Future of African Philosophy
The Future Of African Philosophy The future of African philosophy is controlled by many different factors. To begin to examine the criteria and conditions for the development of African philosophy in the future, one must first examine the state of modern African philosophical thought. Currently, African intellectuals have occupied themselves with other aspects of the African experience, leaving philosophical development without manpower, great works, and methods of expression. This lack of attention has hindered the development of African philosophical thought and, in turn, the cultural maturation of Africa as a whole. ... Lack of manpower, trying to substitute ethnophilosophy for philosophy, and the reduction of philosophy to epistemology have all created difficulty for philosophical expansion. Looking at all of these obstacles makes it difficult to draw a plan for the future of African philosophical thought. Before looking at the problems facing philosophical growth in Africa, we must first attempt to define the term "African philosophy". Towa suggests, "In the expression "African philosophy", one should not see any essential link between the subject and the predicate." He proposes the idea that there is no specific Greek philosophy or European philosophy, only that of human philosophy. ... The point that there can be no one unifying African philosophy is expanded by Towa when he says, "The expression "African philosophy" does not signify a particular philosophical conception that would specifically be African and would then team up with Africanity or negritude." As was also explained by Martey, there can not be one unifying African way of thought. Martey also talked about the African reality, the ontological phenomenon.