What are the big questions for African philosophers in 2023?

Africa Daily

If you search for ‘philosophy’ or ‘philosophers’ online, chances are you’ll find lots of photos of white men. Wikipedia will tell you that historically, the main traditions include Western, Indian, Arabic-Persian and Chinese philosophy. But some people question how insightful these ideas are to life on the continent. Meanwhile, some of the oldest philosophical texts were produced in ancient Egypt. And terms from African philosophy such as Ubuntu – “I am because we are” – are influential around the world even today. A new “Handbook of African Philosophy” has been compiled by Dr Mpho Tshivhase (University of Pretoria) and Dr Elvis Imafidon (SOAS, London) and is set to be published in November. So, what are they hoping to achieve with the book? And what are the big questions for African philosophers today?