Conceptions of philosophy -- Philosophy as a rational inquiry -- Logical reasoning -- The debate on the idea of African philosophy -- Philosophy, society, and national development -- Appendix : writing a long essay/project in philosophy.

Given the African experience today---an experience defined by the search for a synthesis between the various influences on contemporary African culture, in particular Christianity and Islam, and, on the one hand, science, technology and modernization, while on the other, the quest for freedom and development in a condition of enervating poverty---what should be the commitment of the African philosopher? This is the question I address in this essay. I argue that not much can be gained in this situation by a (...) commitment to African culture or commitment to a discipline---philosophy. What is required, I suggest, is a commitment to human interests on the continent. This commitment can be expressed in various ways; for example, through the analysis, critique and reconstruction of traditional conceptual schemes, the examination of the ideological foundations of the African predicament and the consideration of issues---substantive and methodological---in other disciplines, particularly the social sciences. (shrink)

Taking off from reflections on the relevance of traditional political ideas for a democratic order in contemporary Africa, some traits, chances, and problems of Kwasi Wiredu's model of a non-party consensual democracy are analyzed. The goal of this article is to show that a currently viable adaption and transformation of the African democratic heritage could help to consolidate Africa's multicultural societies. A central task in this process lies in the reconciliation of democracy and justice via the establishment of a consensus-oriented (...) dialogue for decision-making, a constitutional legitimation of the rule of ethnic groups, and a decentralisation of political power, so that local and regional autonomy becomes possible. (shrink)