LESSON FROM MODERNITY: Africa’s Return to the World

GUYO DOYO GUYO

 ready. Accordingly, fixed to an imperialistic
stamp and colonial guidelines, the Africans’
INTRODUCTION: predicament remained unchecked behind the
veil of untested authority. European science
The rise of modernity is characterized by
and technology made Africa an axis of
European a self-empowering project of
servants, a determined island of innocent
knowledge production. The simultaneous and
preys, whose fate relies on politics coming
coterminous emergence of European
from elsewhere. The project left Africans with
knowledge as “a power,” enabled Europeans
a wayward fate.
to exploit and expropriate the less powerful
people of Africa. The knowledge claiming The root of problem goes back to Hegelian
power and its epistemic triumph (i.e. scientific philosophy which explicitly put that the
breakthroughs and technological progresses) passage of history is confined to the task of
test self effectiveness and validity against the leaving Africa behind in order not to mention
objective realities and existential concern of the Africa again. The targeted and performed
Africans. The juxtaposition of knowledge and passage of history has enabled the European
power continuously fabricated trends of self- model of humanity preponderate over the
aggrandizement, and thereby exerted its power others, where among other things; an
to push generations of African continent to the exclusive model keep on reviving in a new
peripheries. The project went on keeping its expansive center across the world. The
ceaseless fabrication of factual distortion. fabricated narrative preaches inevitability;
Promoting the task of knowledge production necessity and usefulness of marginalization
and outcomes’ utility, as their sole brainchild, and dependence that ensued undue loss in
the Europeans denigrated Africans’ values. Africa. The calculated misuse and constant
They spared no effort to erase African abuse of history embellished the Europeans
worldviews and bracketed Africans’ potential and impoverished the Africans. Handing all
involvement in the world. Thinkers of about Africa down from the Hegelian
modernity systematically consolidated the prejudice, i.e. placing the continent at the
project in order to safeguard and secure threshold of history, the project kept on fixing
European interest over the Africans’ will to Africans to the preset logic. The model has
make sense and meaning out of life. They been repeatedly modified to make African
have produced complex historical generations emulate and mimic foreign
polarizations which resulted in unquestioned designs coming from elsewhere. In the record
dichotomies between the European and the of the project designed elsewhere, Africa
undermined segment of humanities. The Euro- remained constituted in the name alone. The
African relationship goes on celebrating Africa’s image, throughout the process, left
extensions of untested legacies that unseen, as initially supposed, not to be
characterize the world of unjustifiable mentioned thereafter. Emerging out of the
relationship, i.e. super ordination and records of thinkers of modernity, the project
subordination among humanities. As a result, that aimed at erasing Africa’s image survived
humanity has faced negation of history and at will. Beyond the historical and academic
elusive confrontation. The Europeans claim culture of writing, the project is recently
exclusive monopoly of “reason,” which they revealed by politicians like Nicolas Sarkozy
depict as something insurmountable. The so (former French President) who publically
called “World history” failed to transcend argued that the tragedy of Africa is that it has
imperialistic benevolence of feeding the others not fully entered history 1 . Currently,
with pseudo inputs which are basically
harbored in the singular model designed by 1
Please supply full names. Purtschert, on the Limit
hegemonic powers. Euro-African relationships of Spirit: Hegel's Racism Revisited (Zürich,
remain a struggle for survival, Europe, with its Switzerland, 2010), p.2.
fittest model, being fully armed and fully

1
‘Globalization’ is casting deeper global A fairly standard line of argument for my
illusion upon the Africa. This makes help claim urges one to discern the talk about
revival of colonial like global vision among reality from the talks about reality assertions.
colonizers (my emphasis is on the Sarkozy’s Here the leading premise to the background
view). The illusion of globalization is hidden problem is that the Hegelian project is a
in a deceptive call for global vision. continuum of imperialistic logic of exclusion
whereby political economy of globalization
The supposed power of science, projected remained historical replication and ideological
exclusion of history and established hegemony vindication of colonial mission. Thus, without
of politics overlooked the prejudice. It forced generalizing, or undermining positive
the victims to consult the Europeans whereby dimensions of Globalization, the study focuses
the marginalized humanities legitimized on the damaging aspects of the project from
imposed superiority. The result is victims’ the African viewpoints. It ventures into this
engagement with self-cancelling task of daunting; however, crucial steps right from the
consulting the Europeans even to escape from idea of ‘Colonial Mindset’ that enables me call
domestic dangers. At the turn of world wars, for the “Return” as a Panacea. As a point of
Europeans instigated timetable for Africa’s departure, from s spirit of sheer verbal
independence by a vigilance project named consolations, i.e. nascent uncritical symphony
‘white man burden.’ They made themselves in the name of Africa’s reappearing (the
caretakers, overseers, gaolers, educators and economic rising of Africa?), the study makes
sole sponsors. I present Globalization as a intellectual intervention so as to unpack
projective construction of imperialistic totally realities from the overwhelming views of
striping of the option away from Africa media scholarship, who speak as scholars,
Making falsehood a livelihood, debts educators, and activists about the rising of
remained staple food and ideological Africa. Presenting much academic support of
guidelines trampoline promising Africans the unfounded media images of present Africa
delaying chance without plan. The outcome is as the continuity of European exclusive
an existential crisis which the Hegelian project epistemic habit, the discussion would further
planned and planted, i.e. the trend which develops series of complex questions that can
treated Africa as a reserved land for hardly be addressed in a single sentence.
somebody’s end. As a result, the Africans’ Logically, it becomes a question, at the most
lived actualities and felt situations failed to basic level, i.e.; if ‘Globalization’ is an
escape from long chains of critical confusion inclusive project which is reasonably preferred
when we consider it from the confluence of to former colonization, then why; for instance,
the triangular aspects of historical movement, the Africans continually face challenges of
i.e. disgusting past of the colonial night, extraverted educations, extroverted economy,
disappointing present of the globalization and deepening impoverishment, corrupted
enormous welter heading to uncertain future leadership and etc.? The secrete behind this
damned to collective fear. Literacy complicity remained truly hidden at the heart of systemic
masquerades this installed hypocrisy that very permission of ‘dependent independence’ for
few refuse to face. The African world views the Africans since the years that most of us
were once considered primitive, harmful- consider as the years for Africans liberation
customs, and bad traditions however current (1960s). The above question would provoke
anthropologists desperately eulogize timely issues like questioning ‘which Africa is
‘indigenous.’ Neoliberalists systematized a rising now’ so as to indicate a path from a turn
new beginning which neutralizes root of to the task of return. Reconsidering the logic
colonialism’s grand narratives and bred evil behind the prevailing slogan: ‘Africa can no
reproduction of commercial mentality in longer be called a hopeless Continent but the
Africa. Rising Island of Economic Boom,’ the study
discusses some aspects of the Pan-Africans

2
where the nascent orientation of African same thing with no considerable differences
renaissance and what it urges us would be among themselves. Almost all of them
briefly presented. The study challenges the overvalued their common conception of
very idea of Africa’s rising as what promotes ‘reason’ that bears the Kantian philosophy of
an implicit logic behind the veil of the racism and thereby promote the view that
suggested development, i.e. the development reason and rationality are not indigenous to the
that Africa is said to have realized regardless black Africans. 3 Exponents of this project
of unquestioned benefit of the others. It calls includes; Emmanuel Kant with his “Hierarchy
for conceptual take off and consciousness of Human Races,” David Hume in his critical
rebuilding. It is not that simple. Correcting or denial of the Blacks’ Achievements in history,
redressing negative consequences of colonial John Lock in his history of Color and Essence,
mindset takes more than balancing negative G. Hegel, who compared Africa to the Land of
conceptions(Africa’s exclusion) with positive Children in the Dark Mantle of the night, etc.
task of retuning back(true global connection). The concept of ‘Reason,’ throughout the views
Finally, reversing the projects of pseudo of these thinkers is purely non-African. They
Africa’s constitution and mischievous logic of uniformly confirmed this in the project of
global connectedness, it recommends enlightenment which was, by the virtue of
conceptual shift and consciousness rebuilding definition, non-African movement of scientific
as the means of gearing up the Africa’s return and intellectual progress. Depicting
to the world. “Enlightenment” as white man’s exceptional
movement, they defined ‘Enlightenment’ as
ORIGIN OF THE WORLD OF AFRICA’S man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage
ABSCENCE: The concept ‘origin’ is used to whereby ‘Tutelage’ is clearly referred to as
address of imperialistic Logic exclusion. man’s inability to make use of his understands
Logic of exclusion is the ground of without any help from another. Here comes,
Eurocentric system of thinking that continued therefore, the point at which they deprived the
erasing Africa from world representation. It Africans of this quality right from their racist
has exclusive back grounding and expansive conception that the Africans problem, in the
foregrounding. The European thinkers light of this, lies in their lack of resolution and
consolidated root of this logic in the project of courage to use it without direction from
modernity. The European modernity aimed at another. 4 The Africans in this regards, are
remaking Europe an ‘absolute reference’ for deprived not only of the capacity to alter their
many things. The project made the concept of world but also right to goals selection in their
‘World’ so problematic. In the name of own world. The project of modernity celebrate
‘World history’ the European gripped onto imperialistic root of colonialism. The task of
elusive task of self-aggrandizement which politico-Anthropological adjustment was done
pushed Africa to margin of existence. Hegel as a celebration to earlier racist scholars; viz.
clearly concluded this with his conception of Hume (… the Negro is naturally inferior to the
the ‘Proper Africa’, i.e. the continent as white…) (Eric William 1964:34), Thomas
History goes back, has remained – for all Jefferson (…the blacks …are inferior to the
purposes of connection with the rest of the white on the endowment of both body and
world – shut up. Africa appears as the outside mind…) (ibid), “...Africa comparable to a land
of history, as something that lacks any of childhood still involved in the dark mantle
connection with the world, that is the world of of the night as far as the development of self-
history. 2 Thinkers of modernity, who were conscious history was concerned (Hegel
fervent loyalists to the Hegelian path of 1956:91-9), Isaac La Peyrere(1656),” God’
historical renunciation, had to advocate the
3
Emanuel C. Eze, Post-colonial African Philosophy: A
2 critical Reader (Oxford: Blackwell, 1997), p. 149.
G.W. F. Hegel, The Philosophy of History, (trans.)
4
Sibree, J. (New York : Dover Publications Inc, 1956), p. B. Mogobe Ramose, African philosophy through
80. Ubuntu (Harare: Mond Books Publishers, 2002), p. 9.

3
who created men before Adam and Eve could experiences to political fields, convinced me
not have been and was not the creator of to accept a maxim that a mad man with a gun
Africa, the Amerindians and the Australasian,” usual come out of a mad man with a pen. I
Arnold Toynbee (1934- 64), “… it will be think what Nicolas Sarkozy once said attest to
seen that when we classify mankind by color, the truth that madness of the thinkers of
the only primary race that has not made a modernity in general and the neo-Hegelian
creative contribution to any civilization is over madness in particular, repeats itself in the
black race (Menu Ampim, 2010:1), R. Trevor, zealous of contemporary thinkers. Achille
“Perhaps, in the future, there will be some Mbembe pointed out that Sarkozy – or rather
African history to teach but not now,” his scriptwriter Henri Guaino – “contented
(1975,138),etc. Following such a setting, the himself to lifting, almost word for word,
British racist scholars made substantial passages from the chapter Hegel devotes to
contributions to the study of African political Africa.” 6 Considering Africa as a continent
systems which might appear actual challenges that is not fully entered into history, Sarkozy
to their presumed self adjustment. The act of positions Africa on the threshold of history,
celebration is well quipped as A. Legesse put identifies it with rural life and a pure and
“As the European colonialists penetrated natural state of humanity, and describes it as
Africa and began to impose their alien rule, locked in the eternal return of the same (ibid.).
they engaged in the business of devaluing However, as I have tried to indicate earlier,
African political institutions, in order to many thinkers tried lots to reject ground of
legitimize the corresponding colonial colonial discourse from its inception. Messay
institutions” (2000, 10). The British school of Kebede(2001), quoting Eze, E. Chukwud,
social anthropology led by scholars such as 1997, considered Eurocentric view as
E.E Evan Pritchard, A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, pervasive biases located in modernity’s own –
Meyer Fortes and Max Gluckman provided a self-consciousness of its own.7 The project is
rich vein of field work that informed the grounded at its core in the metaphysical belief
colonial office’s methodology of indirect rule or “idea” that European existence is
(Adekeye Adebajo 2010, p.9). University qualitative superior to other forms of human
professors like Hugh. R. Trevor, Oxford life. 8 Modernity reiterates degrading views
university professor, recently copied and developed in the West promulgating the
pasted Hegelian like maxim that history (of European superiority of the Africans whereby
the Europe) repeat itself, i.e. “Perhaps, in the colonial discourse proved nagging in default
future, there will be some African history to of being qualified.
teach but not now”5 By the expression ‘history
repeat itself,’ I mean that the Eurocentric Despite many historical rejections which range
thinkers have been repeatedly using the same from Afro centric counter responses to the
biased gauge with hidden project targeted to post colonialists’ hermeneutical project of
cripple the Africans. It is usual for us, to see renunciation, the European project is highly
and hear that the European colonizers and succeeding in its very approach to dislocate
their contemporary supporters, i.e. the the Africans. Hiding itself in the multifaceted
politicians, continued transplanting this tasks of contemporary academic trends, it
prejudice on the ground. Pegging up to the continued heading to reinstall wrong
footsteps of former racists, present politicians, conception of the ‘world scheme’ in the
and semi-academics intellectuals are implicitly mentalities of present generation. As a result,
justifying what their fore thinkers had put in
writing. My long experience of such colonial 6
Achille Membe, “Nicolas Sarkozy’s Africa,” The.
orientations, ranging from academics http://www www.africultures.Com/index.asp, See also
Makhily Gassama ed. et al?, L’Afrique re´pond a`
5
Hugh R. Trevor, The Rise of Christian Europe I: The Sarkozy, (Paris: Philippe Rey, 2008).
7
Great Recovery in the Listener (Cambridge: Cambridge Eze, “Post-colonial African Philosophy,” p.142.
8
University Press, 1975,) p.138. Ibid, p.142.

4
the vast majority of us, (however, which claims such as “The sun will never set
uncritically), think of the Africa’s inclusion in over British empire” goes back. Analogously,
the concepts like the ‘World,’ and the the majority of our people, usually though
‘Globalization’ I do have some experiences unconsciously, reveal similar tone of
from which I put the very concept, ‘world’ conceptual errors when they intend to rate or
into question. Common to these experiences, acclaim some value-laden issues. In my
various unconscious acts of many people, locality, (perchance true for the others), it is
ranging from ordinary conceptions to complex common among the dwellers to refer to
intellectual records, bear implicit messages expressions such as he/she is like Ferenji,
confessing the linguistic and metaphysical he/she is Mzungu, or just that one is an Engliz,
superiority of the White people. The sad thing when they opt to respond to interrogations
is, thereby, such unconscious self-perception such as how fast runner is he/she, how
of the African people, not less than addictive beautiful is she, how cleaver is she/he, how
mental crunch, has been turned into a disease free is he/she, how hard worker is he/she, how
like manner of everydayness. Here I can neat is he/she, how rich is he/she, how
produce supporting evidences both from concerned is he/she, how truthful is he/she,
everyday experiences and literary works. To etc. With this again, one point must be clear
begin with everyday happenstances, it just like the one I have indicated earlier. That
sometimes occurs to me when half-schooled is, the one who argued that somebody run as
friends of mine mention the concept “world,” fast as the Ferenji may well know the fact
while paradoxically referring not to the about many evidence based athletic status of
Africa’s being there in, in their famous African runners like Abebe Biqila,
communication. I remember a day when three Qananiissa Bekele, Haile G/Sillase, etc.
of my friends seriously debated on the issue of However he/she is unconsciously confirming
the “World football game” whence I asked the Europeans’ fabricated superiority over the
them; “which African countries were there in matter. Thus, the above mentioned cases
the game?” Desperate enough to tell, the indicate unconscious popular advocacy of the
Paradox was revealed in their response which color blindness view among themselves which
in turn produced other more problematic uncritically insinuate the notion that
issues. I was highly bewildered by their reply; ‘whiteness is too costly’ for human existence.
“We mean the ‘world game,’ not the As a result, by the expression like Ferenji, the
Africans’. The response, then, diverted the people continued appealing to the moral
whole debate to the then critical issue of what worthy of the ‘White’ in any act of pursuing
‘Africa’ is meant for the majority when positive reward or behavior.
revisited from the concept the ‘world’. Here
the point is, despite the fact that my friends The usual talks surviving through many
might be able to conjure up in their memories abusive experiences are not from nowhere.
that there exist African countries participating The same trends prevail throughout
in the world game, they failed to surpass their intellectual traditions even in the arena of
unconscious look that the world is elsewhere, higher level educations. To mention few,
other than the Africans. among, other things; we are being taught and
teaching the history courses consisting of
As to my experience, such unconscious acts various contents involving similar intention. In
emerged out of the European projects which Ethiopia, for instance, we learn the History
constantly stultify the others through various course which has separate chapters as the
means. The relic reins over the popular Ethiopian History, the African History and
mentality, installing the misleading message, the World History in the same course outline.
that equivocally depict connotation of the Although the reason behind such an
‘World’ with the ‘European greatness’ for arrangement might be a deliberate move from
which we can rethink politics of greatness to particular to general, various points reflect

5
more of the Africa’s absence. In the chapter European logic of exclusion. Moreover, the
entitled as the ‘World history’ we don’t learn cases insinuate that European logic of
anything related to the Africa. Rather we exclusion put the Africa’s in an absolute
exclusively learn the European history in framework of their own system of thinking
which we continuously face the challenges of and doing the thinking as well. It has been
‘History’ itself which however systematically with the same mentality through which such a
overlooks its own biases. We used to learn the negation sprout, and above all, transplanted
so called ‘the World War’ which was not, for throughout the existing academic cultures. In
sure, an overt and explicit War involved the his topic; “The Extroversion of Education,”
roughly included Africa. It is regardless of this Bekele Gutema argue; ‘We limited9 ourselves
that historians continued teaching us about the to serving only as Southern outposts of the
First, the Second and the Third World War, Metropolitan Universities and Research
etc. though it is so unlikely for us to develop institutes. 10 The History of Civilization, the
mentality that might refer to those Wars as the model of science and application has been
European or the Whites’ own Wars. The systematically taught as the European sole
system and its related narrations teach us to creativities. Kirkland referred to such a ground
promote such untested inheritances with docile as “normative benchmark,” whereby he
mentality, even at the university level. In my concluded that ‘we,’ Africans vanished from
undergraduate experience, I remember my Hegel’s conception of history since our
taking a course entitled “The World History intellectual and practical endeavors did not
since 1500” and yet I remember nothing we fully work to satisfy it.11 Involving out of such
said about the Africa, nor came across written a normative benchmark, Hegel’s conception of
piece in the texts we used to read among all the “World history” engaged in double tasks
the recommended references. Many of our of exclusion and self-construction.
professors advocate the importance of Accordingly, double phases of his project
stocking of the shelves with few selected racist relapsed into the tasks of exclusion and
tracts. We hardly suspect these books. Rather construction. The project of exclusion began
we take sources validity and advocators’ with his historical recommendation: “At this
knowledge authorities for granted. Our point we leave Africa, not to mention it again.
universities are often busy asking for books For it is no historical part of the World; it has
donation for which they pay back their warm no movement or development to exhibit. 12
thanks regardless of books relevance or Commencing this phase as an act of
appropriateness. The completeness and renunciation, Hegel moved onto another
success of our libraries judged in accordance complementary project of construction which
with the varieties and the number of books it ended up in the fabrication of the notion of
received from the outside. We do have only ‘World history’ In this phase, he
high buildings that are built via the help of recommended his followers not to mention the
foreign fund, the curricula that are packaged ‘Africa’ which for him had to be presented
and posted to us, and above all, the mentalities there in the construction only as an event
that keep on waiting for the learned external indicating the threshold of the world history13.
tutelage. All these tasks carelessly reconfirm This is a phase which has brought about a
validity and teachabilty of various models of
exogenous pedagogies simply to advance
10
undergraduate or graduate classes in Africa. Bekele Gutema, “Extraversion and the Goal of
The outcome has been relapsed not only into Education in the African Context,”. African Study
Monographs, 28(3):5.
the historical exclusion, socio-economic and 11
Frank, M. Kirkland?, Africa and Hegelian ‘like
cultural displacement but also the highly mindedness’: The Vanishing “We” and “WE,” the
extraverted education and distortion of the underdeveloped, 2009, p.4.
whole edifice. In my view, all of the above 12
Hegel. “The Philosophy of History,”
cases attest to the Africa’s dislocation by the (trans.)Sibree,J,1956,p.93.
13
Ibid,.p.93.

6
tremendous impact upon shaping our present us of mentalities(courage?) that could have
conception and knowledge (if any) of questioned the European God like absolute
ourselves and the world around us. It is from ground that gave birth to its own hegemonic
such a perspective that I keep on wondering powers such as the Veto Power, the
about authenticity of the prevailing Africans NATO, the World Bank, the UN, etc. These
epistemic claims of themselves, i.e. their are the powers that secretly built their
knowledge of their own identity, values and confidence in an old colonial adage; God, Gut
even the so called post-colonial hermeneutic and Gun are the three ‘Gs’ behind the
self-understanding. Accordingly, the project of European success. As result, currently, the
construction indicates how the European continuum and replication of the Hegelian
colonial task engaged in the fabrication of the protect on the Africa can be seen from the
Africa’s history (i.e. putting the continent at a present socio- political, moral, cultural and
threshold) with colonial mentalities, which economic aspects of the Africans. That is,
enjoy both historical and epistemic legacies of when Hegel said “no need to mention Africa
such unchallenged burden. Here, I find it again,” he was fixing a ground to which Africa
extremely useful to consider Mudimbe’s view is supposed to be adjusted and continued
of the ‘Western Anthropologists’ impact on pegging up to the Europe. In this regard, the
Africa via which various discourse themselves project towards the Africa may be more
establish the world of thought in which people explained by Flock hart’s view of
conceive their identity. He further argued that Europeanization, i.e. “The history is,
they have introduced distortion not only for therefore, a constructed narrative based on a
outsiders but also for Africans trying to reflective and carefully construction of the
understand themselves.” 14 What Mudimbe past to fit the conception of the “European
stated in his discussion involving epistemic self” in the present.” 16 Likewise, E.C. Eze
issue may historically reconfirm Gradovski’s clearly forwarded the same concern in his
view in that our knowledge about Africa is a assertion that a modern cultures idea of
result of a power struggle between races from knowledge is inseparably embedded in the
which the Europeans colonizers defined the rational self- image and in the historical
knowledge about the African continent. 15 technology of the natural and social science.17
Accordingly, the logic of historical exclusion,
when it is considered from the above NEGATIVE INCLUSION OF THE
perspectives, is a systematical project of ABSCENTEE: This topic focuses on the
promoting universal model and supremacy of concept and project of Globalization in order
the European particularity by undermining the to show continuity of Africa’s absence.
Africa’s objective concern and existential ‘Globalization,’ in this section, is presented as
reality. It is, therefore, the influence, and in a version of earlier logic of exclusion. Since
fact, continuum of the Hegelian project on the its inception, the project of exclusion remains
Africa that continued haunting us whenever implicit in nature, projection and
we think of various elements of globalization implementation. Its progress, which has been
such as World History, World Market, World regress for the excluded, is selective and
Affairs, etc. In other words, it is the sensitive to time favored politics. It secretly
longstanding influence of Hegelian project and follow earlier ideology set by thinkers of
its replication as a global project that deprived modernity (my emphasis is on the Hegelian

14
Valentine Y.Mudimbe, The invention of Africa. 16
Trine Flockhart, Europeanization or EU-ization? The
Indiana: Indiana Univ.press.1988,back side cover Transfer of European Norms across Time and Space,
15
Mikhail Gradovski. The use of the dialogue Blackwell publishing, JCMS 2010 Volume 48, Number
conceptions from the arsenal of the Norwegian 4, p.792.
dialogue: Pedagogy in the time of postmodernism. 17
Eze,On Reason: Rationality in world of cultural
Ethics and Education, Rutledge, France and Taylor, Conflict and Racism. Durham and London: Duke
2012, p.180. University press, 2008, p.25.

7
project). Its progress is regress for the fact.” 18 Thus, reviving as a version of the
Africans since constantly bracket real Hegelian project globalization focuses on the
African side. The poisonous and malcontents European profit making framework while
of colonial projections remain elusive in the casting slavery and poverty upon the Africans.
sugar coated politics of global partnership. If we are to meticulously consider Africa’s
The Africans continued living as unqualified practical roles and place and in globalization,
candidates to the system the designed, owned then for sure, sooner we prove the project
and processed by Europeans. Global transforming the Hegelian mission of treating
advocacies and calls for cooperation made the the continent as the Europeans’ ‘reserved
Africans unqualified candidates. Hence, it is land’ into global museum of foreign obsolete
plausible, at least to debate, whether such a technologies. The secrete of globalization has
registration of the Africans by the European been clearly amplified by Madunagu when he
registrars is different from the Hegelian claimed that the result of globalization in
positioning the continent at a threshold or Africa is basically a competition between the
Sarkozy’s repositioning Africa on the palatial centers (Developed World) and the
threshold of history. slums (Africa) of the village where a
preponderant majority of the people daily sink
To begin with background analysis, deeper into poverty and misery. 19
historically, there was a concept ‘World’ long Accordingly, present project of globalization
before the concept ‘Globalization’. Here, logic is built upon the obliteration of the Africans’
dictates that it is the ‘World’ that comes first realities in such a way that the long excluded
and can be globalized while the reverse would Africa is simply registered in the name alone.
hardly give us a meaning. It would be As a simple indication of how the prior denial
unpalatable to think of oneself-sit in the revived and sprouted, the Africa has been
globalization without first becoming part of roughly given a kind of global membership
what was supposed to be so. Underling the where it is included (constituted) in the name
main idea of the concept; logic of exclusion, alone. In this regard, I think global
here I’m in a position to say that the ‘world,’ membership (global connection) is a mere
in which the Africa was not first therein, resilience of the Hegelian project, which is
would hardly beget a system (globalization ) reverberated in a deluding call for global
in which the Africa is to acknowledged in the registration. Here the point is; the
due course of time. Rather, in the system that arrangement, under which African countries
the former world begot, the Africa would were allowed to be free, was the one that
become a well discovered terra null towards enabled the European powers re-dominate
which the Hegelian project recommended the their former colonies; they were allowed only
Europeans to extend their colonial muscles. I a dependent independence.20 Hence, the main
think historical knowledge of such an initial idea throughout the “Continuum,” is that the
formation of Euro-African is imperative for us Hegelian world of exclusion replicates itself in
so as to understand secret of our lived and felt the ambivalent and negative constitution of the
situations. Africa into the process of ‘Globalization.’ It is
a negative inclusion since the Africa is given
It is good to back up background messages
pseudo ‘membership’ and above all, forced to
by scholars’ arguments. Considering it as a
be so without questioning why its people
built-in project upon social Darwinism, B.
Gutema put; “The relation of Europe to Africa
took off in search of markets. This led to the 18
Gutema, “Extraversion and the Goal of Education in
annexation of African territories as an engine the African Context,” 2007, p.25.
19
of Europe’s economic expansion. The Edwin Madunagu, “Globalisation and its victims”
necessity of colonizing Africa is based on this Guardian, (1999) (July 26), P.53.
20
Marthurin C. Houngnikpo, Africa’s Elusive Quest for
Development, Bekele G. (ed.),
Palgrave(Mcmillan,2006,p.95

8
continued to be used for somebody’s end. The “Not You” refers to those who are
Here the point is, ‘Global Membership,’ i.e. constituted in the name alone, owning nothing.
being constituted in the given designation does The “Not you” are simply therein to be at least
not benefit the Africans. Rather, it let them be owned or at best reserved. In other words, the
legitimate preys while keeping them loyal to ‘We” stands for the world in which the
slightly modified colonial trend which over Africans are supposed not to think of
empower former colonizers, who re-use the themselves endowed with mentalities. Except
already used humanity. This could be clearly for mere membership, they are restricted not
considered from what Ramose called to question the Europeans’ God like power.
Contemporary will to domination that The ‘We’ own so many things that the
replicates itself in the ‘Democratization,’ negatively included ‘Not You’ do not. As I
‘Globalization,’ and ‘Human Right.’ 21 have indicated in the afro-mentioned views
According to Ramose, processes of the (the ground for absolute confidence in the
Contemporary will to domination made the three Gs), the ‘We’ has the military power,
Europeans the rightful owners of the African NATO, the political immunity, Veto, and
land in which the Africans totally lost economic bases in the ‘G-groups,’ i.e. the G-8,
sovereignty, being compelled into the money G-20, etc. The ‘We,’ which exclusively own
economy. 22 Fafowora reformulated all these, systematically expand its muscle
comprehensive definitions and explanations of through its own globalized machines
the very project as follows; “It is equally functioning through the stomach of ‘UN’, as
aimed at “making global being present well as the financial wings of World Bank and
worldwide at the world stage or global arena” IMF where the ‘Not You’ adopts a false
It deals with the “increasing breakdown of consciousness in its feeling ,i.e. already being
trade barriers and the increasing integration of rooted therein. The Africa’s confinement is
World market.”23 Thus, Globalization remains fixed to a built-in allotment upon which
a process of building new European center of material and political power is won and lost at
domination while continue adjusting the the start. The Africans are degenerated into
Africans to the system that bears similar structural dependence and projected
historic-political, socio-economic and cultural subordinations. The ‘We’ is therein, both to
stamps. Gidden’s quotation of Abdullah A. decide and determine for itself and over the
Saleh further underlined this;, i.e. ‘Not You.’ The ‘We’ is thereby, the world for
“Globalization is the intensification of world itself, of itself and by itself which however
social relation which link distant localities in paradoxically claim to be thereon and stand
such a way that local happening are shaped by for the others, who are not active part of the
events occurring miles away and vice versa”24 world but in the world framed by somebody
else at elsewhere. The ‘Not You’ is also many
As to my own understanding, hereby, where membership counts. Politics of
Globalization is a “We' coated project/World” membership was charted by post cold war
towards the “Not You’ others.” In the influence of globalization which created new
expression of mine, the “We” stands for the terrain of reunification for Euro-America (the
European established system of self- world of ‘We’ and heralded Africa’s
representation, self-reference and self disintegration (fragmentation of the world of
expansion over the “Not you’s” membership. ‘Not You). The Not you are roughly therein,
21
being connected, defined, determined and
Ramose, B. Mogobe, 2002, p.2.
22 taught to be stand ready to be helped when the
Ibid., p.2.
23
Oladapo Fafowora, “Management Imperatives of benevolence of the big ‘We’ deem necessary.
Globalization”, Management in Nigeria: Journal of They are therein neither to work well with the
Nigerian Institute of Management (1998)., Vol. 34, ‘We’ nor to plan well for themselves but
Nos. 2-4 April -December, p. 5-9. rather to be treated as per the need and power
24
Abdullah Al Salah, The Impact of Globalization of the ‘We.’ Political economy of neoliberals
on Africa, www.abdullahalsaleh.com,2012, p.2.

9
retooled the African leadership with complex and its agencies, mainly the UNSC oversee
bureaucracies and military democrats that Africa’s sovereignty whereby the ICC hold
stopped Africans’ hope along the way. It super judicial and politico-legal warranty over
repartitioned the Africans among the Arab every African affairs. The usual UN soldiers’’
League, the Commonwealth and the French executing arrest warrants on behalf of the ICC
community. Hence, the ‘Not You,’ are the and the ICC’s being mandated by the UNSC
divided, the disabled, powerless and voiceless in many cases made issue of political
humanities for whom the ‘we’ speaks’ at supremacy a public secret. European election
please and across the time. The ‘We,’ observers which are widely accepted to
therefore, constitutes the real ‘Us’ of the observe electoral systems among Africans (of
European and the negative other of the non- which the reverse can’t be) bear similar
European. In this situation, whenever message.
membership is concerned, the ‘We’ is
supposed to be all that stands for the people in The above mentioned cases have many things
the world except for the humanities identified to do with Olufami’s conception of the same
with things that do not please the ‘We,’ or issue, i.e. Globalization’ itself is local, by
what are not therein or does not fit preset which he meant; “The West in constructing
formula of the ‘We,’ i.e. for instance, the the universal, instead of the truly embracing
present connotations like ‘Terrorism’ and all, has merely puffed itself up and invited the
‘Religious Fundamentalism,’ many others that rest of humanity, or the educated segment of
are politically defined as Fanatics. Moreover, it, to be complicit in this historical swindle.”25
the ‘We’ plays a critical role of giving and In my view, it is such an implicit project of
denouncing the humanities’ of the ‘Not You’ globalization that put the Africa and kept it
at its will. It may register the ‘Not You’ and persistently squatting on a marginal point of
grant them ‘Global Membership’ and deprived survival. The point of survival is not a state of
them of in accordance with the criterion set by development, but rather it is a point of
its muscle (the UN) and economic muscles Africa’s keep on sighing within the global
such as World Bank and IMF. The ‘We’ make chain of exclusion. Both the Hegelian project
history for the ‘Not You’ and placed them at a and new project of globalization do not
proper place prescribed by the UN. Hence, constitute Africa’s real representation of the
when it comes to the reality on the ground, the world. Rather the project aims at prolonging
‘We’ excludes the ‘Not You’ of those who are the long standing plan of putting the Africans
on the list of membership alone and continued on the unquestioned list of perpetual exclusion
being undermined as unhistorical. In my view, and dependency.26 Simple extending its earlier
the ongoing desperate attempts repeatedly conception Africa, i.e. the ‘Dark Continent,’
made by many African communities only to perpetual dependence continues prevailing
get license for Africa’s indigenous cultures, throughout various discouraging, however
heritage and legacies from the UNESCO untested designations such as the 3rd world,
witness this. I personally consider Africans’ the dependent, the developing, etc. Despite
appeal to the UNESCO for their legacies such slight modifications and minor
registration as the normalization of colonial
mentality which has given them colonial 25
Taiwo Olufami, Exorcising Hegel’s Ghost Africa’s’
spectacles that forced them to look at Challenge to Philosophy, Simon Fraser University,
themselves and pretend like the others. 1997, p.23.
26
Africans’ ambition to get legal warranty from Madunagu, E. “Globalisation and its victims”
Guardian,” P.53. This point is clearly amplified by
the UNESCO comes out of colonial injection
Madunagu when he claimed that the result of
which is fixed to an imperialistic stamp and globalization in Africa is basically a competition
colonial guidelines. This makes help linguistic between the palatial centers (Developed World) and the
and metaphysical superiority of the White slums (Africa) of the village where a preponderant
people work as supposed to be so. The UN majority of the people daily sink deeper into poverty
andmiseryhttp://psc.sagepub.com/content/36/9/1039.

10
conceptual changes done to these witnessed from the observed post colonial
connotations, the project witnessed that the manipulations, explores, The imperialistic
hidden benchmark for the Africa’s dependence mask of global exploitations of Africa and its
was historically laid down and systematically elusive politics of free market competitive
fixed during right from the Euro-Africa’s advantages undermined Africa’s place in the
encounter. Thus, secret of our disgusting past new world order that ensued politics of
of the colonial night, confusion in our comparative exclusions. The dangers of
disappointing present of globalization and unmastered Africa’s predicaments is blurred
desperately awaiting future of unknown fear, by global enlargement of imperialistic
lies with such an earlier knot. This kind of encroachment that weaves in the foreign
historical adjustment has been systematically financial expansions and market like domestic
backed up its logic with its own self strategies of African leaders, whose dependent
conceptions from which we see that the leaderships test and redeem validity of
system itself focuses on selling European commercialized democratization by
spectacles to the Africans, and so that the quantitative expansion of participation. The
Africans are thought to look at themselves. study presents such an absolute space of
Our lesson from structural adjustment program humanity as what the Africa urgently needs to
may attest to this fact, whereby, we see World return from. the ‘world,’ which is not to be
Bank and IMF continued keeping the Africans mentioned again , is neither a ‘world,’ in
squatting along the European recommended which the Europeans are therein alone, nor a
line of survival. Moreover, the very mission world that neglect their humanities but rather
goes beyond mere historical and economic the world in which the Europeans continue to
adjustment to colonial acculturation which has use us as the used one of their ancestors. This
led to the obliteration of African cultures. calls for the task of ending up European
Here, this point may help us to further exclusive system and putting its demise within
investigate why some Africans failed to present polarization inherent to globalization.
understand their own history while they go on Hence, to end up these historical dichotomies,
writing ‘history’ in favor of Europe. Two such a critical task is crucial and imperative to
critical assumptions are of a paramount us. This must be followed by a self-critical
importance to catch up with the direction of approach to the search for alternatives by
this paper, i.e. the critical task of calling for moving beyond the lessons from the past to
the Africa’s return to the world. Firstly, the the way forward as a final triumph for the
Europeans continued focusing on the historical undermined humanities. The final triumph is,
replication of the Hegelian prior exclusion of however, a big task that we may hardly attain
the Africa. Secondly, the present system of without mentally attaining decision point of no
globalization continued pegging up to this return. It comparatively goes beyond easy task
very system with its implicit project of of discussions of historical injustices to a
continuously pushing 27 the Africa to the defining point of return to a waiting task for
margin of existence. futurity.
Genially, I consider globalization as a LESSON FROM PAN-AFRICANSM: It is
continuum of colonial extensions that can be important to briefly address this aspect so that
the readers prudently judge whether my
27 argument makes any point of departure from
This like what Mazrui said “African
perspectives, models of communication, structures various suggestions forwarded by those
of stratification, rules of interaction, standards of schools of thought. To begin with few areas of
evaluation, motives of behavior and patterns of concern, I acknowledge unprecedented
production and consumption have all been importance of rethinking contribution of Pan-
undergoing the agonies of change partly under the Africanism out of which various movements
disturbing impact of Western culture(In Guyo such as Afrocentric School and African
2011:8).

11
renaissance came into existence. The idea of for all these is to ensure that Africans can
‘Return,’ itself if not ideology free expression think for themselves in the continent that can
as long as it calls for the Africans’ self- feed itself. The African renaissance must be
restoration. However, I preferred to deal with considered as a task of making a ‘wise
the issue in order to expound ideological decision’ on the basis of all the lessons that we
challenges, historic-political exclusions, moral acquired, both from within and from without
erosion and academic marginalization done to “African Renaissance is a philosophical and
the continent. In fact, some African thinkers political movement to end the violence,
have been doing many remarkable things in elitism, corruption and poverty that seem to
their Reponses to the logic of exclusion. plague the African continent, and replace them
Mudimbe, among the others, put“…The with a more just and equitable order.” 29 The
various discourse themselves establish the Africa Renaissance is not limited to the task of
world of thought in which people conceive making a rebirth upon the already established
their identity. Western Anthropologists and and colonially defined systems. It starts with
Missionaries have introduced distorted the very assertion that the Africans would
systems not only for outsiders but also for never escape colonial effects and systematic
Africans trying to understand themselves.” 28 hegemony of its legacies if they restrict their
Originally, the idea of Pan-Africanism has struggle to the domain of already established
been considered as an endeavor to return to framework. Lessons we acquired from the past
“traditional “African concepts about culture, and our counter responses to it, only from
society, and values. Beyond sharing within, is not enough so long as acquiring the
similarities, our ways to the task of return uses lesson itself is not an end but a means to the
this as critical part and parcel of lesson from intended journey. Effectiveness of the lesson
modernity which would however never cease does not lie in mere virtue of understanding
on the stage of collective celebrity or the situations. True lesson transcend level of
remembered only during occasions of understanding to both task and tactic of
organizational years of anniversary or indifferent mind. Our path to overcome
historical inauguration. The idea of African- legacies of colonial mindset must be guided by
led solutions to African challenges has the indifferent reason that would enable us
emerged as holistic political, socio-cultural, reverse the cumulative out comes. The point
economic, and intellectual endeavor witnesses here is, we cannot realize fruits of all that we
unstop ability of the concern. have been longing for by emotional task of
celebrating anniversaries of our emancipatory
Furthermore, the lesson we shared from the institutions of self-restoration or by mere act
within (i.e. from the very foundational and of renewal of what we have been advocating
conceptual orientation of the Pan-Africanism), in the project of renaissance or sometimes
must be taken as a ‘turn’ from the past relics mere optimistic views done at particular
to the critical task of decision making and presidential lunch like what few visionary
rethinking of what we should do with the leader such Thabo Mbeki did. Here of course,
African renaissance. The task to be done, by I don’t want to simply ignore some good
whom it should be processed, and all the spirits of this specific event in which Mbeki
gauges needed to carry out the task must be put one of the then points of decisions central
defined right from within. It should not be to the idea of Renaissance. That is the task of
enough only by identifying that the Africans Renaissance shows “There is a new breed of
need Peace and security, democracy and good leaders in Africa who want to establish the
governance and infrastructural development, identity of the continent as an equal partner on
unless we first consciously underlined and
materialize the fact in that the starting point

28 29
Mudimbe 1988: On the back side cover. Ibid, 2013, p.2.

12
the world stage and must be treated as such.”30 double wing that acknowledges importance of
Furthermore, some ideas in the debate indicate looking into the past and mentally gearing up
that those leaders themselves admitted the fact to the future to define presence of today. , the
that talking about the genuine African historical side of the issue has been done so far
Renaissance must be viewed from relics of with premise that such recourse to history
colonial legacies. In this globalized era, with enables retracing of the trail blazed by our
its attendant information proliferation, forebears and serves to redefine the course of
scholars proposed that we should not be found future initiatives in the pursuit of our
wanting in any quarter in order to ensure our aspirations of a truly free and restituted Africa.
development and also win the respect of the That is why the Logic of exclusion and the
rest of the world. 31 Thus, many thinkers Project of globalization highly involved
engaged in counter claims to fight against the historical exhumation, literature review, and
European biased gauge. However the problem recollection of existing data and above all,
is many of these scholars use model derived examination of the relics against the prevailing
from European gauges which are not basically features of humanity.
different from the one that their former
colonialists used. It would be so unlikely to Therefore, since most of my arguments about
achieve tangible goal for the African the nature, extent and justification of historical
renaissance unless proponents go beyond the phase is done in the logic of exclusion); I
beauty of understanding the slogan. The point prefer to focus on the other side of the ‘Turn’
is to critically understand the fact that African that I named a ‘Return. This begins with a
Renaissance is beyond the root of designed question; ‘Which Africa is Rising from what
model and the projection. It must be thought and unto where, then?’ The question may be
of critical transcendence that the African partly considered from the traceable literatures
people and nations would overcome the as in fact I have been doing so far. In this
hitherto challenges and set practical plan for regards, the ‘Africa,’ that is supposed to be
the next. This implies awaiting task which is rising is the one that I have discussed in the
to go beyond understanding to implementation exclusive nexus of various complex things
of project of return. Going beyond involving socio-economic, political, cultural
understanding does not imply uncritical task and so forth. However, we would end in
of undermining helpful lessons from the uncertain plumb if we are to blindly admit
yester-years. Rather it insinuate task of arguments about what Africa is rising and
making a decision so as to make a ‘return’ that think of where it is supposedly heading to. The
would enable the Africans leverage up careful difficulty is largely due to the overlooked
decision to morph far beyond a mere basic issues by the suggestions, justifications
celebration of intent by word of mouth. and recommendations of various media men
and economic analysis’s. If we really think of
THE POINT OF DECISION: By the point the basic notion of the ‘Africa’s rising,’ from
I’m referring to a situation in which one recent media view points, then sooner we
conceptually restitutes him/herself to come to understand that the rising is a sheer
consciously think a head. To do this, one must advocacy done in the context of economic
rethink idea of the rising Africa. The point of assumptions. In my view, this is a part that
decision is a basic juncture from which we implicitly promotes colonial resilience under
need to carefully make a turn from historic- the economic coated politics. Here I’m not
logical debates about Africa’s exclusion to the daring to say that people fail to understand this
fundamental concept of ‘return’ The ‘turn’ is a the way I do. Rather I see rough interventions
critical path towards a ‘Return.’ It has a from various individuals simply at their points
of discussion, not at decisions. Real
30
The New Partnership for Africa's Development: commitment to the demanded true change is
http://news.myjoyonline.com, 2013, p.12. lacking and thereby the attempts ended up
31
Ibid.P.12.

13
with the argumentations. What Africa is promises and false consciousness. The point of
lacking is not economic or historic-political decision is not something done for Africa from
consolations but empowerment and genuine without. An outsider may say something truth
recognition and concern, as well. African and positive about the Africa. He/she may still
leaders fail to go beyond their oral extensions reach the true assertion however arriving at a
and unfulfilled promises as we frequently see right assumption is not necessarily reaching
them showing throughout their terms of the point of decision.
offices. Let alone the Africans, even we
usually see some outsiders revealing similar What the Africans need to do is a return from
consolations and interventions that powerful the point of turn. Here, one may expect me to
individuals do in the form of aid projects. In call for the Africans need to reverse the
this regards, those who could have changed prevailing project of globalization so as to
the African history waste their official periods overcome the present plight in pushing present
on their own business and later own turn their myopic generation of us. Similar worry has
political consolations via outdated power to been an issue of concern throughout the post-
decide. This is what the idea of Africa’s rising colonial African situations. However, in my
built upon. It doesn’t basically indicate the view, always talking about the Africans’
rising of thinking which is for sure difficult to colonization, marginalization and global
be the case without undergoing revolution in disadvantage or reversing the ongoing system
thinking. Revolution in thinking would result would bring no panacea unless the Africans
a lifelong renaissance or at least bring new authentically retain power to equally partake
positive directions to the African plight. If so in the system. For one thing, the longstanding
then, one may legitimately question; what a is issue of the African’s absence has got no
a need of rising that failed to stop all that genuine consideration. Without this critical
occurred to humanities a result of colonialism, gap, however, talking about the Africans’
i.e. Wars, famine, plague, genocide, poverty place, contribution or advantage in the system
and despair, etc. My intention is not, however, would fall nothing short of a sheer celebration
to absolutely deny some of the good staffs of the longstanding injustice that I have
happening in Africa. But rather I’m telling considered as replication of longstanding
about some basic elements missing in the very injustice. For sure, ‘the absentee’ has no much
idea and the thereby followed power/access to have a say over the system
misinterpretations. The missing point is and its ongoing debate. In such a situation
politically turned into the rising of false neither talking of issues such as development
consciousness among the Africans. I think and good governance, democracy and free
some of the commentators, who clearly argued exercise of human rights, etc. appear fruitful,
that idea of Africa’s rise comes from a nor waging war against global threats such as
straightforward interpretation of high growth climate change, terrorism, proliferation of
rates and increased foreign investment in parts destructive weapons, global poverty, etc.
of the continent are on the right track in appear authentically pertinent unless the
disclosing the missing part of the Africa system itself is corrected. Correction involves
rising. The Africa’s rising must be thought critical challenges to the ongoing paradox, i.e.,
after revolutionary trend of thinking and presently, any characterization of globalization
historic-political transformation. It is not that excludes the roles of the International
something to be done and confirmed in the Monetary Fund and the World Bank will be
rising of political speech. Here comes, considered as too reductionist since the
therefore, the concept of the second wing of primary goal of globalization is confined to
turn that leads us to return from both sheer global capital. The IMF and the World Bank
political promises and unrealistic market play systemic roles in the flow of monopolized
driven speeches. The Africans should make a capital through politics of liberalization,
decision to turn themselves from false privatization and deregulation. I have already

14
discussed this in Ramose’s argument about evaluated from its own conception of
Contemporary will to domination that has humanities. Even I used to refer to such a
been concealed in the politics of project as a ‘hidden politics behind the veil of
‘Democratization,’ ‘Globalization,’ and schooling,’ thereby suggested that reversing as
‘Human Right.’ The underlining point is that an obligatory for us, i.e. in expression; it is a
the Contemporary will to domination made the politics which make the others focus on
Europeans the rightful owners of the African imitating the external model of thinking and
land in which the Africans totally lost award the best imitators. 34 Moreover, an
sovereignty, being compelled into the money imperativeness of the approach was once said
economy. We can talk of the corrected system, by Belle, who quoted Wiredu; “The foreign
if and only if the humanizing presence of the origin of institutional education of
African peoples appears visible and active. contemporary African philosophers… makes
Truly speaking, we cannot succeed when still earnest conceptual soul-searching obligatory
more than half of the global humanities are for all of us.”35 The task I’m calling for, as
held back. Here the historically held back something imperative, can logically and
humanities should be understood in a broader historically be justified from variously. In his
context, i.e. in the African context, Bekele challenge to the western construction, in
Gutema, quoting Houngniko, put; “it should which the Africans are forced to think of
be African natural, human and cultural themselves, Olufami wrote: “We must
resources rather than financial resources from confront out absence from the history of this
outside that have to be the bases of Africa’s tradition because no thanks to colonization
development.”32 This is the truth that any sane and Christianization we are inheritors and
person could hardly ignore at any time. perpetuators of this heritage” 36 However, I
Whether we are to restitute, emancipate and don’t think that such a call to present one is
develop our selves, or innocently march simple. Rising up oneself from the historical
towards realization of effective renaissance, absence is a daunting task. It needs one to go
this must be a continuing truth of us. Times’ beyond sheer critique of the system (history?)
inability to alter this fact may be understood to a state of feeling oneself with a free
from what has been indicated by recent mentality. The Africans have to be the
premises of the African renaissance. With its ‘subjects’ that must be second to none, to feel
recent foundation, African renaissance themselves so as to restitute their undermined
institute (ARI) consolidated this thematic humanity. It would be from such a point that I
truth; i.e. the main areas of work of the want to indicate my alternatives. The worst
institute include: development of African thing is, thereby, validity and relevance of this
human resources, science and technology, hegemonic trend is continuously determined
agriculture, nutrition and health, culture, by the self-aggrandizing pronouncement of the
business, peace and good governance.33 trend owners. Today such pompous act of
The hitherto stubbornness shown by exponents universalizing interest of itself flow through
of exclusive model of thinking, is simply a deluding notions like global vision, i.e. the
blind loyalty. Therefore, the message behind particular vision at its own projection of time.
the issue of return, an imperative path to In my opinion, such a project and any of its
solution, transcends all relics within existing extension must be wrong for at least two
noble lies. I consider the ongoing legacy a reasons. Firstly, a ‘Space’ in which the project
noble lie, not because the prevailing self- is commenced is particular, and hence should
positing system lacked self owned valid logic,
but because it is so pernicious when it is 34
Guyo, Doyo. Politics in Schooling: The
Linguistic Challenge to African Philosophy,
EJOSSH, College of Social Science, Addis Ababa
32
Mathurin. C. Houngnikpo, Bekele G. (ed.),” University, 2012, p.24.
35
p.99. Bell, R, H., 2002, p.19.
33 36
AU ECHO, 2013, p.4. Olufami, “Exorcising Hegel’s Ghost,” 1997, p.2.

15
not be necessary extended to the others which de-constructivism and Hermeneutics) were
it is not actually intending to cover. Secondly, good at start, the Africans could not strictly
it would be a historical mistake to confine and prove their own conceptual take off or point of
live back to the dead past alone so long as all departure. Thesis developed by various
the ‘time’ after’ bears realities of their own. I proponents of Afrocentric failed to transcend
think the two views on the space-time impact old ground of prejudiced laid by Eurocentric
of globalization can be critically considered thinkers since it used to go around the racists’
from what Salah once said: ‘Time-space anthropological relics. Messay Kebede (2001),
compression’ refers to the manner in which quoting Mudimbe (1988), witnessed this: i.e.
globalization appears to shrink geographical anthropological statements speak about neither
distance and time.37 Although the ‘Present’ in Africa nor Africans, but rather justify the
term of time is universal, it is possible to process of inventing and conquering a
choose one’s own present which the life continent. 38 In a nutshell, critically analyzing
demands. The Africans’ Presence in a chosen nature of ongoing intellectual traditions,
‘present’ is a key for their self-restitution since Mudimbe (1988), Quoting Emmanuel and
it reverses the long standing exclusion. In this Bairoch, precisely put; “whatever theory one
regards, ontological realities about the may accept, colonial application remains the
excluded Africans should be considered from same and the system is responsible for
the Africans’ space and time. It would be producing marginal societies, cultures, and
hardly possible to think of the Africans’ human beings.”39
history and their world scheme without such
alternatives. Rethinking of this alternative I found issue of this kind demanding
must be considered from conceptual shift and conceptual shift in order to make point of
conscious rebuilding. This would not be taken departure. I strong believe that no one can
as a simple task for the victims. It must be effectively proceed without making some
done meticulously before it reaches point of historical exhumations. Thus; attempts done
no return so as to void uncritical jump from a by most of the African writers can be taken as
quicksand. conceptual response. Aime Cesaire, in his
book ‘Return to my Native Land,’ made a kind
CONCEPTUAL SHIFT AND THE of philosophical and conceptual struggle in his
RETURN: The call for conceptual shift goes usage of critical concepts such as ‘Negritude40
back to work of some African philosophers and Return.’ Here, I understand Cesaire’s task
who made various counter claims to fight as a call for mental shift which aimed at
against the European prejudices. The counter- critical reconsideration, recognition,
claims historically trace back Afrocentrism. restitution, and reaffirmation of humanity.
Here we can mention, among other things, the Such attempts can provide room for the
scholarly work of Molefi K.Asante, Martin plurality of truths and holistic mental shift.
Bernal, Cheikh Anta Diop, Henry Olela, and Mental shift is the shift to oneself in order to
so on. Unfortunately, the attempts of cleansing understand his/her whereabouts. It is a key to
the Africa from historical turned into binary understand ones’ own self and realities among
conceptions which brought Euro-African the other selves. Its process undergoes task of
academic confrontation. We can witness this soul-searching endeavor. If really Africans are
from the dichotomous debates constantly held
between the Afrocentric and Eurocentric 38
Messay Kebede. Africa’s Quest for a Philosophy
thinkers. For one thing, personalities like of Decolonization. Amsterdam/New York: Rdopi,
Mary Leftkowitz continued travelling on racist 2001, p.18.
road trodden by Hegelian groups. Thus, 39
Mudimbe, V, Y. The invention of Africa.
although the attempts (particularly projects of Indiana: Indiana Univ.press.1988, p.4.
40
Cesaire used the word Negritude to
37
Abdullah, The Impact of Globalization on Africa, conceptualize the dignity, the person hood or
2010, p.4. humanity, of black people (in Masolo 1995, p.1).

16
to create any conceptual options to the hitherto other humanities; i.e. ‘Each race is striving,
exclusion, they must consider themselves in “in its own way, to develop for civilization its
their own right which, however, is neither to own particular message, its own particular
mean that they have to undermine non-African deal, which shall help guide the world nearer
approaches to realities nor to say that the and nearer that perfection of human life, for
Africans should ignore positive strategies of which we all long, that ‘one far off Divine
global neoliberalism. I strongly believe that event.’42 I think critical paths to such a truth
the Africans’ reason must liberate the Africans recognize emancipation as something non-
first before its echoes reach the corners of optional. For the Africans, in particular, it
Europe. The task must be done in accordance would not be an optional but imperative to
with what has been said in terms of Ubuntu, liberate themselves from the “Reason’ that let
i.e. Ubuntu calls on Africans to be true to them ignorant of their own lived actualities
themselves. It calls for a liberation of and felt situations. A genuine reason never
Africans—not so much from the colonizing veil one to question why he/she is fighting war
gaze of others, but from colonization per se, of and for somebody else who would never
i.e. from the practice of colonization, whether face the front challenges himself/herself. It
of Africans or by Africans. May we heed its teaches one neither to learn only how to
call.41 Here, readers may question the motive prepare his/her own prison through the reason
behind my argument, if in fact, I agree with being used nor to be voluntary prisoner of
what has been already suggested. But my historical fabrications such as the hierarchy of
motive is to show how such a suggestion from human race, self-legitimizing power of the
particular African traditions would never be Europeans or metaphysical/ scientifically
satisfactory unless all other African culture of superiority of handful perspectives.
thinking critically develop the issue and put
into good use for both African and non- The project of European supremacy should be
African humanities. There are many African transcended for the reasonable good of
cultures that have almost same conceptions of humanity beyond the given perspective. Such
humanities, realities and human relationship to a call for return (liberation) would be a
the Ubuntu concept. Tenna Dewo(2013) daunting challenge for people like us, who
argued that the Oromo of Ethiopia maintain have come through long years of colonial
that “Nagaa,” translated as Peace, is the legacies to the present situation, i.e.
essential key to all cosmic and human order, Capitalism. For one thing, generation of us
possessing the highest and most central value may hardly see possibilities of any liberation
for humanity to pursue(ibid.,p.159-185). within the present pervasive globalization.
Likewise, the Egyptian concept “Maat” is They (the vast majority of them) rather think
translated as harmony, order, peace, justice, or of another possible negative in remaining
balance. Thus to liberate the Africans, the highly pessimistic, i.e. our way towards
African involvement, must delve back into liberation of this kind would end in our own
such critical and foundational concepts so as self destruction so long as the very nature of
to let Africans need to have conceptual shift the prevailing system seems to promise us
succeed. This is a key idea in the conceptual none. The system rather appeared highly
shift which leads to possibilities of new confirming France Fukuyama’s proclamation
chapters to the excluded segments of that capitalism had been the victorious system
humanities. Here by ‘possibility,’ I mean a and the only way out for all nations.43 But this
condition which may paves the way for is not something natural to humanities from
plurality of views and diversity of truths, that which we may naively consider our destiny as
for instance, Du Bois recommended, to all something determined by some super natural

42
Ibid, p.10.
43
41
Teffo, Joe. An African renaissance could it be Francis Fukuyama, “Social Capital the Global
realized?, Woord & daad 37,1997,p. 19-21 Economy” Foreign Affairs, 1995, 74(5):89-103.

17
power. Rather it’s a long term output of everything out of the European bank of their
European hegemonic system that we live in imposed governance, none optional trend of
desperately. Moreover, at this stage, the making business, producing knowledge and all
hegemonic trend clearly established binary that they have already presented to us. Here,
obstacles that are now developed into critical the point is, nobody with sane mentality would
obstacles which would definitely hinder our consider a situation as convivial where
way to the shift. Here the point is, besides generational need for economic life is reduced
system’s own inherent (external) challenges, to unquestioned dependence and scholarship
challenges would inevitably arise from the in which few authoritarians advocate stocking
Africans side of the issue. This would, the shelves with racists’ tracts. I do have some
possibly, be done by both hard-line supporters experiences one of which I had in personal
of the now system or ignorant mentalities that and the other through the practical event
have been historically inherited those colonial occurred to a friend of mine though I’m not to
legacies. The Supporters are those who depict generalize. My friend Galma, field office
the now system as the ultimate fate of coordinator of local NGO, here in my locality,
humanities whereas the ignorant mentalities told me that one of his project donors from
are those who lacked concern about whatever Plan International beat local people finding
is imposed upon humanities. 44 The former is them not doing all that he expected to be done.
propagated by those who are bounded by an Galma lamented this in that he asked the
overt message lies with the timely saying that donor representative why they feed the people
the current is the end of history. The latter one and beat them when they want, i.e. in his
is clearly described by Hannah Arendt in her expression: they give us, feed us and beat us,
saying: "The sad truth is that most evil is done as well. And there by, he considered this as
by people who never make up their minds to unquestioned dependence. As to the
be good or evil.” 45 However, the task would scholarship, of course, I can reuse my
(inevitably) be with great difficulties, here I expression; I have much experience
want to put one aspects of my idea of throughout which I often see few professors
‘conceptual shift,’ i.e. the very task of shifting advocating stocking of the shelves with few
would involve overcoming all these obstacles. selected racist tracts. This academic
experience of mine had been already
Accordingly, even though the idea of return as understood by African philosophers like Anke
what basically involves liberation seems to be Graness & Kai Kress, quoting Mudimbe and
impossible, the African’ side, which is put all facilities for scholarship, i.e. available
dooming to no option necessitates the issue. to an African are considered to be western;
I’m in a position to put a point into a question “Western philosophy has been a successful
for anybody who opts to be skeptical of our discourse on the bases of power and interest
project return as an imperative task. That is, (exercise of power and interest). African
where could such a person hide unpromising scholarship does not offer anything new given
futurity of the Africans within the prevailing the finding available in western library and
global scheme? i.e. When truly our people scholarship.”46
failed in great clumsiness and helplessness and
above all, are bounded to accept the ongoing Hence, as I have already tried to indicate in
discrimination with the humblest thanks and the above paragraph, all these are longstanding
hurdles, show that we have already, of course
44
Guyo, Doyo. Mission beyond the Now: From forcefully, internalized dependence trend
the De-schooling and De-liberating the Humanity variously. With this therefore, the idea of a
to the Re-schooling project of Life. Unpublished shift entails a shift from such a plight so long
Paper presented to the national conference as we felt its intolerable spirit and hardly
organized by UNESCO and ETA, Adama
University, June 29, 2013, p.9.
45 46
Ibid. p. 9. Guyo D.2011, p.25.

18
bearable consequence. Thus, no matter how narrative based on a reflective and careful
difficulty and daunting the project may be, the construction of the past to fit the conception of
ideas in the ‘shift’ is incomparable with a task the European Self” in the present.48 However,
of either being ignorant of the inherited or the hitherto problem is we do not have such
simple pegging up to in adequate ground of critical thinkers in sufficient numbers to
complacent. The return, as a shift from launch task of conceptual shift overnight while
colonial relics towards project of true mental still it’s awaiting imperative duty of us. The
liberation, involves so many things. Firstly, it vast majority of our generations have
involves historical liberation from the becoming so hopeless. However staying in
Eurocentric conception of history. To do this, I hopelessness would only exacerbate crisis.
think the Africans must define the very Hence, what need to be much clear is; the shift
concept of ‘time’ so long as this concept itself is an imperative if we are really to rescue
lay ground for the concept ‘history’ vis-a-vis humanities. We need radical mental shift from
other vague intervention of concepts such as such thinking and above all, question its
‘Reason’ with which People like Hegel, used historical foundations. Going back to the
to distort the ‘history’ itself. Here the historical foundations and then taking a way
distortion, from which we need to be free, is ahead with mental shift from this long
the one that continued justifying the singular standing bondage is possible through
European model of thinking. Thus we need to conceptual disarmament. We need to
liberate ourselves, not only from the European understand how such a plan put on us huge
‘space-time’ trend of thinking but also from responsibility for which we should carefully
the concept ‘Reason.’ The definition of look for critical and moral people who can
‘Reason’ upon which thinkers of modernity engineer coup against old trend of thinking. It
built pseudo conception of the ‘world’ has is a process of emancipating ourselves by
been historically monopolized by the disarming all the imposed conceptual
Europeans and placed no-Europeans at the armaments and overcoming our natural
‘space-time’ perceived as the negative other skepticism to critically develop a tutelage-free
side of the reason. Presently, this ‘distorted subjective self. Secondly, it involves
reason’ hides itself in the ambiguous concept epistemological liberation from the hitherto
of ‘science,’ which European used to claim its exclusive model of knowing the realities. I
absolute ownership. It must be to this extent think the Africans, like any other human
that the prevailing science itself is beings, want to know that something is the
questionable. With this, the systems’ relics case and why that thing is the way they
have to be re-tested, which involves testing perceive or different. In fact, such tendency to
humanities, science, religions and the deal with the case to be known or at least to be
knowledge itself. Questioning science, in this questioned, matter most in calling for the
regard, insinuates the very task of questioning attention of others, who have been excluded
‘racist side’ of the globalized academy. Of for long time. In this regards, conceptual shift
course, few things have been suggested. is a critical task of transcending European
Considering such an impure side of science as systemic and conceptual restrictions and
‘Scientific Racism,’ Ramose argued that it is modalities of the hitherto sciences since both
justified with its own assertion that only the human and social sciences engage in
white man was a rational animal while the complexities in the human world.
Africans, Amerindian and Australians were
not. 47 Likewise, Flockhart has extended The historical liberation and epistemological
similar issue to the very definition of ‘history,’ liberation lead to critical issue of ‘morality,’
where he put that ‘History’ is a constructed
48
Flock hart, Europeanization or EU-ization? The
Transfer of European Norms across Time and
47
Ramose, 2002. African philosophy through Space, Blackwell publishing, JCMS 2010 Volume
Ubuntu, p.2. 48, Number 4, p.702.

19
where we may think of moral and political getting freedom from what Ali Mazrui,
liberation. Considering it from various quoting Okot P’Bitek, put “…Our Universities
political points of view, Houngnko put a and schools are nests in which black exploiters
critical task that waits for the Africans: “it is are hatched and bred, at the expense of the
only a paradigm shift that can enable Africa to taxpayers, or perhaps heart payers.”51 This has
overcome all these hurdles which is important been construed as a colonial task in the view
to strengthen mechanisms of conflict of many African philosophers. The Europeans
prevention, management and resolution at the undertake this colonial assignment by
regional and continental levels and maintain camouflaging their missions of producing
peace.”49 Here the truth is, one would hardly ‘colonial mentality.’ Kwasi Wiredu considered
feel himself/herself positively unless he/she this as what makes a formerly colonized
acquires knowledge that let him stop hating person over-value ‘foreign things’ coming
himself/herself. This liberation is both ethical from his erstwhile colonial master and
and aesthetical in its very nature. It critically internalize such humiliation. 52 Accordingly,
deals with and responds to, for instance, our I’m in a position to argue that the ‘return we’
longstanding impact that personalities such as need is not a simple project of coming back
Bekele identified within the present education from those European universities or abort
that we have been receiving, i.e. “The type of knowledge and experiences we have got from
education that is exported at best enables the them, but rather a project of remaking
young generations to unlearn what they consciousness, which awake from state of
learned from their cultures and at worst to slumbering and enables us de-install European
develop self-hatred that lead to self-denial. 50 colonial consciousness.
This is a critical problem that could be solved
only by moral emancipation. Above all, such CONSCIOUNESS REBUILDING: With
emancipation is ‘self-critical’ and central to this I would like to earnestly entreat my
the issue of return since it confronts a readers to understand me in that in the topic
civilization with an arrested history. ‘Consciousness Rebuilding’ I will not go
Accordingly, this moral liberation enables further into psychological details of the
oneself to test values lies within what the concept. Since Consciousness is something
return to oneself basically indicates, i.e. a complex, let alone how to build it, I don’t
point of return to one’s own self in one’s own want to venture into all of its aspects that
right. We are thus rid, at such a liberation involve psychological complexities or
point, of all injuring dumps of arrested metaphysical analysis. Rather I want to limit
realities. Moreover, all other major liberations my discussion to important aspect of
such as metaphysical liberation would be ‘consciousness’ that people could easily guess;
attained following this since it is here that true i.e. ‘Consciousness’ entails our individuals’
consciousness is genuinely considered. Thus, and collective conception about the world we
consciousness rebuilding is what I would like live in and realities we often face, i.e.
to propose as a starting point for the Africa’ consciousness as something that determine
return to the world which, in other word, one’s own understanding of realities and self-
implies the Africans return to themselves. The awareness. With this, therefore, I would like to
return is a challenge to the European academic indicate facts about consciousness which I
project of debasing the Africans as far as the
51
issue of returning back to oneself if concerned. Ali Mazrui, Towards Re-Africanizing African
Here I mean such a challenge to the European Universities: Who Killed Intellectualism in the Post-
Colonial Era? Lecture in Taifa Hall, University of
academic hegemony chiefly involve task of
Nairobi, Kenya, delivered on 19 August 2003, p.17.
52
Guyo Doyo. African Philosophy facing the binary
Challenges: Linguistic restriction and Conceptual
49
Mathurin. C. Houngnikpo, Bekele G. (ed.), encirclement. Unpublished paper presented to the
2005”p.100. international conference, Bahir Dar University, May
50
Ibd.p.5. 2012, P.1.

20
agreed with and go onto talk about critical benchmark for life generation and cognitive
issue of my paper, i.e. if conscious experience reengineering. I have indicated this in one of
is to be understood as at once the most my previous publications whereby life
familiar thing in the world and the most dialogue is described as a human,
mysterious and there is nothing we know philosophical, i.e. epistemological,
about more directly than consciousness, but it metaphysical and ethical, historical and
is extraordinarily hard to reconcile it with linguistic communication with the
everything else we know53, then what would conceivable, memorable and predictable
be the fate of humanities that have been grown aspects of life through their respective,
up through colonial model of thinking. As I immediate and concrete situations. It is not a
have been discussing, Africans came through world view, rather it is a social, and
various colonial trends of thinking and mode individuals’ critical apprehension of their
of knowing the world. This definitely affects physical, metaphysical and spiritual challenges
their approaches to develop systems of self- (encounters) with their environments and
awareness, as in fact, various thinkers attest to mental perception (metaphysical) of the whole
this right from their discussions involving universe. These challenges (encounters) and
‘How colonial mentality’ developed in Africa. spiritual or mental perceptions are faced and
The imposed ‘reason’ colonized the Africans experienced along the perceivable and
and highly deflected them from their natural conceivable horizon of time. Thereby, I
attempts to know themselves. It must be from concluded that life dialogue consists of both
such a consideration that some African physical and conceptual (metaphysical)
philosophers argued that Africans are given interactions of human beings with their
colonial spectacles, with which they are forced physical and spiritual environments and the
to look at themselves and the others. It would whole universe as well.
be, therefore, such a trend of colonial
consciousness that I’m trying to challenge and Critical confluences of complexities of life
call for consciousness rebuilding. It is an conditioned issues and human confrontation
imperative task and project of mental may enable humanities identify themselves as
reengineering through which the Africans they go along with various knots of self-
relocate themselves, in the indigenous directing. It points at such knots, where real
epistemic space, where they can choose their consciousness emerged, so as to let humans
alternative ways and possible paths to have a say, at least, a word of hope about such
knowledge. Epistemologically, it involves task bewilderments and above all their
of self-understanding. It involves production whereabouts. A room, in which human beings
and communication of self-critical knowledge. have a say, or look at a mirror, in which they
Possibility of Such an imperative path to what observe themselves and their environments, is
I’m referring to as ‘self-critical knowledge,’ therefore, a point of departure for their ways to
need us to understand our own point of views begin thinking, in their own right and
as what may complement the others’ point of reengineer it as necessities go on demanded.
views. Thus, building consciousness, in view This is to enable individuals not only to
of this, must consider one’s own life dialogue communicate but also to distinguish
so as to build genuine consciousness right themselves from that which surrounds him/her
from respective environments. This must be and be aware of his/her whereabouts as
coincident and coterminous with the something different from anything other else.
development of life dialogue in which Beyond playing the task of conceptual
humanities take a critical look at themselves in restitution, such a task would serve as a
order to make a leap forward. It is a foundational response to the previous colonial
prejudice. It would be, for instance, a
disproportional, and above all, appropriate
53
DAVID J. CHALMERS. Puzzle the of conscious response to one of the racists’ misconceptions
experience, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, 1995, p.2.

21
such as “In Negro life the characteristic point against the hitherto relics and to think of how
is the fact that consciousness has not yet confluences of these entire can foster the inner
attained to the realization of any substantial unity of ours and ours against the others’,
objective existence-as for example, God, or without dislocating the others or depriving
Law-…. The Negro, as already observed, them of the like concerns. Here I’m in position
exhibit the natural man of reverence his to highly accept that for this new dimension of
completely wild and untamed state.”54 human consciousness, there is critical of need
developing appropriate modes of
Consciousness rebuilding could be considered interpretations, as a process of entering within
as a critical task of responding to the past one’s own culture and engaging peoples, who
injustice which in turn is a critical project of proceed in terms of their own diverse cultures.
historical correction. Besides this historical Beyond being socio-cultural panacea, this
role, consciousness rebuilding insinuates an approach would solve one of the critical
indispensable and imperatives means for self- problems I have raised earlier, i.e. a colonial
restitution. Moreover, self-restitution is, in trend of imposing ‘space-time’ framework.
turn, a soul searching task of engaging in an
act of self-re-situating, which is re-positing Thus, a key path to emancipate dislocated
oneself in one’s moment of time, history, consciousness is to have one’s own conception
conception, feeling, etc. It is the task for self- of time at a free space. This basically needs
search. However, the task is not about calling defining the ‘time’ which is the same as
for oneself so that he/she ignores the others or defining history itself in order to project it in
undermines the other non-selves ‘selves,’ the way that sustain life and promote
rather it grounds ‘Consciousness’ as a process humanities’ wellbeing. The task of defining
that expresses and transcends itself in the ‘time’ and projecting it towards the good of
discourses of human relationships. Thus, such humanities needs linguistic freedoms which
an approach to build genuine consciousness relapse in the conceptual options. It must be at
should be meticulously taken as imperative this juncture that humanities may give sense of
task of contemporary African intellectuals. direction to where the arrow of life should
This is a beginning of genuine consciousness point at and the curve of life making need to
which questions its’ historical realities, present bend. In the sphere of life dialogue, the arrow
situations and rethinks its ongoing nature of life and the curve of making life involve
towards the unseen futurity. It is a key to have various complex issues that reflect nature of
clear path towards genuine civilization of life we live. That is why I said, (in one of my
futurity, since it primarily involve authentic publications), that the concept of ‘life-
self-understanding. It enables one to critically dialogue’ includes our mental and spiritual as
question, why for instance, racist thinkers such well as physical confrontation with both our
as Hegel, argued that the Negroes’ power over external and internal environments on the
nature is only an imaginary power, an illusory horizon of time. 56 I consider this as mental
authority; or the Negroes consciousness of liberation so long as denial of one’s own
nature is not its objective existence. 55 In this conception of time is at the same time a
regard, if we are to restitute our obliterated negation of one’s own mental, metaphysical,
past, look for way out for our present social and spiritual capacity via which a
disappointment and plan for our dashed person understands his/her life-dialogue.
futurity; we must be concerned, primarily with
a genuine self-understanding of what we were Consciousness rebuilding involves a choice of
yesterday and how we are today. This is a task having linguistic options among the pluralities
of testing and retesting our values across time, of human existence. It must be in this regards
that issues about language is seriously argued;
Hegel, 1956, p. 93.
54 i.e. Language has always been at the heart of
55
Kirkland, “Africa and Hegelian ‘like
56
mindedness,” 2009, p.27. Guyo D.2011, p.68.

22
the two contending social forces in the Africa entails unequal exchange and unequal
of the twentieth century. 57 The choice of communicative right between people of all
language and the use to which language is put group defined in terms of their competence in
is central to people’s definition of themselves specific languages with unequal benefits.”59 It
in relation to their natural and social must be from such a perspective that people
environment, indeed in relation to the entire like C.A. Diop concluded that “The
universe. This is where one may think of development of our indigenous languages is
Africa’s side of world representation from two the prerequisite for a real African
crucial viewpoints. Firstly, the Africans need Renaissance.” 60 This must be the reality that
to have a positive place for the world around we cannot ignore, as in fact we may, even
without undermining others space-time. This contributors of the 20th African summit keep
is a point of conceptual accommodation and on confessing what Diop recommended so far;
consciousness tolerance. Conceptual take off i.e. he specifically makes useful
must be done in such a way that the self may recommendations for language policy and
present itself, able to appear and define itself planning research that aims at establishing
in relation to the other self that would appear relations between African languages,
and define itself in the same way. The process identifying their specific geniuses and
seems, however not exactly the same, what G. studying some aspects of grammar that have
Gadamer referred to as a ‘Special Task’ of thus far been ignored by specialists. 61 With
hermeneutic thinkers. Similar to Gadamer’s this, therefore, the point is, the need of African
idea of especial task, I believe that process of language is to liberate the African peoples
making meaningful conceptual take off and from undue reliance on the utilization of
consciousness rebuilding is the process that nonindigenous languages as the dominant,
needs openness and willingness to take risk. official languages of the state in favor of the
As in fact, he further explained in the other gradual take-over of appropriate and carefully
concept of “effective-historical selected indigenous African languages in this
consciousness,” It needs being open to the domain. Hence, combination of this
tradition’s claim to truth where tradition is conceptual freedom and its other side
explored and engaged as the historicalness of (linguistic liberation) indicates that the
the present. 58 But still, unlike the view of resulted ‘consciousness rebuilding’ is a soul
Gadamer, what I have been presenting as searching endeavor and self-critical task of
conceptual shift and consciousness rebuilding appearing and defining oneself in a tolerant
begins with both understanding and defining ways to the others. It is neither a negation nor
of the self in process without prioritizing one passive reception. Rather it is a self-knowing
over the other. The African ‘self’ who is in the task, which meets one’s own chosen space-
process of understanding itself must be able to time conception and uncoerced task of
define itself simultaneously. Secondly, to get knowledge production, dissemination and
the task done, the Africans need to have communication as well
conceptual and linguistic freedom in order to
end European linguistic imperialism which has Conclusion: In sum, the discussion indicates
historically negated the ‘others,’ merely to that Hegel put the European absolute
justify its sheer self-aggrandizement. As normative benchmark which historically
Robert Phillipson, in Thomas Ricento, put “It erased the Africa’s side of the world. The
benchmark was grounded upon the systematic
57
Ngugi Wa Thiongo. Decolonizing the Mind: The 59
Ricento, T. An Introduction to Language Policy;
Politics of Language in African Literature. Theory and Method. Blackwell Publishers, 2006 P.348.
London: James Curry, 1986, p.4. 60
Wynne Musabayana (ed.).2013AU PAN-
58
Hans-G .Gadamer. Truth and Method (2nd revised AFRICANISM AND AFRICAN RENAISSANCE,
edition), (trans.) Joel Weinsheirmer and Donald G. SPECIAL EDIITION FOR THE 20TH AU SUMMIT
Marshal), New York: Sheed &Ward Ltd. and Issue 05, January 27.Addis Ababa, p.2.
61
Continuum publishing group, 2004, p. 1158. Ibid.p.2.

23
exclusion which placed the continent at the participation or passive connection to a place
threshold of pseudo historical trend. It where they can have a say whereby their
remained, thereafter, unfounded logical voices be heard over current issues such as
ground for thinkers of modernity who used to free and competitive market of globalization,
construct a ‘world’ that the European used as massive process of democratization, and
an exclusive model and absolute reference for liberalization. The point here is, therefore,
humanities. With the model of self- developing a critical task of self-restitution,
presentation and geo-psychological hegemonic holistic self-presentation and cleansing history
projection, the Africans were forced to unlearn with primarily the goal of rescuing humanities
themselves or stand owns their own. As a as whole. It is about engaging in the
result, starting from the time that named them reasonable task of understanding and defining
as people of dark region, the Africans were oneself in order to clearly grip aim and role of
compelled to accept illegitimate designations Africans in the massive launch against global
(derogatory connotations) such as the third warming, global climate change, global
world, the underdeveloped, the dependent, the terrorism, etc. In a nutshell, the task of
developing, etc. Emerging out of colonial liberation is central to the idea of the Africa’s
ground, Globalization keep on standing for the return which presupposes Africa’s liberation
exclusive interest of former colonizers with from the European exclusive model of
the mischievous task of vindicating humanity. This point insinuates that the
colonizers’ historic-political injustice, moral Africans must get themselves free from the
annihilation, socio-economic displacement Hegelian like spirits of globalization, i.e.
and what have you. It is through various vague scientific supremacy, technological super
notions (of course its own systemic vehicle) ordination and market driven predation. Thus,
such as liberalization, free market policy (i.e. the Africa’s return, in the light of this, is a
unreserved openness for the Africans) that the project of ending road that takes us to
Africans have been pushed to the margin of nowhere.
existence. Highly restricted to choose forced
alternatives, the Africans continued crippling.
The continent continued being hub of the
European global experiment and the Africans
suffered from conceptual dependence and
displaced consciousness. It seems that the
Africans are already given a predetermined REFERENCES
walk way and white man controlled orbit of Abdullah, A. Salah. 2012. “The Impact of
life. Deeply inquiring into why the Africa was Globalization on Africa,” is this an
initially placed at the threshold of history is so article? www.abdullahalsaleh.com,2010,
crucial to understand realities of current downloaded on august 1/2012.
‘globalization’ in general and its ongoing call Barry Stocker.2006. Routledge Philosophy
for global connection, in particular. We need Guidebook to Derrida on Deconstruction,
to do this to critically venture into Tim Crane and Jonathan Wolff (eds.),
investigation of pressing issues such as University College London. (Is this a
development, progress, freedom, participation book chapter? If so, your reference was
and technological advancement. In the light of wrong. Please correct it).
this, conceptual shift and consciousness Bell, R, H. 2002. Understanding African
rebuilding are of paramount importance so as Philosophy: Across Cultural Approach to
to rethink nature, extent and justifications of the Classical and Contemporary issues.
the ongoing slogan; ‘Africans for the African London and New York: Rutledge.
solution” The Africans must be enable to Bekele, Gutema. 2007. “Extraversion and the
define their whereabouts before joining the Goal of Education in the African
race. They must be able to go beyond sheer

24
 Context.” African Study Monographs, _________.2012. The Limitations of Research
28(3): page numbers? Findings behind the Veil of Subjectivities:
Cesaire, Aime.1969. Return to My Native Subjective Values and Extra-Subjective
Land, (trans.) John Berger and Anna Challenges, AAU printing press, Addis
Bostock. Baltimore: Penguin Books. Ababa University.
David J. Chalmers. 1995. Puzzle Of Conscious __________.2012. Politics in Schooling: The
Experience, Scientific America, Inc. (Is Linguistic Challenge to African
this a book? If so please correct it) Philosophy, EJOSSH, College of Social
English, Parker(ed.). 1996. African Science, Addis Ababa University.
philosophy: A classical Approach, Ball __________.2013. Mission beyond the Now:
state university press. From the De-schooling and De-liberating
_______. 1972. Discourse on Colonialism. the Humanity to the Re-schooling project
New York: Monthly Review Press. of Life. Unpublished Paper presented to
Shohat, Ella and Robert Stam (eds.).1995. the national conference organized by
Unthinking Eurocentrism: UNESCO and ETA, Adama University,
Multiculturalism and the Media. London June 29, 2013.
& New York: Routledge _________.2012. African Philosophy facing
Eze, E. Chukwud(ed.). 1996. Race and the binary Challenges: Linguistic
Enlightenment. Oxford: Blackwell. restriction and Conceptual encirclement.
______________.1996. African Philosophy: Unpublished paper presented to the
An anthology. Oxford: Blackwell. international conference, Bahir Dar
______________.1997. Post-colonial African University, May 12, 2012.
Philosophy: A critical Reader. Oxford: Hans-G .Gadamer. 2004. Truth and Method
Blackwell. (2ndrevised ed), (trans.) Joel
Fafowora, Oladipo. 1998. “Management Weinsheirmer and Donald G. Marshal),
Imperatives of Globalization”, New York: Sheed &Ward Ltd. and
Management in Nigeria: Journal of Continuum publishing group.
Nigerian Institute of Management, Vol. Halvor, H. and Marit, H. 2011. Education in
34, Nos. 2-4. the Polarity between Reflexivity and
Flockhart, T. 2010.Europeanization or EU- Worldliness. AAU printing Press, Addis
ization? The Transfer of European Norms Ababa University.
across Time and Space, Blackwell Houngnikpo, Mathurin.C. 2006. Africa’s
publishing, JCMS Volume 48, Number 4. Elusive Quest for Development, Bekele G.
Frank, M. Kirkland.2009.Africa and Hegelian (ed.), Palgrave (McMillan, 2006, p.95
‘like mindedness’: The vanishing “We” New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
and “WE,” the underdeveloped, paper G.W. F. Hegel.1956.The Philosophy of
presented at the department of philosophy History, (trans.) Sibree, J., Dover
and PhD program in philosophy, Hunter Publications Inc: New York.
College. ___________.1956.The Philosophy of History,
Fanon, Frantz. 1978. The Wretched of the Dover Publications: New York, NY.
Earth. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd. Hugh.R.Trevor.1963.The Rise of Christian
Fukuyama, Francis. 1995. “Social Capital the Europe I: The great recovery in the
Global Economy” Foreign Affairs, Listener, vol.1xx, no.1809, Cambridge
74(5):89-103. University Press.
Guyo, D.Guyo.2011. The Quest for Re- J. Obi Oguejiofor. 2013. The Idea of a
grounding African Philosophy between Nigerian University: A Revisit, The Role of
the Two Camps; the Alternative and Philosophy in the Making of a Veritable
Binary Conception of African African University 27, Cultural Heritage and
Philosophy.VDM Publishers, Germany. Contemporary Change Series II, Africa,

25
Volume 16, George F. McLean,(Editor), Tenna, Dewo. 2013. The concept of Peace in
Cardinal Station Washington, D.C. the Oromo Gadaa System: “Its mechanisms
and Moral Dimension,” in George F. McLean
Kebede, Messay. 1999. Survival and (eds.) African Philosophy In Ethiopia,
modernity: Ethiopia’s Enigmatic present, Washington, D.C.: The Council for Research
a philosophical Discourse. New Jersey: in Values and Philosophy
Red sea printing press.
Madunagu, E.1999. “Globalization and its Wiredu, Kwasi (ed.) 2004. A Companion to
victims” Guardian, African philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell.
http://psc.sagepub.com
Manu, Ampim. 2010. Classical Africa Wynne Musabayana (ed.).2013. AU PAN-
Educational Tour XII: Ancient Egypt AFRICANISM AND AFRICAN
(Kemet).New York. RENAISSANCE, SPECIAL EDIITION FOR
Mikhail, Gradovski. 2012. The use of the THE 20TH AU SUMMIT Issue 05, January
dialogue conceptions from the arsenal of 27.Addis Ababa.
the Norwegian dialogue: Pedagogy in the
Vijay Mahajan. 2008. Africa Rising: How 900
time of postmodernism. Ethics and
Million African Consumers Offer More Than
Education 7.no.2.Rutledge, France and
You Think: University of Texas, Pearson
Taylor.
Prentice Hall.
Masolo, D.A. 1995. African philosophy in
search of Identity. Nairobi: East African
Educational Publishers.
_________.2001. Africa’s Quest for a
Philosophy of Decolonization.
Amsterdam/New York.
Mazrui, Ali. 2003. Towards Re-Africanizing
African Universities: Who Killed
Intellectualism in the Post-Colonial Era?
Lecture in Taifa Hall, University of
Nairobi, Kenya.
Patricia P. 2010. On the limit of spirit: Hegel's
racism revisited, USAGE, ETH Zürich,
Switzerland.
Mudimbe, V, Y. 1988. The invention of
Africa. Indiana: Indiana Univ. press.
Ngugi Wa Thiongo. 1986. Decolonizing the
Mind: The Politics of Language in
African Literature. London: James Curry.
Ramose. Mogobe. 2002. African philosophy
through Ubuntu. Harare, Mond Books
Publishers.
Taiwo, Olufami.1997. Exorcising Hegel’s
Ghost Africa’s’ Challenge to Philosophy.
City: Simon Fraser University.
Ricento, T. 2006. An Introduction to
Language Policy; Theory and Method.
Blackwell Publishers
Teffo, Joe. 1997. An African renaissance—
could it be realized, Woord & daad 37(361).

26