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Philosophical Foundation of Knowledge on Africa

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Philosophical Foundation of Knowledge on Africa International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 6, Issue 9, September 2016 852 ISSN 2250-3153 Philosophical foundation of knowledge on Africa Bernice Quampah1 Asubonteng Samuel2, Paalee Ngmenlanaa Livingston Fidelis3 and Boakye yeboah Samuel4 1Department of Communication studies, Sunyani Polytechnic, Sunyani, Ghana; [email protected] (corresponding author) +233244989920 (LECTURER) 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sunyani Polytechnic, Sunyani, Ghana: [email protected] (Assistant Registrar) 3Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre, [email protected] (LECTURER) 4.Accountancy Department , Sunyani Polytechnic, Sunyani, Ghana; [email protected] (LECTURER) Abstract- Context specific knowledge development is required to events in their worlds. By this virtue, this essay suggests that foster a development process in Africa that meets existential Africa cannot be really studied meaningfully with science based challenges. In highlighting this requirement, this paper attempts, on epistemologies of non-African societies, such as Western with an emphasis on communality, a theoretical discussion of science. In other words, the validity of the conclusions scholars social constructionism philosophy of knowledge development make in their research on Africa will be influenced by the choice and its implications for conceptualising phenomena, doing of theory, methodology, and methods, as well as research, and contributing to scientific knowledge on Africa. The conceptualisation of phenomena. Against this backdrop, it is problem identified for this work is that Western philosophies and important that scholars contributing to knowledge on Africa perspectives have dominated African knowledge development effectively develop research procedures and methodologies that and use of knowledge by Africans. Thus, Africans are alienated are founded on African epistemologies. The essay does not deal from their own experiences of life. To this end, this work aims to with the debates over different ontological positions, that is, constructs a fundament of self-knowledge or self-consciousness whether a phenomenon in the African worldview really exists or as a pivotal constituent of societal building in Africa. It not, or whether reality is false or true. concludes that Africans can address their unique challenges only Not discounting the values for Africa of the scientific if science and knowledge on Africa that inform policy-making methods of research developed from other world epistemologies, are founded on true African epistemologies, ontologies and life a reaffirmation of science suited to peculiar African contexts will experiences. In this regard the culture and philosophy of guarantee a more accurate and holistic understanding of African commonality for instance, which fortunately exists and is realities. This will in no small way assure informed policy and practiced in all African societies can serve a cogent foundation decision-making on development processes in Africa. In this for the development of science and knowledge in and on Africa essay, the attempt is made to point out that this reaffirmation of to promote informed-solutions to societal challenges. science suited to African realities can be achieved when scholars contributing to knowledge on Africa formulate and test their Index Terms- Africa, contextual knowledge, communality, theories, concepts, methodologies, methods, and analytical informed-solutions. frames on the bases of contexts and meaning-making in Africa. The world acknowledges that African reality and ways of knowing are different from those of other societies. The I. INTRODUCTION implication of this is that one set of approach for validating n this essay, a theoretical discussion of social constructionism knowledge in some different cultural and social setting cannot be I philosophy of knowledge development and its implications for wholly applied to African contexts. Knowledge is socially conceptualising phenomena, doing research, and contributing to constructed, and should therefore be subject to ways of validation scientific knowledge on Africa is attempted. The aim of this peculiar to how societies understand their realities. Yet, secondary research is to construct a fundament of self-knowledge unfortunately, objectivism or positivism, which posits the or self-consciousness as a pivotal constituent of societal building universality of science, seems to dominate validation of research in Africa. Thus, this aim is to contribute to the rediscovery of and knowledge on Africa. Africa by Africans as a people who live by and on their own terms. To this end, with emphasis on the culture and philosophy of communality in Africa, attempt is made in this work to II. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM respond to the issues of what the foundation of knowledge The problem addressed in this paper is what its authors construction in Africa is and how this foundation has affected the identify as Western domination of knowledge development in continent’s development of science and knowledge. Africa. The problem was identified through the experiences of Social constructionism philosophy in this work denotesthe the authors of this paper as University faculties who teach founding of assumptions underlying research on Africa on African studies courses in their respective universities. Students’ Africans’ own conception and knowledge of reality. Africans representation of themselves and African societies, as well as generally possess their own understanding of existence and most available academic teaching and learning materials on www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 6, Issue 9, September 2016 853 ISSN 2250-3153 Africa are based largely on Western perceptions. Western ideas In the view of this work, this low share of global knowledge is have dominated the interpretation of Africa including most because African scholars are neither Europeans nor Americans, Africans themselves. The result is that Africans have come to but have placed themselves on expectations to produce scholarly hold a poor conception of themselves (which can be described as materials based on Western standards, ideas, and philosophies. poverty of self-conception). Thus, cultural xenocentrism and Africa has thus alienated and lost itself from the rest of the cultural imperialism are rife among Africans.1While there is world, controlled by external knowledge of the continent. The sincere effort around the globe to avoid or minimise situation is never hopeless though nor is Africa a lost continent. xenocentrism and culture imperialism, much theory and Increasing interests of the world in Africa - China, India, US - knowledge on Africa in important respects fail to acknowledge foretell that indeed, there are more prospects today for Africa to the authenticity and richness of African culture and philosophies, emerge as one of the brightest regions of the world in all aspects which ironically mediate everyday life of African peoples. of human endeavour. For this reason, we must keep doing A great deal of Western perceptions of Africa has something for ourselves and by ourselves as Africans. This work misrepresented the histories, cultures, and philosophies of is a contribution in this regard. Africans, thus compounding the alienation of Africans from themselves. For instance, the group of eminent African scholars constituting the UNESCO International scientific committee for III. METHODOLOGY the drafting of a General history of Africa points out clearly how Ideas in this work are mostly the result of a review of Eurocentric authorship of African colonial history existing published and unpublished literature. It is largely a desk misrepresented important aspects of African resistance to study that was conducted between June 2015 and February 2016. European colonisation of the continent, to the extent that some Various sorts of materials were manually and virtually accessed erroneously believe Africans generally welcomed European 2 and interpreted with a social constructionism framework to colonisation. How can a people welcome domination by another understand their understanding of the challenge of knowledge group of people! Such wrong Eurocentric perceptions and development on Africa. The social constructionism interpretation misrepresentations clearly demonstrate the enormity of the of existing literature means reviewing these materials on their challenge of knowledge on Africa. It convincingly makes the notions of how far context-based knowledge on Africa is credible case for Africans to develop their own knowledge base, drawing and authentic. Sources of these literature were journals, on experiences, philosophies, and cultures of Africa. institutional websites and repositories, and internet browsers such The source of this problem lies largely with the lack of as google scholar. Particularly for journals, a large chunk of the theorisation and knowledge development based on African literature was obtained from the University of Bayreuth library in experiences of their own lives. Of course, theorisation and Germany. Other journals were also sourced from CODESRIA’s knowledge development cannot proceed in a vacuum, so that online library system. Anything that borders on African Western perspectives only fill a space where African worldviews and debates of validity of science was reviewed. perspectives are absent. For instance, since we have not Thus, choice of articles was purposive, according to the content developed
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