Ethnophilosophy

Boele van Hensbroek provides in-depth discussions of the most important African political discourses of the last 150 years. He reveals a fascinating world of ideas, from the great 19th century theorists, such as Edward Blyden and Africanus Horton, to prominent nationalists, such as Kwame Nkrumah and Amilcar Cabral, and to contemporary African intellectuals. The comprehensive African history of ideas reveals that particular styles of political reasoning recur which can be reconstructed as three consistent "models" of thought. Finally, the historical insight and philosophical analysis of models of thought allow for a well-informed critical inventory of African political thought at the close of the 20th century.

Divided into eight sections, each with introductory essays, the selections offer rich and detailed insights into a diverse multinational philosophical landscape. Revealed in this pathbreaking work is the way in which traditional philosophical issues related to ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology, for instance, take on specific forms in Africa's postcolonial struggles. Much of its moral, political, and social philosophy is concerned with the turbulent processes of embracing modern identities while protecting ancient cultures.