ASRC 1858

FWS: Modern Afr Intellectual History: From the Nineteenth Century to Contemporary African Philosophy

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2021-2022.

This course dispenses with Eurocentric approaches to the study of Africa. Instead, it centers Africans as knowledge producers. We will ask such questions as: Did philosophy begin in Africa? Are there unique "African worldviews" that can be contrasted with "European worldviews"? Students will develop the ability to write clearly and succinctly through writing assignments that focus on critical engagement with texts from ancient Egypt, including The Teachings of Ptah-Hotep, and The Story of Sinuhe, as well as texts by African theologians such as Augustine. Students will also be studying the work of philosophers such as Ahmed Baba from Timbuktu, and Zar'a Ya'aqob from Ethiopia, as well as more contemporary figures such as Kwame Nkrumah, Amílcar Cabral, Julius Nyerere, and Cheikh Anta Diop. 

When Offered Spring.

Satisfies Requirement First-Year Writing Seminar.

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