African Philosophy: An Introduction - Tapa blanda

The African has generally not been given his right place in the many areas of human civilization. The African is denied a will, freedom, knowledge, rational powers, etc. Yet, man is “by nature a thinking being endowed by nature itself with this unique faculty which he makes use of in his everyday experience, in organizing and interpreting the experience.” African philosophy is a rational product of the African’s intellectual, deliberate or conscious activity with all the qualities that any philosophical discipline has in itself. Acknowledged African scholars, inspite of the disagreement amongst have now accepted that there is a philosophy which is peculiarly African in character, and function. As a philo-sophia, it is a quest for African wisdom. African Philosophy: An Introduction is “the reflective and systematic investigation into the fundamental questions that confront the African such as the nature of the universe, humanity, the self, the community, etc.

Dr. Yongho N. Nichodemus was born on the 31st of December 1954. After his primary and secondary education, he went to the Public Work Civil Engineering School in Buea where he obtained a Diploma in Civil Engineering. But for his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, he returned to education in the Government Teachers Training College, Bamenda where he graduated with a Teachers’ Grade I Certificate. Still not satisfied, as a primary school teacher, he further his studies in at the University of Nsukka, Nigeria where his insatiable love for wisdom lead him to graduate with a B.A (Hons.), an M.A and a PhD all in Philosophy. He has taught since then in various institutions of Higher learning. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Higher Teachers’ Training College, Bambili, University of Bamenda, where he has been lecturing different courses in the discipline of Philosophy. He is a prolific writer with many articles and books to his credit. Dr. Yongho N. Nichodemus, is one of our founding lecturers of the Department of Philosophy of Higher Teachers’ Training College, Bambili, the University of Bamenda, in Cameroon. He’s been with Department of Philosophy of the Higher Teachers’ Training College of the University of Bamenda for thirteen years. He started as a Part-time instructor. In the first four semesters, he taught five different courses. As the former Head of Department of Philosophy, he developed three courses anew to augment the workload. He was also the first person to teach the Logic, Metaphysics, and Epistemology and other courses here (the syllabus was developed prior to my arrival.) He has taught Philosophy of Education, Ethics and research courses, Sociology of Education, Measurement and Evaluation, General Pedagogy, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Science, Logic (Traditional and Symbolic). History of Education, Philosophy of Value and Population, Philosophy of Adult Education, African Philosophy, Philosophy of Logic and others.