6 - African Development and the Primacy of Mental Decolonization
Corresponding Author(s) : Messay Kebede
Africa Development,
Vol. 29 No. 1 (2004): Africa Development: Special Issue on 'Philosophy and Development'
Abstract
The drastic and manifold difficulties Africa faces suggest that something more than mere delay, unfavorable conditions or misguided policies is obstructing the goal of development. The suggestion calls for a serious reflection on the experience of colonialism, but in a way different from those studies tracing African predicaments back to colonial or imperialist misdeeds. This does not mean colonialism is not the real culprit, just that such a stance is necessary in light of the fact that many studies have not focused on the real source of Africa's ills: the phenomenon of mental colonization. Those scholars who bring out the detrimental impact of mental alienation either fail to totally emancipate their views from Western constructs, or cannot produce an alternative to Eurocentrism. This paper discusses the contributions of African philosophical debates to the elucidation of the negative impacts of colonial discourse on Africa's development effort, ft draws attention to the limitations of the contributions and proposes an alternative conception vindicating the view that the great task of freeing the African mind from Eurocentric constructions takes priority over the design of development policies.
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- Bergson, H., 1944, Creative Evolution, New York, The Modem Libn
- Descartes, R., 1978, 'Discourse on the Method'
- Diawara, M., I 990, 'Reading Africa Through Foucault: V. Y. Mudimbe's Affirmation of the Subject', Quest, Vol.4, No. 1, pp. 76-88.
- Fanon, F., 1968, The Wretched of the Earth, New York, Grove Press, Inc. Frank, A. G., 1967,
- Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America, r-
- York, Monthly Review Press.
- Hagen, E. E., 1962, On the Theo,y ofSocial Change, Homewood. Ill, The Dor Press
- Hegel, G. W. F., 1956, The PhilosophyofHistory, New York, Dover Pubhcatlons.
- Hountondji, P., 1995, 'The Particular and the Universai', in Albert G. Mosley ed.,
- African Philosophy: Selected Readings, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs.
- Hountondji, P., 1983, African Philosophy: Myth and Reality, Bloomington, Indiana University Press.
- Imbo, S. O., 1998, An Introduction ta African Philosophy, New York, Rowman & Littlefield
- Publishers.
- Irele, A., 1992, 'In Praise of Alienation', in V. Y. Mudimbe ed., The Surreptitious Speech:
- Présence Africaine and the Politics of Otherness, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago
- Press.
- Irele, A., 1990, The African Experience in Literature and ldeology, Bloomington: Indiana University
- Press.
- Lévy-Bruhl, L., 1985, How Natives Think, Princeton, N J., Princeton University Press.
- Masolo, D. A., 1994, African Philosophy in Searèh of ldentity, Bloomington, Indiana University
- Press.
- Maurier, H., 1984, 'Do We Have an African Philosophy'? in Richard A. Wright ed., African
- Philosophy, Lanham, University Press of America.
- Mudimbe, V. Y., 1994, The ldea of Africa, Bloomington, Indiana University Press. Mudimbe, V. Y.,
- , The Invention of Africa, Bloomington, Indiana University
- Press.
- Sartre, J-P., 1963, Black Orpheus, Paris, Présence Africaine.
- Sartre, J-P., 1957, Existentialism and Human Emotions, New York, Philosophical Library.
- Sen, A., 1999, Development as Freedom, New York, Alfred A. Knopf.
- Senghor, L. S., 1995, 'On Negrohood: PsychologyoftheAfrican Negro', in Albert Mosley, ed., African
- Philosophy: Selected Readings, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall.
- Senghor, L. S., 1976, 'Prose and Poetry', in John Reed and Clive Wake, eds., London, Heinemann.
- Senghor, I._. S., 1970, 'Negritude: A Humanism of the Twentieth Century', in Wilfred Cartey and
- Martin Kilson, eds., The Africa Reader, New York, Vintage Books.
- Senghor, L. S., 1959, 'Constructive Elements of a Civilization of African Negro Inspiration',
- Paris, Présence Africaine.
- Towa, M., 1991, 'Conditions for the Affirmation of a Modem African Philosophical Thought', in
- Tsenay Serequeberhan, ed., African Philosophy: The Essential Readings, New York, Paragon House.
References
Bergson, H., 1944, Creative Evolution, New York, The Modem Libn
Descartes, R., 1978, 'Discourse on the Method'
Diawara, M., I 990, 'Reading Africa Through Foucault: V. Y. Mudimbe's Affirmation of the Subject', Quest, Vol.4, No. 1, pp. 76-88.
Fanon, F., 1968, The Wretched of the Earth, New York, Grove Press, Inc. Frank, A. G., 1967,
Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America, r-
York, Monthly Review Press.
Hagen, E. E., 1962, On the Theo,y ofSocial Change, Homewood. Ill, The Dor Press
Hegel, G. W. F., 1956, The PhilosophyofHistory, New York, Dover Pubhcatlons.
Hountondji, P., 1995, 'The Particular and the Universai', in Albert G. Mosley ed.,
African Philosophy: Selected Readings, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs.
Hountondji, P., 1983, African Philosophy: Myth and Reality, Bloomington, Indiana University Press.
Imbo, S. O., 1998, An Introduction ta African Philosophy, New York, Rowman & Littlefield
Publishers.
Irele, A., 1992, 'In Praise of Alienation', in V. Y. Mudimbe ed., The Surreptitious Speech:
Présence Africaine and the Politics of Otherness, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago
Press.
Irele, A., 1990, The African Experience in Literature and ldeology, Bloomington: Indiana University
Press.
Lévy-Bruhl, L., 1985, How Natives Think, Princeton, N J., Princeton University Press.
Masolo, D. A., 1994, African Philosophy in Searèh of ldentity, Bloomington, Indiana University
Press.
Maurier, H., 1984, 'Do We Have an African Philosophy'? in Richard A. Wright ed., African
Philosophy, Lanham, University Press of America.
Mudimbe, V. Y., 1994, The ldea of Africa, Bloomington, Indiana University Press. Mudimbe, V. Y.,
, The Invention of Africa, Bloomington, Indiana University
Press.
Sartre, J-P., 1963, Black Orpheus, Paris, Présence Africaine.
Sartre, J-P., 1957, Existentialism and Human Emotions, New York, Philosophical Library.
Sen, A., 1999, Development as Freedom, New York, Alfred A. Knopf.
Senghor, L. S., 1995, 'On Negrohood: PsychologyoftheAfrican Negro', in Albert Mosley, ed., African
Philosophy: Selected Readings, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall.
Senghor, L. S., 1976, 'Prose and Poetry', in John Reed and Clive Wake, eds., London, Heinemann.
Senghor, I._. S., 1970, 'Negritude: A Humanism of the Twentieth Century', in Wilfred Cartey and
Martin Kilson, eds., The Africa Reader, New York, Vintage Books.
Senghor, L. S., 1959, 'Constructive Elements of a Civilization of African Negro Inspiration',
Paris, Présence Africaine.
Towa, M., 1991, 'Conditions for the Affirmation of a Modem African Philosophical Thought', in
Tsenay Serequeberhan, ed., African Philosophy: The Essential Readings, New York, Paragon House.