Nigeria is the most populous black nation, filled with different tribes and ethnic groups. Although there is a general perspective that the country is practicing democracy, the reverse is the case if we take a critical look at the system. Ever since the 1966 coup in Nigeria, region sentiment and ethnicity favoritism have successfully taken over. The handing over of the military to democracy has not changed anything because of the Northern region's dominance and their mantra of “born to rule...
ABSTRACT It is generally agreed by philosophers that philosophy began as a result of man’s wonders and curiosity. Hence, this important discipline has been defined as the love of wisdom. It is also been referred to as man’s unending quest for knowledge. The ancient or Pre-Socratic philosophers were first concerned with the universe. At this early stage some of the philosophers argued whether the earth was round or spherical, some argued for what basic elements constitute reality and t...
Abstract This work is an attempt to critically evaluate the concept of Reincarnation in African thought system. It does so, largely focusing on the cultural perspective of the Akan and Yoruba tradition respectively. Reincarnation is conventionally defined as the belief that a person who is physically dead can again be born to live here on earth. In this work, an attempt has been made to show reincarnation was understood in the religious philosophies of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Indians....
Abstract African ontology, for the most part, has been premised on an ancient theory of forces hierarchicized in an inseparable continuum. The basic assumption that forces interact, intermingle and interpenetrate one another informed the extended family relations which stresses the brotherhood of man and the communion of souls from which architects of African societies in the post-colonial era constructed primitive socialism(s) and primitive capitalism( s). The purist school of thought in Af...
There has been a dominant and persistent basic issue in African Philosophy, which has become disputations for over fifty decades now. This issue is raised in the question; in what sense can a philosophy, thought or idea be described as African? In an attempt to answer this question scholars have presented a specific brand of philosophy that had a fall back on humanism - African humanism.
INTRODUCTION The return of the National Theatre-Sponsored television epic, (1) 'Roots' on the, Nigerian Television screen, in 1992 was anything but a coincidence. The timing oft the return clearly shows how far television can be used to whip up national sentiments in support of the crusade for reparations for the 'injustices' done Africa and Africans during the over four hundred years of slavery and slave trade. , , No doubt, 'Roots' is a moving recapture of those terrible days. No one in his...
ABSTRACT: Starting from the assumption of the inadequate comprehension of the foundation and the ultimate purpose of law as Kant and Cicero observed in jurists, this paper looks at the positivist interpretation of law, critically analysing the tenets of legal positivism and how this approach to law upholds amoral laws. Dissociating morality from law has the tendency to derail society of ethical and moral values, plunging it on the slippery slope of the perversion of justice, something that un...
This essay sets out to explain the differences between the philosophies of Mencius and Hsün Tzu with regard to their consideration of good and evil in association with human nature. The essay provides an historical background for the development of Confucian philosophy from which Mencius and Hsün Tzu would draw inspiration, outlining the presence of the Hundred Schools of Thought era and the impact of the Warring States period. Aspects of both Mencius’ and Hsün Tzu’s thought are consid...
This is essay discusses the impact that the Post-Modernist philosophy of Deconstruction, as proposed by Jacques Derrida, has upon all established ideas, highlighting the internal polarities that are required for a concept to exist
This essay investigates the nature of Good and Evil as forces within our personal experience rather than external protagonists. The concepts of Good and Evil are considered within a Western context, with reference to Eastern concepts, as polar functions which provide psychological tools to accommodate the nature of life experiences. Sources are taken from Ouspensky and Liebniz with the Dhammapada as a primary text.
The aim of this essay is to show, firstly, how Tao is expressed as a positive exposition of actuality and secondly, the peace that the non-attachment of the Taoist concept wu-wei can bring. It seeks to show that Tao is a way of life and not a principle to aspire toward. In Chinese culture, Tao is antithetical to Confucianism; its emphasis upon spontaneity and individuality a stark contrast to the social obligation and moral duty stressed by Confucian thinking. Every aspect of existence has it...
INTRODUCTION Change in our imagination is always difficult, especially when we are no longer young.1 The same change was demanded by Copernicus, who met the view which posits that the world was stationary. Until now his view are still been debated among historians, philosophers and a host of scholars. This view of change from the above analysis shows that the concept of statics is older. It equally holds that if observed, observer would notice that it is characterized by difficulties. This di...
INTRODUCTION Aristotle in the commencement of his Metaphysics wrote that “All men by nature desire to know, this existential passion or desire is quite innate and intrinsic in man. As a result of this urge to know, man involved himself in a curious and inquisitive search into reasons of his existence, perhaps Socrates also realised this fact and maintained that “an unexamined life is not worth living”. In other words, the life of man on earth must have a purpose and in order for us ...
This long essay addresses the problems of Governance in human society. The essay uses the Awolowo's Regime of Mental Magnitude as the panacea in solving the identified problems of Governance in actual human society such as lack of effective governmental policy, corruption, tribalism, religion sentiment and a host of others. The essay argues that mental development should be the basis of human development in society.
This paper deal with a comparative study of two scholars Aristotle and Plato.