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Added by: Franci MangravitiPublisher’s Note:
The issue of a logic foundation for African thought connects well with the question of method. Do we need new methods for African philosophy and studies? Or, are the methods of Western thought adequate for African intellectual space? These questions are not some of the easiest to answer because they lead straight to the question of whether or not a logic tradition from African intellectual space is possible. Thus in charting the course of future direction in African philosophy and studies, one must be confronted with this question of logic. The author boldly takes up this challenge and becomes the first to do so in a book by introducing new concepts and formulating a new African culture-inspired system of logic called Ezumezu which he believes would ground new methods in African philosophy and studies. He develops this system to rescue African philosophy and, by extension, sundry fields in African Indigenous Knowledge Systems from the spell of Plato and the hegemony of Aristotle. African philosophers can now ground their discourses in Ezumezu logic which will distinguish their philosophy as a tradition in its own right. On the whole, the book engages with some of the lingering controversies in the idea of (an) African logic before unveiling Ezumezu as a philosophy of logic, methodology and formal system. The book also provides fresh arguments and insights on the themes of decolonisation and Africanisation for the intellectual transformation of scholarship in Africa. It will appeal to philosophers and logicians—undergraduates and post graduate researchers—as well as those in various areas of African studies.
Comment: Can be used as a main reference textbook for a course on African logic, insofar as Part I provides an (opinionated) survey of the field, and Part II develops a particular proposal in extensive detail. The chapters in Part I can be accompanied by many of the primary sources in "Logic and African Philosophy: Seminal Essays on African Systems of Thought", edited by the same author. Chapters 6-8, which introduce Ezumezu, can be used in a general course on logic or African philosophy wanting to discuss this particular system and philosophy thereof. While familiarity with Part I is helpful, it is not strictly required. Can be used as a main reference textbook for a course on African logic, insofar as Part I provides an (opinionated) survey of the field, and Part II develops a particular proposal in extensive detail. The chapters in Part I can be accompanied by many of the primary sources in "Logic and African Philosophy: Seminal Essays on African Systems of Thought", edited by the same author. Chapters 6-8, which introduce Ezumezu, can be used in a general course on logic or African philosophy wanting to discuss this particular system and philosophy thereof. While familiarity with Part I is helpful, it is not strictly required.
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Added by: Viviane FairbankAbstract:
“Logic and African Philosophy: Seminal Essays on African Systems of Thought” aims to put African intellectual history in perspective, with focus on the subjects of racism, logic, language, and psychology. The volume seeks to fill in the gaps left by the exclusion of African thinkers that are frequent in the curricula of African schools concerning history, sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies. The book is divided into four parts that are preceded by an introduction to link up the essays and emphasise their sociological implications. Part one is comprised of essays that opened the controversy of whether logic can be found in traditional African cultures as well as other matters like the nature of the mind and behaviour of African peoples. The essays in part two are centred on the following question: are the laws of thought present in African languages and cultures? Part three brings together essays that sparkle the debate on whether there can be such a thing as African logic, which stems from the discussions in part two. Part four is concerned on the theme of system-building in logic; contributions are written by members of the budding African philosophy movement called the “Conversational School of Philosophy” based at the University of Calabar, and the main objective of their papers is to formulate systems of African logic.Comment: This collection provides a useful introduction to a number of different perspectives regarding formal logic and deductive reasoning in African thinkers and African philosophy. The articles included in this collection are varied and cover a number of different questions concerning logic. They might accordingly be included not only in a course on African philosophy, but also perhaps a general philosophy of logic class in which logical pluralism, the formality of logic, and other related issues are addressed.