GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The human person by nature desires to know and is always curious to understand the realities of life. This inquisitiveness renders man restless in the search for true and indubitable knowledge as Aristotle puts it “all men by nature desire to know. An indication of this is the delight we take in our senses; for even apart from their usefulness they are loved for themselves; and above all others the sense of sight. For not only that we may act but also when we do not intend to act, we prefer seeing, so to speak, over all the others.”[1]There is an extensive discourse on African Epistemic systems and this discourse questions the credibility of African knowledge systems. The question of an African Epistemic system with a distinctive African Epistemic identity is problematic. In the light of Africa’s colonial legacy, African philosophy is confronted with the problem of establishing its own unique African order of knowledge.[2] The colonial experience of the African people was characterized by forceful imposition of western epistemologies or knowledge systems. This resulted in the endorsement of western epistemic systems as ultimate forms of knowledge systems in Africa. This endorsement equally resulted in the dismissal of African knowledge systems. African Epistemic systems were downgraded as inferior by the colonizers who termed it as incomprehensible magical and as idolatrous practices of sub-humans.[3]

The fundamental aim to distort and denigrate African ways of knowing was to present western epistemologies as superior and to defend colonialism as a liberating mission. Olufemi Taiwo remarked that, the “West” presents itself as the embodiment and inventor of the “universals”.  According to him, the West, in constructing universal categories did not include non-western categories but merely puffed itself up and invited the rest of humanity, or the educated segment of it, to be complicit of her historical swindle.[4] Olufemi Taiwo here makes a description of the Westerners claim of monopoly over non-western thought systems.

Western philosophers and scholars, without moving and observing African ways of life and thought systems, merely regarded African knowledge systems as local, traditional and unscientific. They imposed western knowledge systems on the Africans and claim that African indigenous thoughts were based on mystical and superstitious facts.[5] It is for this reason that African intellectuals like Olufemi Taiwo, Mogobe Ramose, Valentine Mudimbe, Emmanuel Chukwudi Eze, Kwassi Wiredu, Kwame Gyekye, and Ngugi WA Thiong’o sought to combat Western influence and cultural indoctrination. These thinkers’ arguments and counter arguments against Western influence and cultural indoctrination indelibly mark the beginning of historical and conceptual protest and contestations against Western hegemony of knowledge.[6] In this light, as a response to the western claim that African Epistemic systems lack a clear conceptualization and credibility of their own as to what constitute knowledge, African scholars have argued that the western worldview of knowledge has since its introduction in Africa and other non-western societies, lacked an understanding of the holistic nature and approach of non-western knowledge patterns and knowledge production.[7]

According to Francis Nyamnjoh, in his work titled, The Green House Effects of Colonial Education in Africa, “in colonial Africa, the right of conquest of the colonies over Africans – body, mind and soul, meant real or attempted Epistemicide, leading to the decimation or near complete killing and replacement of endogenous epistemologies in Africa with epistemological paradigm of the conqueror.”[8] He argues that the western perception of African knowledge systems as mere repetition of practices without any theory to explain them is a depiction of Western cultural and intellectual arrogance. In the perception of African scholars, a traditional healer who is able to cure a particular disease using specific herbs has the knowledge and theory of the plants species and their characteristics.[9]Thus, this work seeks to debunk the western claim that African Epistemic systems are inauthentic by raising arguments to demonstrate that African knowledge systems are reliable forms of knowledge.

Research problem

Taking a critical look into the African continent, one will observe that western epistemologies have taken center stage in academia and everyday life. This comes as a result of the rejection of African Epistemic systems by the western scholars who termed it as inferior and primitive. Also, African epistemic systems seem to suffer from epistemicide which comes as a result of colonial conquest of African. Epistemicide as held by Nyamnjoh is the near complete decimation and replacement of endogenous epistemologies with the epistemological paradigm of another culture.^[10] More so, indigenous knowledge and values have been significantly altered with the advent of modernity such as the Western-style of education, world religions, increased modernization of local economies and the development of communication facilities and modern infrastructures. It is from these premises that, this research work is set to examine the authenticity of African epistemic systems in our contemporary era.

Research Questions

Owing to the problem stated above, the general research question of this research work is to find out; how is African knowledge systems an authentic form of thought patterns?

Our specific research questions will be to examine how;

• Can African knowledge systems help in reclaiming Africa’s lost identity?
• Can African epistemic systems pave the way for Africa’s socio-political and economic development?
• Can we integrate African indigenous knowledge system to other knowledge systems?
• How significant is African epistemic systems in the liberation of Africa from the pangs of neo-colonialism?

Research Objectives

Our general objective is to find out:  how African knowledge systems could be considered as an authentic form of thought patterns.

Our specific objectives will be to find out:

• How African knowledge systems could help in reclaiming Africa’s lost identity.
• If African epistemic systems could be instrumental for Africa’s socio-political and economic development.
• The relevant of African indigenous knowledge system to other knowledge systems.
• The significance of African epistemic systems in the liberation of Africa from the pangs of neo-colonialism.

[1]Aristotle, Metaphysics, Translated By Ross, W.D. In Barnes, J., The Complete Works of Aristotle, The Revised Oxford Translation, and Vol. One, Digital Edition, United Kingdom, Princeton University Press, (1984), p.1.

[2] Abdi Ali, Eurocentric Discourses and African Philosophies and Epistemologies of Education, Counter-Hegemonic Analyses and Responses, International Education. Cambridge University Press, New York, (2006), p.15.

[3] Bonaventura de Santos, Beyond Abysmal Thinking: from Global Lines to Ecologies of Knowledges. Vol 3, (2007), p.3.

[4] Olufemi Taiwo, Exorcing Hegel’s Ghost: Africa’s challenge to philosophy, African studies quarterly, (1998), pp.1-13.

[5]Ibid., p.10.

[6]Emmanuel Chukwudi, African philosophy: Anthropology, Malden, MA: Blackwell publishers Ltd, (1998), p.173.

[7] Gordon Chavunduka, “The Missing Links: Keynote Address to the Workshop on the Study and Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Sustainable Natural Resources Management in Southern Africa”, Midmar, Kwazulu-Nata, 24^th April, (19940), p.12.

[8] Francis Nyamnjoh, “The Greenhouse Effect of Colonial Education in Africa,” The journal of Asian and African Studies. (2012), p.1.

[9]GM Nkondo, “Indigenous African Knowledge Systems in a Poly Epistemic World: The Capabilities Approach and the Translability of Knowledge Systems,” Paper Presented at the Southern African Regional Colloquium on Indigenous African Knowledge Systems: Methologies and Epistemologies, For Research, Teaching, Teaching, Leaving And Community Engagement In Higher Education, Howard Collage Campus, University Of KwaZulu-Natal, (2012),p.56.

[10] Nyamnjoh, F. B., Potted Plants in Greenhouses: A Critical Reflection on the Resilience of Colonial Education in Africa. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 47(2): 2012, p. 129.