Tutorial Letter 201/01/2023

Introduction to African Philosophy

PLS1502

Semester 2

Philosophy, Practical and Systematic

Theology

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This tutorial letter contains important information about assessment 1 answers.

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CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3
2 PURPOSE OF TUTORIAL LETTER ............................................................................................ 3
3 ANSWERS FOR ASSESSMENT 1 .............................................................................................. 3
4 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 10

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1 INTRODUCTION

Dear Student

The purpose of this tutorial letter is to discuss some important aspects regarding the completion
of the first PLS1502 assessment (quiz), and to make comments on your assignment. Unisa, as
a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving towards becoming a
fully online institution. You will therefore see that all your study material, assessments and
engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take place online. This tutorial letter is
intended to offer you some guidance in this regard.

2 PURPOSE OF TUTORIAL LETTER

The following tutorial letter contains the answers for assessment one, which is a multiple-choice
question (MCQ) out of 25 marks undertaken in the first semester. The questions were
randomised on MyModule for the purposes of maintaining the integrity of the quiz. The questions
below may not be numerically aligned to how they are presented on MyModule. The purpose of
assessment one is to introduce students to the history, content, concepts and nature of African
Philosophy. We anticipated that you will be challenged and engaged by the contents of this
module. We also expect to see more engagement and comprehensive writing skills on the
upcoming written assessment.

According to MyModule, the overall performance of the class is above average with a huge
number of students ranging from 50 to 95 percent.

3 ANSWERS FOR ASSESSMENT 1

Assignment Unique Number: 897989

1. The origin of the term ‘Africa’ within this module is said to have come from which of the
following:

A. The historical and cultural life of the people of the continent

B. Africans themselves
C. Greek and Roman experiences of ‘Northern Africa’ and its climatic conditions

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D. None of the above

ANSWER: C

2. The term ‘African’ in African philosophy refers to:

A. The universality of African Philosophy

B. The particularity of African Philosophy
C. The term does not mean anything.
D. The familiarity of African Philosophy
ANSWER: B

3. The term ‘philosophy’ in African Philosophy refers to:

A. The wisdom of African Philosophy

B. The scientificity of African Philosophy
C. The universality of African Philosophy
D. The particularity of African Philosophy
ANSWER: B

4. According to Imbo, the question “what is African philosophy?” is a complex question

because:

A. We must consider what counts as philosophy in the strictest sense.

B. We must consider who is making the definition and for what audience.
C. We must take into consideration one’s ideological commitments.
D. All the above
ANSWER: D

5. In this module we argue that the controversy of the term ‘Africa’ stems from the fact
that:

A. Africans were colonized by non-Africans.

B. Africans do not like the term Africa.
C. The term African is not home-grown but is an imposition from outside.

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D. The term itself is complex.

ANSWER: C

6. What is the main point made by Emevwo Biakolo, in the Categories of cross-cultural
cognition and the African condition?

A. The five categories explain in precise terms who and what Africans are.
B. The five categories are right and accurate about Europeans and wrong about Africans.
C. The five categories can best explain the being of an African and a European
D. The five categories are an outdated explanatory tool of the African condition.
ANSWER: D

7. In The struggle for reason in Africa, Mogobe Ramose argues, among others that:

A. Aristotle’s definition of the human person, seems to exclude Africans, Australasians and the
Amerindians
B. Africans are depicted as being equal to all other peoples of the world.
C. Women are affirmed as equal sex partners.
D. Reason is a scarce resource among human beings.
ANSWER: A

8. Mogobe Ramose in The struggle for reason in Africa, argues that the marginalization of
the teaching of racism in Western philosophy in African universities is due to the
following reason:

A. The lack of access to institutions of higher learning.

B. The persistent denial of the rationality of Africans.
C. The lack of desire to teach African philosophy.
D. The absence of publications on African philosophy.
ANSWER: B

9. What is the best way to approach the question “What is African philosophy”?

A. Distinguish between African and European people’s ability to think.

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B. Agree with the view that Europeans should dominate philosophical thought and other types
do not matter.
C. Uncover the assumptions held about Africa in order to understand how they affect our
understandings.
D. Focus on an African people and exclude the examination of their colonial history.
ANSWER: C

10. Choose the incorrect meaning of the term ‘discourse’.

A. Formal and orderly expression of thoughts on a subject.

B. Systematic verbal interchange of ideas or conversation.
C. Random ideas that people have about a particular subject.
D. Well thought-out systematic ideas on something.
ANSWER: C

11. In this module, ‘discourse on Africa’ means:

A. Positive ideas that are held and believed by Africans.

B. Different directions leading one to Africa.
C. Historical accounts on the travels of Europeans to Africa.
D. Distorted and unreal images or ideas that people have about Africa.
ANSWER: D

12. This module has an expressed intention to:

A. Review, critique and reconstruct African discourses.

B. Review and reject all discourses on Africa.
C. Review and affirm all discourses on Africa.
D. Lament on the negative discourses on Africa.
ANSWER: A

13. The Africanity of African philosophy refers to the specificity or particularity of philosophy
meaning that.

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A. It does not matter if it’s like other philosophies.

B. It’s a set of characteristics that distinguish African philosophy from Western or India or
Chinese philosophies.
C. It identifies the techno-African as an expatriate African as not having the skill of ‘rationality’
required to be an African philosopher.
D. It examines the epistemological process that has occupied Western philosophy.
ANSWER: B

14. Serequeberhan’s conception of African philosophy emphasises which of the following

traits?

A. It must be written; it must reflect on the verities of history but can also be written by non-
Africans.
B. A set of texts written only by Africans and described as philosophical by the authors.
C. The separation between traditional African ideas from those created within the Academic
setting.
D. A focus on the creation of dialogue between Western and African ways of thinking.
ANSWER: A

15. Why is it important to think philosophically about discourse in African Philosophy?

A. This is because philosophy is a critical discipline which reviews ideas for their biases and
provides their valid critique.
B. When reading the philosophy papers by proponents of the discipline we would only read their
papers without evaluating their claims.
C. By engaging in a philosophical investigation, we will understand the specificity of philosophy
such as “geo-ethno-technical” factors.
D. Since philosophy literally means “the love of wisdom” it shows why academics choose their
disciplines.
ANSWER: A

16. Which statement best describes the key argument in the paper Categories of cross-
cultural cognition and the African Condition (2002) by E Biakolo.

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A. To list the various descriptions of non-Caucasian races provided by the Western world and
determine their usefulness in understanding the African.
B. To show how the trend of ethnophilosophy can still be useful in understanding African
philosophy even though it may not be ‘strictly philosophical’.
C. To identify the types of thinking as being either based on text or oral thought and examine
the various ways in which philosophy thought this.
D. To argue in favor of an African philosophy that acknowledges the importance of religious
beliefs on the ideas from the continent.
ANSWER: A

17. In the newspaper article in the Daily Monitor (2009), Mazrui distinguishes between
which two types of Africans?

A. Africans of the Blood and Africans of the soil.

B. Ethno-African and Spatio-temporal African.
C. Francophone African and Anglophone African.
D. Africans who are Literate and those who are illiterate.
ANSWER: A

18. The Africanity of African Philosophy refers to one of the following words regarding
African Philosophy.

A. Universality
B. Particularity
C. Density
D. Rigor
ANSWER: B

19. According to Osuagwu, the following word is correct regarding the statement “African
Philosophy is at the same time, basically philosophical and typically”?

A. African
B. Western
C. Oriental

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D. None of the above.

ANSWER: A

20. The term Africa might be controversial and this calls for a reflection on it. Which of the
following questions should be used to problematise the term Africa in terms of the
history of the continent?

A. Does it really matter to think about the term Africa?

B. Who cares if the term Africa has meaning?
C. Who named the continent?
D. Do Africans care about the term Africa?
ANSWER: C

21. Paulin Hountondji believes that African philosophy should be limited to?

A. African men only

B. Africans only
C. Non-Africans
D. African women only
ANSWER: B

22. Why should the term “science” not be taken for granted by African philosophers in the
definition of Africa?

A. Because the term gave rise to the problems in African history and the history of philosophy.
B. Because the term uncovers the assumptions held about Africa in relation to their thinking
C. Because the term distinguishes between African and European people's ability to think.
D. Because the term justifies the view that Europeans should dominate philosophical thought
and disregard other types of thinking.
ANSWER: A

23. According to Imbo different philosophies such as African, Western, Chinese, and Indian
arise because of:

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A. Different experiences of the world by different people.

B. Differences in IQs amongst different people.
C. Different educational backgrounds amongst people.
D. Different climatic conditions in various parts of the world.
ANSWER: A

24. Which of the following statements were post-modernism contributors to African

Philosophy?

A. The belief that African philosophy is better than every philosophy in the world.
B. The idea that there is no one school of philosophy that can capture the truth finally.
C. The idea that all philosophies must fall in favor of party-politics and social issues.
D. The belief that all representations of reality can be accepted without question.
ANSWER: B

25. In your study guide it is argued that as genuine lovers of wisdom we must question
every experience, the practice of which involves the attitude of not taking knowledge
and truth claims for granted. Which definition of African philosophy affirms this position?

A. It should be a systematic and critical enterprise of human reasoning.

B. It should be taken by professionals, individuals, or groups.
C. It should be written; thus, orality cannot be considered in philosophy.
D. Its authorship must be considered when examining its arguments.
ANSWER: A

4 CONCLUSION

Do not hesitate to contact us or tutors via email (PLS1502@unisa.ac.za) or MyModule chat box
if you are experiencing problems with the content of this tutorial letter or with any academic
aspect of the module.

We wish you all the best in the examination.

Ms. Gugu Ndlazi - Module Leader for PLS1502

E-mail: PLS1502@unisa.ac.za

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Ms. Tumelo Modiselle – Lecturer for PLS1502

e-mail: PLS1502@unisa.ac.za

Mr. Masilo Lepuru - Lecturer for PLS1502

e-mail: PLS1502@unisa.ac.za

Discipline of Philosophy
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY, PRACTICAL AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

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©
UNISA 2023

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