V THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PHILOSOPHIC SAGACITY IN AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY *rnR BY oiSlVERSlTt ubua^ ‘ FREDERICK OCHIENG'-ODHIAMBO Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy of the University of Nairobi, 1994 UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI LIBRARY ®*7©o vMvDmJV JSV3 1 b This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other University. Frederick Ochieng' - Odhiambo This thesis has been submitted for examination with my approval as a University Supervisor. -• f - ‘7"/ Prof. H. Odera Oruka Department of Philosophy . University of Nairobi v c TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ............................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: Rationale of the Study ..........................................................................................6 1.1 Statement of the Research Problem ......................................................................................... 6 1.2 Research Objectives ....................................................................................................................9 1.3 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................... 10 1.4 Literature Review ......................................................................................................................12 1.5 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 15 1.6 Justification of the Research ....................................................................................................17 Chapter Two: Philosophy Within Scholarship ........................................................................24 2.1 Philosophy's Unrestricted Nature ......................................... 24 2.2 The Role of Philosophy in Human Enquiry .......................................................................26 2.3 Some Characteristics of Philosophical Problems .......................................................... 34 2.4 Philosophy and Logic ............................................................................................................. 39 Chapter Three: Conventional Conception of the African Mentalitv ...................................47 3.1 The Philosophy of History ..................................................................................................... 4S 3.2 The Primitive Mentality ........................................................................................................... 53 3 3 The African Today ..................................................................................................................... 57 3.4 The African Mind ............. 62 Chapter Four: The African Origin of Civilization Myth or Reality?...................................... 75 4.1 From Ancient Africa to Ancient Greece ...............................................................................77 4.2 Stolen Legacy ............................................................................................................................84 4.3 The Ethiopian Philosophy of Greek Origin ................................................... 91 4.4 The Concluding Remarks .......................................................................................................95 Chapter Five: Ethnophilosophy ................................................................................................104 5.1 Bantu Philosophy ...................................................................................................................106 5.2 African Religions and Philosophy ....................................................................................... 114 5.3 Modes of Thought ....................................... 119 5.4 Towards a Theory of African Knowledge ..........................................................................122 5.5 Concluding Remarks ..............................................................................................................126 Chapter Six:: Professional Philosophy ......................................................................................136 61 Ethnophilosophy and Professional Philosophy ..................................................................136 6-2 African Philosophy: Myth and Reality .................................................................................138 6-3 Truth as Opinion ........................................................................................................... 148 d 6.4 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................................... 157 Chapter Seven: Philosophic sagacity- ................................................................................ 165 7.1 Sage Philosophy ......................................................................................................................166 7.2 Philosophic Sagacity ............................................................................................................. 168 7.3 Keita's Objections ....................................................................................................................171 7.4 Bodunrin and the Question of Philosophic Sagacity ....................................................... 175 7.5 Masolo on Philosophic Sagacity........................................................................................... 179 7.6 A General Observation .......................................................................................................... 183 7.7 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................................. 188 Chapter Eight:: Ancient Greek Thought ................................................................................ 196 8.1 The Beginnings of Philosophy in Greece............................................................................197 8.2 Thales of Miletus...................................................................................................................... 204 8.3 Anaximander of Miletus .......................................................................................................208 8.4 Anaximenes of Miletus ..........................................................................................................211 8.5 Heraclitus .................................................................................................................................213 8.6 Parmenides ...............................................................................................................................216 8.7 Concluding Remarks .............................................................................................................. 219 Chapter Nine: Thoughts of Some African Sages ................................................................... 223 9.1 The Question of Methodology ............................................................................................. 223 9.2 Masolo's Criticism: An Appraisal ...................................................................................... 225 9.3 Naftali Ong'alo ............................................... 229 9.4 Nashon Oduor .........................................................................................................................240 9.5 James Oluoch ...........................................................................................................................248 9.6 Eliud Onyango .........................................................................................................................257 9.7 Rose Odhiambo ...................................................................................................................... 265 9.8 Concluding Remarks .............................................................................................................273 Chapter Ten: Conclusion ................................................................................ 277 10.1 Philosophic Sagacity: A Rationale ................................................................................... 277 10.2 Universalism and Particularism ........................................................................................ 280 10.4 Comments on Philosophic Sagacity and Ancient Greek Thought .............................286 10.5 Concluding Remarks ...........................................................................................................291 Bibliography ............................................................:........................................................................ 296 ----- . *- '<• V DEDICATION THIS WORK IS DEDICATED TO MY ENTHUSIASTIC COLLEAGUES IN, AND ARDENT STUDENTS OF, AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY WHEREVER THEY MAY BE 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere appreciation and special