PHILOSOPHY AS A CATALYST FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT

Osita Nnajiofor, Joannes Asikogu

Abstract


It has been said that in order to change a society, philosophy does neither deal in
arms nor violence, rather its weapon is its power of moral, rational suasion and
enlightenment. It can do this by questioning the moral conscience of individual
within a given polity and this moral philosophical project and mission is called
philosophy’s prophetic function. A critical look at post- colonial African society
shows a society whose humanness is being questioned. The wisdom of our elders
are at the threshold of extinction and our family values that used to form African
bedrock is rendered anachronistic and the much envied egalitarian arrangements
has been overtaken by institutionalized kleptomania. African leaders are
skillfully perpetuating the atrocities of colonialism at the peril of the poor masses.
In the midst of this imbroglio what can African philosophy offer to the
development of Africa? Who can pioneer this change and with what methods?
This paper employs hermeneutic method to observe that for any developmental
breakthrough to manifest in African there must be first of all gneosological
breakthroughs through innovative thinking.

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