The contribution of philosophy to Africa’s development

Abstract

Whether Africa is compared with other continents or it is considered on its own, much of Africa is in a precarious state. Africa is known to be lagging behind in development not only in the economy, but also in philosophy, science, politics, technology, etc. This precarious state has made many scholars cynical about the contributions philosophy has made towards the development of the continent. In this study, however, it is argued that such a cynical attitude is due to a myopic conception of “development,” which excludes growth in education, the economy, politics, science, the mental aspect of culture, and/or the unawareness of the fact that Africans (including the colonial and neo-colonial interferences) led the continent to a precarious state, not because of the inability on the part of the philosophers to proffer solutions, but owing to the unwillingness and failure on the part of African leaders in their un-philosophical or unrefined political, educational, economic, and scientific policies to adopt the solutions proffered.

Keywords: philosophy, development, Africa, historical growth