The impact of philosophy in the interpretation of African values with particular reference to Igbo cultural values

Abstract

Value is often regarded as an elusive term, having both relative and referential connotations. Every value is a value of someone, or of an individual, or of a group. It can be a value of a society as awhole, or of a given culture or a value of a larger culture, etc. From this perspectivewe can speak ofAfrican values as those belonging to the entire Africans as a whole. This is especially when we talk of African values vis-a- vis western or Chinese values, etc. African values could equallymean values belonging to a segment ofAfrica, like the Igbo. In this paper, our effort will be directed towards interpreting philosophically different dynamics of African values but more importantly, of Igbo cultural values. African values can mean African traditional values or African modern values or its contemporary values, etc. All these dynamics involve the issue of interpretation. In this paper, we shall examine the impact of relativity of African values as well as the referential nature of its values. The Igbo is case study here. We shall find out how both African and Igbo values promote the development and progress of African humanities and the communities. Because of emphasis on the philosophical method of interpreting African and Igbo values, we devote time in defining the meaning of values as well as that of philosophy.