180096 SE Conceptual Decolonisation in African Philosophy (2015S)

The imposition of the language of the colonizer, the devaluation of African cultures, the denial of recognition as equal fellow human beings, these are experiences that stand at the beginning of philosophy in Africa in the 20th century. African philosophers do reflect critical on the human condition of the colonized. They see it with suspicion that the recording and analysis of African oral heritage first was carried out by missionaries and Western anthropologists and that these works are still used as a primary source for knowledge about Africa. Furthermore they recognize the problems of contemporary academic philosophy in sub-Saharan Africa which is mainly expressed in former colonial languages (English, French, Portuguese). The epistemic break in the view of Africa, which is based on these circumstances of knowledge production, was discussed by the Congolese philosopher Valentin Y. Mudimbe in his book The Invention of Africa (1988). The discussion of his book will open the course. The Ghanaian philosopher Kwasi Wiredu and the writer Ngugi wa of Thiongo (Kenya) and their concept of conceptual decolonization are at the center of the seminar. Wiredu explores in his writing how the imposed structures (especially language) do shape the perception of the world and he calls on African philosophers to think basic philosophical concepts like being, truth or God through in their own native languages. This does the Nigerian feminist scholar Oyeronke Oyewumi in her book The Invention of Women (1997). Oyewumi shows how the translation of Yoruba texts and oral heritage into English has a certain impact on the perception of women in society. Furthermore, selected texts of Achille Mbembe (Cameroon) will be discussed during the course, e.g. On the Postcolony (2001).