.” AFRICA (2
volumes); VOL. 37, No. 1 (Jan 1967: 50-71; AND VOL. 37, No. 2 (April 1967):
pp. 155-187; (SEE http//www.jstor.org).
Ikuenobe, P. 1997. “The Parochial Universalist Conception of “Philosophy’ and ‘African
Philosophy’, Philosophy East & West, Vol. 47, No: pages 189-210.
Imbo, S. O. 1998. An Introduction to African Philosophy. Maryland: Rowman and
Littlefield.
Kiros, T. 2001. Exploration in African political thought. Routledge: New York.
Mandela, N. 1996. “The Struggle is My Life,” in English, Parker, and Kalumba, Kibujjo
M., (eds.) African Philosophy: A Classical Approach, pp. 335-348.
Mbiti, J. 1969. African Religions and Philosophy. New York: Frederick Praeger.
Mbiti, J. 1970. Concepts of God in Africa. London: SPCK.
Mosley, A. G. 1995. (ed.), African philosophy: selected reading. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall.

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Nkrumah, K. 1998. “Consciencism.” In Eze, Emanuel Chukwudi, (ed), African
Philosophy. An Anthology, Blackwell Publishers, 1998.
Obioha, E. E. & M. Bassah. 2008. Analysing Man as a Social and Conscience Entity. The
Nigerian Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 23, No.1, 37-49.
Olela, H. 1998. “The African Foundations of Greek Philosophy,” in Richard A. Wright,
(ed.), African Philosophy: An Introduction, 3rd Edition, pp.77-92.
Omoregbe, J. I. 1985. “African Philosophy: Yesterday and Today,” in P. O. Bodunrin
(ed.), Philosophy in Africa: Trends and Perspectives, pp1-14.
Onyewuenyi. I. C. 1995. “Traditional African Aesthetics: A Philosophical Perspective,”
in Albert G. Mosley (ed.), African Philosophy: Selected Readings, Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, pp. 421-427.
Owoahene-Acheampong, S. 1998. Inculturation and African Religion: Indigenous and
Western Approaches to Medical Practice. New York: Peter Lang Press.
Parker, E. & Kalumba, K. M. 1996. (Eds.), African Philosophy: A Classical Approach.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Sackey, B. M. 1999. “Religious Beliefs and Practices as Paradigms for Development.” In
African Traditional Religions and Development.” Tamale: Tamale Institute for
Cross-Cultural Studies.
Sackey, B. M. 1999. “Recognising Other Dimensions of Epistemology: The Conceptualisation of
Abosom (Deities) among the Akan of Ghana.” Research Review, Institute of African
Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, 16 (1), 13-30.
Safro, K. 1995. (Ed). Readings in African Philosophy: Akan Collection. Lanham:
University Press of America.
Wiredu, K. 1980. Philosophy and an African Culture. Cambridge University Press:
Cambridge.
Wiredu, K. 1998. “How Not to Compare African Thought with Western Thought.” In
Eze (1998) in Eze, Emanuel Chukwudi, (ed), African philosophy: An Anthology,
Blackwell Publishers, 1998.
Wiredu, K. 1985. “The Concept of Truth in the Akan Language”, in P. O. Bodurin, (ed.),
Philosophy in Africa: Trends and Perspectives, Ife: University of Ife Press,
pp.43-54.
Wiredu, K. and K. Gyekye. 1992. (Eds.), Person and Community: Ghanaian
Philosophical Studies, 1. Washington, DC: CIPSH/UNESCO.
Wiredu, K. 1996. Cultural Universals and Particulars. Bloomington: Indiana Press.
Wiredu, K. 2004. A Companion to African Philosophy. London: Blackwell Publishing.
Wright, R. A. 1998. African Philosophy: An Introduction, 3rd Edition. Lanham:
University Press of America.

OTHER INFORMATION
 Students must be attentive in class.
 Calls on Mobile Phones must not be responded to in class.
 Course schedule/topics may be modified as may be necessary.