The Argument of a More Distinctive African Epistemology

To define what African epistemology is, Kaphagawani and Malherbe’s explanation of epistemology is an education of philosophies relating to and the possibility of information. For them it is also the assessment of beliefs and the basis of knowledge as well as the study of knowledge claims. Epistemology is fundamentally about knowledge. African epistemology therefore refers to African traditions of knowing and claiming knowledge. Indigenous African beliefs, rituals and practises to capture not only the African knowledge rights but also the general way of life. This essay will be in agreement with Kaphagawani and Malherbe’s argument of a more distinctive African philosophy.

Great certainty of traditional belief, African philosophy should be explored. Starting off with philosophy as the basis and start of societies understanding of African concepts and thinking. Epistemology is therefore the theoretical education of information itself. As per Kaphagawani and Malherbe (2002), the approach in which people gain their knowledge differs according to socio-cultural circumstances whereby educational privileges was voiced as well as expressed. It is because of this different cultures in Africa needs be considered.

According to Nasseem (2002), knowledge is handed down from generation to generation. Accurate and first-hand knowledge forms the foundation of the African epistemology. This knowledge might not necessary be universal but more centred on local tribes, with other tribes having learnt different knowledge says.

According to Nasseem (2002), his opinion was that Senghor has made this critical mistake. In, Senghor’s view that African epistemology started with the declaration of “I feel therefore I am”. But Nasseem debates this is a reflection of the impact of European researchers. He further debates that it ought somewhat to be explained by the epistemological saying of “We are therefore I am” and by methods of self-reflecting. However, through history, African society has been swayed, and therefore changed the nature and pursuit for knowledge.

According to Kaphagawani and Malherbe (2002), the African epistemological playing field has been influenced by Islamic intrusion and the combination of a Western controlled belief. This left its mark on African epistemology. It brought about a philosophy which is characterised by the rational, methods of Islam.

Culture plays a vital role in the rational understanding of reality and “unless on is intimately familiar with the ontological commitments of a culture, it is often difficult to appreciate or otherwise understand those commitments” (Brown, 2004). It is therefore vital for us in understanding the origins of reality to allow us to comprehend the traditional method to data. Importantly to customary beliefs held, indication is we are certain familial spirits with intentions are known to us.

Therefore, Western religion has given Western civilization an ethical structure on which human behaviours and interactions are guided and judged. Resulting upon this, many Western scholars’ understanding of traditional African culture is a blank. They regard African culture as missing the foundation that Western culture claims to have.

With reference to Udefi (2005), heroes of African epistemology want to direct attention to the traditional impact of knowledge. This is against the philosophical context of European colonisation. That defends and upholds the authority of Western reason over non-Western people and their cultures. It is individuals such as Seghor together with fellow African writers that has written works opposing the uniqueness of the traditional approach of observing and answering collectively worldwide. It is precisely this which creates African philosophy.

Epistemology, can be assumed to be similar all over. On the contrary, denying there are diverse methods and views held, we identify our own surroundings. However, disputing that people from Africa view and see the universe differently as appose to their fellow equivalents of the west. This in itself leading to a theory of relativeness by some degree.

African principles of information, like other philosophies is a societal and or a cultural philosophy. When one talks about an occurrence culturally, we are debating it to be inline with within the balanced context. An example of this would be in African culture. According to Kaphagawani and Malherbe (1998), “the way in which epistemic rationality and its related concepts are instantiated, ‘filled out’ as it were, the concrete content that they are given in terms of linguistic descriptions and social customs, varies a great deal from one cultural context to another”.

Therefore, “the social epistemologist … is concerned with the rational practices, values, institutions, etc. of a culture.” These customarily normal applications reside in well engrained over-all beliefs, perceptions and principles of any individual person.

African epistemology is chiefly fixed in African ontology. The epistemological understanding of the customary African is compatible per Tempels ideology. Through this background it can be clearly understood and it give us a better assessment of the Temples’ idea of true knowledge. This however is knowledge to be originating in ontological information. Ontological knowledge is the intelligence of forces in their hierarchy, their cohesion and interaction (Tempels, 1969).

Subsequently epistemology is statements made relating to our experiences. These experiences is constantly understood inside firm traditions, ideas, principles, and world perspectives held by individuals. It confirms the need of the link between ontology and epistemology as this helps us to identify, comprehend, and validate our reasoning claims. Anyanwu puts this very clearly when he writes, that we must know the basic assumptions, concepts, theories and worldview in terms of which the owners of the culture interpret the facts of experience.

We can thus conclude that all knowledge needs to be placed at the certain local level. Furthermore, it can be said that all knowledge is human centred and as such unique in various ways. Only when one has grasped an active and serious understanding of the indigenous, that one can advance to yield knowledge worldwide. The question is that of an African epistemology which is positioned within a different world view model to that of the Western tradition and which is totally impacted by the supremacy and distraction of Western knowledge production. The challenge remains how to generally discover our knowledge production to such an extent that it enriches the entire epistemological project, taking into account its own world view and experience.

I therefor agree with Kaphagawani and Malherbe’s (2002) position in so far that it is my belief that it is absolute necessary to make a distinction between African epistemology and Western philosophy. It is critical that we examine the effect of these differences on theory.