Ethno-philosophical currents in Kwame Gyekye's philosophy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the past few decades, there have been serious criticisms of the content of traditional African thought, particularly in respect of its philosophicality and, for that matter, relevance to the discipline of African philosophy. The chief critic of traditional thought and its presentation in academic African philosophy has been Paulin Hountondji who disparages it as mere ethno-philosophy. This chapter examines Kwame Gyekye's perspectives on ethno-philosophy and the manifestation of ethno-philosophical ideas in his philosophy. It pays specific attention to the debate between Hountondji and Gyekye with the intention of bringing to light how ethnophilosophical themes are to be understood in the works of Gyekye. Those themes serve the purpose of illustrating better ethno-philosophical currents in Gyekye's philosophy. The chapter argues that ethno-philosophy is an important part of African philosophy and recommends ways of dealing with some of the problems surrounding the notion of ethno-philosophy and its accompanying terminologies.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEthnophilosophy and the Search for the Wellspring of African Philosophy
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
Pages119-136
Number of pages18
ISBN (Electronic)9783030788971
ISBN (Print)9783030788964
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Jan 2022

Keywords

  • African philosophy
  • Akan philosophy
  • Ethno-philosophy
  • Kwame Gyekye
  • Particularism-universalism
  • Paulin Hountondji

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