Abstract
The question whether African philosophy can bake bread is a very powerful proposition towards understanding the question of African self identity, affinity and self realization.
African philosophy has gone above and beyond a mere self defensive tool, but it is a weapon, a practical ideology towards emancipating and building African nation with all it scientific tentacles by becoming more of African man even in the mists of the multiple identities, affinities self-realization.
Key Words: Socialism, Renascent Africa, Freedom and After, Philosophical Consciencism, Ujamaa, Self –Retrieval, Bake, bread, Humanism, Neo- Welfarism, Negritude.
African philosophy has gone above and beyond a mere self defensive tool, but it is a weapon, a practical ideology towards emancipating and building African nation with all it scientific tentacles by becoming more of African man even in the mists of the multiple identities, affinities self-realization.
Key Words: Socialism, Renascent Africa, Freedom and After, Philosophical Consciencism, Ujamaa, Self –Retrieval, Bake, bread, Humanism, Neo- Welfarism, Negritude.
Introduction
The problem of self retrieval, realization, identity and lack of originality for Africa (Nigeria) has
really affected development in this part of the World. However, the search for identity has always
been a key issue facing mankind in its striving after significance and meaning, since it is only
understanding ones self, that development can occur.
The American philosophy of pragmatism could be seen from this point of view since it has being able to stand as an identity and self realization for the Americans.
The interplay of this has really influenced the socio-cultural, economic and political development of the United States of America. Thus, the question of self retrieval, realization and how it influences development cannot be over emphasized.
The African experiences of slavery, racism, colonialism and neo-colonialism resulted in the radical emergence of multiple and contradictory self in Africa. These multi-selves or identities are outcome of the historical trends of Western colonialization in Africa.
The African experiences of slavery, racism, colonialism and neo-colonialism resulted in the radical emergence of multiple and contradictory self in Africa. These multi-selves or identities are outcome of the historical trends of Western colonialization in Africa.
The consequence of these historical experiences is the identity quagmire that African has been thrown into. Thus the question of African self retrieval becomes very prominent in this modern era, which is why a principal driving force in postcolonial African thought has been a quest for self-definition and self-assertion in that self understanding has remained a focal point in discussions about the African experiences with the Western World.
It was therefore quite appropriate when Masolo according to Richard Bell, entitled his History of Contemporary African Philosophy, the first full-length history of the discipline in English, African Philosophy in Search of Identity 1 .The task to restore and for the Africans to affirm their self realization and to give it a place within the global community became the major pre-occupation of African nationalists which led to nationalism as a movement in Africa. This movement was an anti-colonial struggle which was led by the African elites in order to gain political, economic and social freedom or independence, from the colonial powers. Hence, baking bread with African Philosophy.
A Struggle for Self Affirmation
The question whether African philosophy can bake bread had longed been answered by affirmation. There was a need for the response from the western epistemological denigration of African thought system. This brought all nationalist philosophers into play. Such as: Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tom Mboya, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, Sedar Senghor to mention but a few. Nnamdi Azikiwe in his book Renascent Africa postulated the liberation of Africa from the Western imperialists, and to create a new Africa. Azikiwe’s major political, social and cultural thought centers on the idea of the regeneration of Africa in socio-political life and what he termed ‘neo-welfarism’.
The question whether African philosophy can bake bread had longed been answered by affirmation. There was a need for the response from the western epistemological denigration of African thought system. This brought all nationalist philosophers into play. Such as: Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tom Mboya, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, Sedar Senghor to mention but a few. Nnamdi Azikiwe in his book Renascent Africa postulated the liberation of Africa from the Western imperialists, and to create a new Africa. Azikiwe’s major political, social and cultural thought centers on the idea of the regeneration of Africa in socio-political life and what he termed ‘neo-welfarism’.
The idea of the regeneration of Africa represents a call to a New Africa. This New Africa as Azikiwe puts it: is a cultivation of spiritual balance, the experience of social regeneration, the realization of economic determinism, and the creation of mental emancipation. For him, these factors in the NewAfrica would automatically culminate in a political risorgimento 5 . The degeneration of Africa required mental freedom and the transcendence of racial and tribal barriers. At this point, Azikiwe held that the old Africa must be destroyed. He painted a scenario of Old Africa (the Africa of yesterday), Renascent Africa (the Africa of today) in which Africans were ready to battle colonialism, and New Africa (the Africa of tomorrow). According to Azikiwe, both the Old Africa and Renascent Africa were handicapped: Old Africa by isolation, ignorance, social fragmentation and economic stagnation, and the Renascent Africa by imperialism and racism. For him, both ‘Africa’s’ had put a stamp of exploitation, degradation, deprivation and inferiority complex on the African man.
Azikiwe in his Renascent Africa writes: If the New Africa must be realized then the old Africa must be destroyed because it is at death-grips with New Africa…Renascent Africans must be equal to the task and must salvage the debris of old Africa through the supreme efforts of youth.
How Can We Retrieve Our Heritage and Resurrect the Death God of Africa in this Multiple Identity?
Though, the Africans are still battling with western influences, a constant struggle towards self understanding. Bearing in Mind the reggae of the former South African legend Lucky Dube, the reggae of the former Jamaican legend Mob Marley, we can understand that the search for African freedom was holistic ideology towards an African liberation and the black race. The question still remains: How?
Though, the Africans are still battling with western influences, a constant struggle towards self understanding. Bearing in Mind the reggae of the former South African legend Lucky Dube, the reggae of the former Jamaican legend Mob Marley, we can understand that the search for African freedom was holistic ideology towards an African liberation and the black race. The question still remains: How?
i Recognizing our person, heritage and our beings as Africans.
ii Knowing where you are coming from even when you don’t know where
you are going to.
iii Developing love for things in your continent.
iv Observing the virtues of the land and have respect for elders.
v Practiced Humanism, (i.e) a respect to human being without the must do from any divine authority.
vi Understanding the Christianity that you accepts with full strength from African stand point.
vii Respecting those values and norms of the land of where you habit.
viii Practicing your culture and tradition in any rites that the village had set for the people as long as is in line with the virtues of African thought system.
ix Using your vital force effectively, not to enfeebled your brothers, but to ginger the swagger of your neighbors vital force.
x Use your craft, either witch or material to develop your nation .
xi Above all respects your tradition and do what I call intellectual cobwebing.
I think by supplying and applying this, the lost assets in the land will be found. And the death God will be resurrected, and as such, the question whether African Philosophy can bake bread, which our nationalist philosophers have longed answered in affirmation will remain in us not only a response to the western epistemological denigration of African thought system, but a practical output in sustaining the African development.
ii Knowing where you are coming from even when you don’t know where
you are going to.
iii Developing love for things in your continent.
iv Observing the virtues of the land and have respect for elders.
v Practiced Humanism, (i.e) a respect to human being without the must do from any divine authority.
vi Understanding the Christianity that you accepts with full strength from African stand point.
vii Respecting those values and norms of the land of where you habit.
viii Practicing your culture and tradition in any rites that the village had set for the people as long as is in line with the virtues of African thought system.
ix Using your vital force effectively, not to enfeebled your brothers, but to ginger the swagger of your neighbors vital force.
x Use your craft, either witch or material to develop your nation .
xi Above all respects your tradition and do what I call intellectual cobwebing.
I think by supplying and applying this, the lost assets in the land will be found. And the death God will be resurrected, and as such, the question whether African Philosophy can bake bread, which our nationalist philosophers have longed answered in affirmation will remain in us not only a response to the western epistemological denigration of African thought system, but a practical output in sustaining the African development.
Reference
UKANGA, KUSUA- ABASI LAMBERT PETER.
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