African Philosophy: Myth and Reality

Paulin J. Hountondji attacks a myth popularized by ethnophilosophers such as Placide Tempels and Alexis Kagame that there is an indigenous, collective African philosophy separate and distinct from other philosophical traditions.

Three distinct and separate words of indigenous collective philosophy: ubuntu, uhuru, umoja.

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning 'humanity to others'. It is often described as reminding us that 'I am what I am because of who we all are'.

uhuru, Swahili, translates to "absolute freedom" in English.

umoja, Swahili = "unity", English

In contrast, the delimited "German" philosophy:

“Communism,... the true resolution of the strife between existence and essence, between objectification and self-confirmation, between freedom and necessity, between the individual and the species.”

The question remains, Does this native philosophy stem from classical—society divided between classes—African civilisation, as a means of reconciliation between opposing factions, or predate it as a reminder to successive generations of humanity lost?

The learned academic philosopher politician, Paulin J. Hountondji, addresses none of this and makes no mention of the three linchpins of human life whilst attacking the "myth" of African philosophy.