Is African Philosophy Possible in Noneafrican Languages? An Igwebuike Complementary Response

Abstract

A cursory glance at the historical evolution of thoughts on the interface between African languages and the African philosophical enterprise reveals that two schools have emerged: the conservative perspective that insists on the indispensability of African languages in doing African philosophy, and the progressive perspective that understands the importance of African languages in African philosophy, however, while being open to a pragmatic progressive way forward given the limitations of African languages. The Igwebuike approach attempts at building a bridge between the two schools of thought. It presents African and colonial languages as not being fundamentally opposed to each other; and that both can be at the service of each other for the achievement of the fundamental purposes of African philosophy. In fact, rather than being the enemy of the African language, the colonial language is understood as a complement of the local languages in Africa. In this new relationship between the African and colonial languages, language is understood as not being a completed project but as one that is dynamic and still growing. Where the African language finds itself limited, the colonial language becomes a complement, especially on typical human realities that are universal or sometimes peculiar to other worlds outside of Africa, and when the colonial language fails, especially in relation to typical African realities, the African language would complement the colonial language. For the purpose of this research, the Igwebuike method of investigation which is complementary was employed.