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Rationality and Ethics in Zara Yacob's “Hatata”

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Rationality and Ethics in Zara Yacob's “Hatata” Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in Rationality and Ethics in Zara Yacob’s “Hatata” Teshome Abera Lecturer at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Ethiopia (PhD) Research Scholar Kerala University Abstract: Zara Yacob is a prominent Ethiopian certainly is distinctive written philosophical philosopher of the 17th century who transcended the reflection in Africa. Zara Yacob’s attempt to cultural forces of the time for arguing for the prove the existence of God, a critique of rationality of the human heart. Through the different religions, the principle of harmony in rationality of the heart Zara Yacob investigated his rationality and ethical philosophy are good truth includes on the methods of knowing God, examples of literate traditions in Africa. discovery of truth, the obligation of human being Zara Yacob continually carried out the and the nature of human. Zara Yacob's “Hatata " emerged as a critique of conventional beliefs on investigation into truth, the existence of God religion and the nature of human reason. Such a and ethical issues within the rationality of the position argued for the unique nature of reason heart. In Zara Yacob’s philosophy the light of residing in the human heart and the intrinsic reason in the heart plays decisive role in the relation between human knowledge and everyday discovery of truth and the moral dimension of moral problems. The method involved in this thesis human life. to study Zara Yacob’s rationality and Ethics in the “Hatata” is philosophical method which depends on There is vital evidence that Africa had the analysis of arguments with conceptual clarity, its own philosophy even in the ancient times. logical analysis and validity. The study involved the Some Western scholars use this as evidence to usage of rational techniques of analysis grounded on prove that Africans are intellectually inferior. the technique and principles of logic. In Zara Yacob's philosophical approach, ‘the light of Ethiopia; as a country which is in Africa as a reason’, ‘the goodness of created nature’ and ‘God continent is a cradle of mankind. In similar vein given intelligent’ are the cornerstones for there are evidence and heritages that suggest investigating the relation between rationality and that Africa is also a cradle of philosophy and ethics. The basis of his famous ethical principle is human civilization. The real problem that gave the ‘principle of harmony’ in which truth revealed in rise to doubt is not because philosophy has not the light of reason in the heart which is existed in Africa but because on one hand there complementary to the laws of nature. I argued that has been no strong effort to bring out the Zara Yacob treatise revealed how Africans are African oral and written philosophies to light, critically engaged with most significant and the flourishing and expansion of Western philosophical questions. Moreover, he is rationalist philosophies and civilization shrouded and philosopher who placed emphasis on reason or intellect, by contrast with the senses, for acquiring obliterated African civilization including its significant truth. philosophy on the other hand. One of the pressing and outstanding tasks for the 1. Introduction contemporary African scholars is to bring out to For years debates has raged whether light the oral and written philosophy in different Africa have a distinct written philosophical African cultures. This Article is intended to tradition. This article will argue that there explore Zara Yacob’s, Ethiopian philosopher, Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 431 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in the rationality and ethical position as an effort to add one to the development of African Once I asked a ‘Frang’ (or foreigner) philosophy. scholar many things concerning our faith: he interpreted them all according to his own 2. Rationality and Ethics in “Hatata” faith. Afterwards I asked a well-known Zara Yacob (1599-1692) was born in Ethiopian scholar and he also interpreted august 1599G.C. from a poor farmer family in all things according to his own faith. If I had Northern Ethiopia; and a special place called asked the Mohammedans and the Jews, they Aksum which was the ancient capital of also would have interpreted according to Ethiopia. He was educated in the Coptic their own faith; then, where could I obtain a Christian faith. He also attended the traditional judge that tells the truth? As my faith school with the support of his father. appears to be true to me, so does another one find his own faith true; but truth is one ( In the traditional school, Zara Yacob Zara Yacob in Sumner, 1985, 234) became acquainted with Psalms of David. The book of Psalm in the Bible is a book devoted to Zara yacob’s intense enquiry confirmed giving praise or thanks to God. Zara Yacob’s that truth and morality are universal and cannot teacher observed that he is clever and be attained through the directives of organized intelligent. He was reported this to his father to religion. Since truth is one, the different "truths" send him for further education. He studied the stated by isolated religions cannot be true. He “Zema” (sacred music taught in church examined truth which is universally applicable. schools), the “qene” (“poetry” or “hymns”), and also the “Sewasew” (“The interpretation of The expression revealed how Zara Scripture”) in Geez. Yacob was questioned by the situation of different people from diverse background. Zara Yacob lives in the time of civil and According to him all are behaving in the way religious unrest in Ethiopia. The main cause of they experienced life from their community or the unrest during the time was that king faith. The frange (Foreigner) whom he asked Susenyos was persuaded by the Portuguese interpreted the Bible from the perspective of Jesuits to convert from the orthodox to Catholic their own faith, so as the Ethiopian scholars. religion. Zara Yacob avoided taking sides with The same is true of the Mohammedans and the any religious faith. Instead, he tried to Jews, because, they all interpreted according to understand things and connect them to the their own faith. This entire situation helped him reality. He reasoned that will is the critical to find the truth by his own means; Zara Yacob source of ethics and he concluded that God is transcended the tradition of the society of his revealed to reason and discredited organized time, searching for truth through rational religion as the way to know God. investigation. This is to mean that his rational investigation of truth includes on the methods of Zara Yacob reflected his opinion on knowing God, discovery of truth, the obligation followers of different faiths, because he of human being and the nature of human. Zara witnessed that followers of every religion Yacocb affirmed that any faith has to be claimed as if their faith was correct and the critically examined by our natural reason or other’s faith was untrue. They were defending intelligence (Teodros1994:4). Philosopher Zara their own faith is true while refusing other Yacob further emphasized, without God’s faiths. Truth for them is interpreted according to guidance, reason itself is incomplete. Believers the believers’ individual faith. must subject their faith to critical self- Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 432 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in inspection. Rather than deriving beliefs from implies Zara Yacob has recognized that nature any structured religion. Zara Yacob required and reason are good because they are created by the truth in observing the natural world. God and thus nature and reason would serve as Personal reasoning is prior to faith in God. the criteria for searching truth. According to Regarding believers ZaraYacob argued that ZaraYacob human beings are the master of their “their heart is curdled because they assume what action and can find out what is true from false they have heard from their predecessors they do hood through reason alone. Zara Yacob not inquire whether it is true or false” ( Zara declared that “Nothing should be accepted Yacob in Sumner1985: 234). This is not correct without being tested by intelligent or natural for Zara Yacob, since, God has given intelligent reasoning” (Teodros1994:4). It is reason that to think, we ourselves have to investigate what shed light on the mysterious section of human is true and what is falsehood. Instead of thought. The good and evil can be revealed for believing by what we heard from our father, ZaraYacob when “God indeed has illuminated mother or other relatives, it is vital to inquire by the heart of man with understanding by which our Gods given intelligent through reasoning. he can see the good and evil” ( Zara Yacob in This is a common practice in Ethiopia, if we ask Sumner 1985:237). It is through this light that is many believers why you belong to this and that placed in our heart that we can distinguish what faith. They reply that they inherited the religion is true from false hold, it is because this light is from their descendants and considered, it is the always correct and does not deceives us. mere truth and real as they heard from their forefather and descended to them. Most people “Moreover there are many other things did not say this is the correct, one because of which agree with our reason and are this and that factors. The reason is that they did necessary for our life or for the existence not investigate the truth by the “light of reason” of mankind.
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