APQ - APPON PHILOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY

This paper argues that many of Africa’s developmental challenges stem from the continent’s troubled history and its complex relationship with Europe and the West. This problem is compounded by Africa’s continued reliance on Western knowledge systems as the preferred and functional system of knowing. This mode of thinking has minimized and marginalized the African spirit of development and must be redressed if Africa’s to realize its dream of self-reliance. Drawing from an Africanist perspective, the paper foregrounds African Spiritual Knowledge Systems (ASKS) as a critical heritage resource in the continent’s transformation. Using a historical-critical approach, it interrogates the African educational system as a major impediment to the acceptance and integration of indigenous African spiritualities. It argues that sustainable development in Africa must be foregrounded on African heritage and epistemic resources, and that a transformational Africa is impossible without a home-grown educational system attuned to the African spirit and mind.

Open Full Text (PDF)