Race Ideology and the Conceptualization of Philosophy: The Story of Philosophy in Africa from Placide Tempels to Odera Oruka
Abstract
Philosophy in Africa has come a long way. From the 18th and 19th centuries when it
was totally ignored or denied altogether, to when it was given a lower status by
ethnophilosophers. Today we talk proudly of an African philosophy. What is often
forgotten is its history and the players behind its historical moments. This paper tells
the story of how racial ideology had defined the course of philosophy in Africa. We
are particularly concerned with telling the story of Henry Odera Oruka, and how he
contributed to raising the status of philosophy in Africa.