博彩平台推荐博士候选人Idowu Odeyemi认为，非洲哲学不应该局限于单一的定义

“To define African philosophy is to limit it,” argues Idowu Odeyemi, a PhD candidate in philosophy at the University of Colorado Boulder. “And to limit it is to conserve it.”

Odeyemi, whose article “African Philosophy Cannot Be a Thing” was published in the journal Metaphilosophy this month, argues that African philosophy, like Western philosophy, 不应该局限于一个单一的定义，而应该被视为一系列概念和传统.

Odeyemi的见解促使人们重新思考哲学是什么, who defines it and how it affects people’s lives.

To live is to wonder

Odeyemi说:“在第一层次上，每个人都可以说是有资格成为哲学家的。.  “Everyone wonders.”

无论是邻居早晨的特殊习惯，还是兄弟姐妹在家庭聚会上的态度, 几乎每个人在生活的每个阶段都有一些想知道的事情. Yet what sets philosophers apart, according to Odeyemi, who was recently awarded a fellowship with the Center for African and African American Studies, is that they ask where their wonder comes from.

Odeyemi说，哲学的奇迹并不存在于真空中. It is curated by the society in which one grows up. 哲学关注通常是社会世界让哲学家获得兴趣的一个因素.”

Citing the work of CU Boulder Associate Professor of Philosophy Ajume Wingo, 谁最近探讨了纳尔逊·曼德拉的政治谦逊, and the late Ghanaian philosopher Kwesi Wiredu, 谁主张共识民主而不是西方的代议制民主, Odeyemi emphasizes that African philosophers, like their Western counterparts, are deeply influenced by their social context.  

然而，Odeyemi对“非洲哲学”这个词持谨慎态度，因为它具有单一的内涵. 他说，非洲哲学不能局限于单一的叙述或定义. Rather, it encompasses a multitude of voices and ideas, 所有这些都植根于不同文化产生的经验和社会背景, languages and histories across the vast continent.

The unwritten richness of African philosophy

许多非洲哲学思想都是通过神话代代相传的, proverbs and oral traditions. This unwritten heritage challenges popular, though misguided, 西方观念认为有价值的哲学必须用文字记录下来.

In his paper, Odeyemi draws a parallel to Socrates, one of the most revered figures in Western philosophy.

“Socrates left no philosophical writings. It is Plato, his follower, who contextualized some of Socrates’ dialogue, and thus, the philosophies accorded to Socrates today,” Odeyemi points out. 这和非洲村庄里的智者提供哲学见解有什么不同, 这将被传递给下一代，直到有人把它写下来?”

Of course, 这并不是说非洲社会完全依靠口头传统在一代一代之间传递知识. 像埃及这样的国家有着悠久的文字历史，可以让博彩平台推荐一窥他们的思想. 

Odeyemi also reflects on his own life and Yoruba heritage, 分享隐喻和口头传统如何影响哲学和日常交流.

“The Yoruba language is deeply metaphorical,” he says. “For instance, instead of telling you that you are stubborn, a Yoruba person might say ‘you have a coconut head,’ meaning your character is not easy to crack.”

非洲文化对语言和隐喻的丰富使用说明了哲学是如何融入日常生活的. To Odeyemi, that’s an important hallmark of good philosophy.

他还重申了书面传统的演变，尤其是在几代人之间的演变. Compared to novels by such writers as Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart), Buchi Emecheta (The Joy of Motherhood) and Wole Soyinka (The Trial of Brother Jero), 非洲作家在过去二十年出版的小说说明了语言使用的重大转变.

Odeyemi还指出，老一辈的非洲作家和思想家经常与神话打交道, proverbs and oral traditions in their writings. 相比之下，许多当代非洲作家并不强调这些因素.

Odeyemi说:“我认为是人们在影响这种哲学，而不是相反。.

Connecting philosophy with everyday life

对许多人来说，哲学完全属于学术话语的范畴. Odeyemi指出，这是非洲和西方哲学共同面临的挑战. He also believes the opposite should be true.

“一种哲学如果很容易被它的对话对象所忽视——一种与它的人民毫无关系的哲学——就不能说是一种好的哲学。,” he says.

哲学家的部分工作是检查人们所依赖的系统，并试图纠正它们，以便人们过上更好的生活, Odeyemi notes. Of course, 让人们过上更好的生活并不是哲学家的职责，而是人们的责任.

Even so, 哲学家的思想要产生广泛的影响，就必须使普通人能够理解和理解他们的思想. Odeyemi认为，研讨会和公共讨论可以在鼓励更广泛地参与哲学思想方面发挥重要作用.

此外，Odeyemi挑战社会将哲学话语纳入主流.

“我认为唯一可以采取的步骤是停止对哲学系的拨款，让公众明白为什么阅读和学习哲学对他们的日常生活很重要,” he says.

非非洲哲学家对非洲哲学话语的贡献与非洲人对非非洲哲学话语的贡献同样重要. 博彩平台推荐都需要通过对话来更好地理解彼此.”

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about philosophy? Show your support.