God and the demon in Cartesian and Akan philosophies: a comparative analysis

Abstract

The 16^th century French philosopher, René Descartes, is one of the most important Christian thinkers in modern philosophy. His ideas on dualism and metaphysics (in general) have been of great interest to both philosophers and religionists. In this piece, I do not discuss Christianity or its influence on Descartes as such. I analyse presentations of God and the demon in Cartesian philosophy (as specifically found in his Meditations) and how they compare with the conceptions of God and the demon in indigenous Akan philosophy. Using the qualitative method, I also examine some implications of both the Cartesian and Akan notions of God and the demon in relation to moral responsibility. While acknowledging that both philosophies contain the ideas of God and the demon, I seek to show that there are significant differences which make it difficult to equate Akan conceptions of these beings to those of Descartes. I establish in this research that the Akan conception of the demon, unlike the Cartesian, is two-sided. Consequently, I caution against the uncritical adoption of non-African concepts in the interpretation of African beliefs, values and practices.

Keywords: Akan philosophy, Cartesian philosophy, demon, God, reason