Revisiting the Language Question in African Philosophy

Samuel Akpan Bassey
Samuel Akpan Bassey * §
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§ University Of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria University Of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

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Background

Abstract

Confronting the contemporary African Philosopher, is a major linguistic challenge, forged out of the controversies involved in using foreign languages, to do African philosophy. An increasing number of scholars are beginning to realize today, how the use of foreign languages in African Philosophy, is itself an obstacle, to a truly unfettered research into African thought.1 This is because to choose a language is to choose a particular thought pattern and the choice of the language already predetermines the most important issues. But, the critical responses of Africans to the intellectual onslaught of Eurocentrism, ironically had to be through the medium of the European languages (for example, English, French and Portuguese).2 This ipso facto, poses a methodological problem, arising from the need to ensure that African meanings, are not distorted in the process of analyzing them within the conceptual frameworks of alien languages. The problem is further compounded, with the realization that the African continent possesses many languages in which to express itself. This makes the problem more abstruse, thereby begging the question: in what particular language amongst the different languages in Africa is African philosophy to be genuinely constructed?3 Armed with the nitty-gritty of the ex post facto cogitations, this paper, therefore, attempts to bring to limelight the related issues, difficulties, problems and implications, associated with the use of linguistic imports that is sufficiently alien to Africa, in the Herculean task of rendering the discursive formations and ideas of Africa’s culture, religion and philosophy.

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Funding

No external funding was declared for this work.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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How to Cite This Article

Samuel Akpan Bassey. 2018. "Revisiting the Language Question in African Philosophy". Global Journal of Human-Social Science - H: Interdisciplinary GJHSS-H Volume 18 (GJHSS Volume 18 Issue H5).

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Journal Specifications

Crossref Journal DOI 10.17406/GJHSS

Print ISSN 0975-587X

e-ISSN 2249-460X

Keywords
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GJHSS-H Classification FOR Code: 200399
  • Submission ReceivedDecember 6, 2017
  • Peer Review Double Blind
    Handling Editor
  • Accepted January 5, 2018
  • Published January 15, 2018
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v1.2

Issue date
August 18, 2018

Language
English
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Revisiting the Language Question in African Philosophy

Samuel Bassey
Samuel Bassey University Of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Submission ReceivedDecember 6, 2017
  • Peer Review Double Blind
    Handling Editor
  • Accepted January 5, 2018
  • Published January 15, 2018