Anthony Chukwu: African epistemologies at the nexus of African languages and development

HUMA African Epistemologies Advanced Seminar Series

Speaker: Anthony Chukwu (Canada)

Epistemic diversity, also called fractured epistemologies, has come upon us due to the rejection of the imperial Western epistemology for ecumenical epistemic understanding. Following this, the important task that scholars of African philosophy have taken upon themselves, understandably so, is unveiling − i.e. representing and re-presenting modes of knowing and knowledge production in various indigenous African thoughts deemed to have been undermined particularly by Western epistemological tradition. The idea of African epistemology or, better still, African epistemologies is/are about beings and knowledge in African spaces. The diverse African linguistic heritage is not just a fulcrum for African epistemologies but also part of the linguistic resources for producing development in Africa. This presentation shows the intersectionality of African languages to African epistemologies and development.