Monday, May 25, 2015
Why i consider seminary outing so interesting and funny!!!
WHY I CONSIDER OUTING DAYS VERY INTERESTING AND FUNNY
BY: EKENEME VINCENT CHIBUKE
"...Oboy, no outing today?", "bro. I no fit miss that 11.00 cinema today o", "my God! I never get money o", "Na this afternoon beans sure pass o", ”Eeee! It's already 1.00pm o", "...Oboy, na complementary psalm I dey o", "my man, I no fit wait to comot this compound o..."
These and many other assertions are the songs of seminarians on Wednesdays. Everyone seems to have his own tune on outing days in seminary, for some it is affirmative while obviously negative for some other people. While some people feel liberated on outing days, others don't even bother to feel anything as such. Why I consider outing day very funny is that there are different kinds of people with subjective interpretation to outing.
The first class of people see outing from the affirmative point of view. For these calibers of peoples, they anticipate outing right from the beginning of the week. Outing in their own opinion is to flex and relief tensions and it must be observed. Their pocket is of course always green and this obviously gives them the futile ground to compare outing days to independent days. Wednesday is the best day for these people and should be rendered the best attention. Infact when you see these people come back from outing, you just beging to admit the fact that we ar not the same even when we live in communion.
The songs of this kind of group look like; "oboy that shoprite resturant food cheap o...", "...Ultima! God forbid that local modernised buker", "oboy since I come this school, na once I ate beans o".
The second group comprises of calibers people with complicated and diverse interpretation of outing. 1.00pm is very sacrosanct to many people in this group. In fact in the absence of any serious commitment, that time must necessarily meet them in school refectory irrespective of the distance of where they are at the advent of that time. For them outing is meant to get what they need and nothing more. Considering the people in this group, we likely have two fold; the upper and lower class. For the upper class, they easily sacrifice beans for Ultima delicate. Meanwhile, those in the lower class will always take it is an obligation to wrestle the helpless beans without any iota of pity. For some of those in this class, they take Wednesday’s outing day to trek from Bodija to UI and hide under the fact that it is an exercise. I wonder if the games days in seminary not enough for them.
One other funny thing about this group is that their pocket is always reflecting green once in a while and they are familiar with phrase the "insufficient fund". Interestingly, they always claim to be in week 3 or 4. While some people smile and chill when coming back from outing, some other people obviously put on a long face and few persons also pretend to be happy whereas they are burning and I wonder after all this things if all outings are successful.
The songs people in this group sing goes thus; "Eeee! It is five minutes to one", "...oboy ref food must not finish o", "my brother, I don't feel like going out". Considering the last assertion, is it that they don't feel like going out or they don't have what it entails to feel like going out? Actually this second group is messiah when considering the last g
group.
The last group comprises of those who sees outing day as same as any otherr days. For them outing day is a day to rest as if siester and light out always exempt them. Also, people in this group claim to be pioneers of week 3 and 4, they only smell week 1 and 2 after holidays. For many of them, Wednesday food tends to be their best food and as such it is not only an obligation to match the beans but a taboo to miss it.
The song people in this group sing is quite funny, it goes thus; "my bishop don pay for my food", "...oboy Wednesday beans na my best meal o", "roommate please buy something for me come o"One other interesting thing in this group is that they see outing useful when it is the last resort for them to acquire some vital things they are lacking. Perhaps, they don't have choice left to than to get theirs.
Occationally, some people do choose to sacrifice their refectary meal for a plate of 'amala' and 'green bottle' but this routine survives only when the wood is green. I wonder what happens when the leaf is dry, paharps refectary food always rescue the situation. Also, while some people will say they mistakenly ate Wednesday beans once since they came to Bodija, some people would regret that one day they missed Wednesday beans. What a paradox!
Conclusion, have we ever asked ourselves some of these questions on some funny occurrences that picture on Wednesdays. How many persons observe their prayers on Wednesday? Why is Wednesday best day for some people? Is outing (flexing) better than our other spiritual activities? Are all outings successful? Prior to that, however, outing is affirmatively part of our seminary curriculum and should be seen as a tool for our formation as well. Our formation is indeed robust and earlier we start embracing it and making it part of us. Outing days is indeed interesting days. Thanks.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
A SHORT EXPOSE ON THE HISTORICAL TRAJECTORY OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
NAME: EKENEME VINCENT CHIBUKE
PAPER TOPIC: A SHORT EXPOSE ON THE HISTORICAL TRAJECTORY OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
INTRODUCTION
Africa has definitely had her own share of man’s historical developments and travails. After blazing the trail of evolving cultures and civilizations for mankind, she has gone through an eclipse, decadence and backwardness, conquest, colonialism and slavery, resulting in her loss of dignity and respect.
What has been said of African history is also true of Africa philosophy by the western scholars. In fact, philosophy was denied of Africans who are considered to be an inferior primitive mentality and incapable of rigorous, logical, systematic and coherent reflection of reality. The misrepresentation and the misconception of African history have eventually affected existence of her philosophy in extension. The western scholars and philosophers claim their stand that there is nothing called African philosophy, but when analyzing this statement, can it be true?
Indeed, African philosophy has passed through a trajectory moment in the cause of her history. However, for the purpose of this work, it will be fitting to elucidate more on the historical trajectory of African philosophy using the following pattern.
The nature of the history of African Philosophy
The epochs in Africa Philosophy
Evaluation.
Conclusion
THE NATURE OR THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
What have been said about the meaning of the word ‘history’ is very simple. Ordinarily, history is conceived as the record of the past events. This definition perhaps may be too narrow because it does not encapsulate what history is all about. However, the definition of history according to Olatunji Olourntimleyin shall be considered. According to him “history is the study of society in time perspectives”. This definition presupposes that history makes us to construct a body of knowledge about the past, the present and how to live the future.
Let us start by setting in place what this might mean by ‘African philosophy’ philosophy as an academic discipline, like many other discipline in the western system of education, has a definite history of origin and development to which Africans have in various ways made immerse contributions. Taking into consideration the definition of philosophy by Joseph Omoregbe, he defined philosophy as “a rational search for answers to the question that arises in the mind when we reflect on human experience”. This implies that every rational being can be engaged in philosophy whether in strict or loose sense of it. Philosophy or act of philosophizing is thereby not restricted to any being. In fact, we are all obliged to participate in rational thinking.
Going down to African philosophy, it is the critical and systematic reflections or ruminations on the problematic bothering the minds of African on the continent of Africa. This means that Africans are expected to be at least in the minds of African governments and the founding fathers of our university departments of philosophy, a derivation of the western philosophy. What existed before African philosophy was philosophy in a loose sense, one characterized by minimal use of critical reason, personal reflection or insight. On the one hand, by many unquestioned assumptions dogmatism, religious myths, at times magical, super naturalistic, explanation of event and others. From this perspective, the movement of thought of the African can be said to be Folk or ethno-philosophy to African philosophy.
THE EPOCHS OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
It is clear that different criteria are used in the division of the various philosophies into periods. Similarly, Africans have had a different and unlike history of kings, dynasties, of empires, of religious, of literature, art and of science and technology. Therefore, African philosophy history does not necessarily have to follow the same trend with the western philosophy because of it dynamism. It is fitting therefore to dazzle into African philosophy historical epochs using the following:
Ancient period
This period lasted for 10,000 BC to 700BC. In this philosophical period, the ancient world became definitive with the black Egyptians who developed centres of leaning and civilizations between 5000 and 3300 BC. This period lasted for long before the advent of the Greeks philosophy. Initially their speculations were couched as an overtone like most primitive peoples. Five main scholars are developed in this ancient Egyptian world they are; Hermopolitan, Helipotian, Memphite, Thebean and rebel. Armema thought systems. All these schools commonly thought what can generally be described as the basic elements of Egyptian philosophy namely, cosmology Anthropology and Theology
Greek Period
This period can be described as that age when as a result of the decline in Egyptians power in world affairs makes the Greek trooped in masses into Egyptians centres of learning such as Hermopolis, Memphis Thales in search of knowledge or technology and were thought by the Egyptian masters.
Consequently, when the Egyptian knowledge was made known outside word, it has been discovered that Greek philosophers like Thales and Pythagoras traveled out to acquire this philosophical knowledge in Egypt and then return to Greek to start their own schools. No wonder why Cheik Anta Diop described some giant of western philosophers as plagierisers since the fail to acknowledge the Egyptian source of their doctrine.
Early Christian
This period also lasted from 1-6AD and it witnessed the growth and flowering of the mixed cultures of the Greek, Romans, Egyptians and Persians. While the Romans conquered the Greek, the language and the thought of the Greeks, who had learned most philosophic and scientific knowledge of Egyptians, dominated the intelligentsia. Some philosophers that featured in this period were St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Islamic West African period
This period lies between 7-13AD and was characterized by intellectuals. At this time, universities were just beginning to develop in countries like Ghana, Mali and others. Also, this period was characterized by Islamic religion, thereby ensuring the complete eclipse of Egypt. The kind of studies that was predominant in this period were, law, politics philosophy and theology.
Early African Contact with Europe to Modern period
The contact with Europe since 14-5AD marked the beginning of destruction of the souls and loss of identify in the sub-Sahara Africa. In fact, Africa, before the arrival of the white men developed culture and civilizations, beside the advent of European civilization bought about the misconception and misrepresentation of Africa philosophy. The Africans gradually began to lose their extremely deep sense of brotherhood when they began to be trade partners with the Europeans. Sooner and surprisingly, their interests were now focused on acquiring slaves to work for them. Surprisingly again, Africans themselves facilitated their own slavery. This was indeed a period marked with negativity. Ridiculously, not too long from then and in the period of western colonialization, in the year 1885, Europe began to affirm that Africa had no history, culture and civilization; and thus forced the rule of the Africans by the western colonialists powers at the Berlin conference in the same year.
Contemporary Period
The contemporary period started in the 20th century, to be precisely 1939 with Aime Cesaire’s return to my native land. The first “negritude” is used six times to conceptualize the dignity, the personhood or humanity of black people. The second ‘return’ which appears in the title of the poem itself gives the dignity, the personhood or humanity of black people historicity.
Contemporary African philosophy has gone through a stage of development. The first stage can be describe as western motivation, and paternalistic. The second is Africans orientation and the third is the historic-cultural reconstructivism.
EVALUATIVE CONCLUSION
To say African have no philosophy is to say African’s do not exist and that will be the greatest fallacy one can commit. In Africa, many philosophical questions have been raised, such as, what is behind existence or life itself? Does God exist? Evidently, these questions concern the basic assumptions of the structure of reality, or the nature of the origin of things. These questions are contextual because they are meaningful to the African in so far they relate to her consciousness and experience. Hence, it is not just enough that African philosophy exist, but that is conceived historically as well.
Finally, African is a continent with a rich culture and logical and coherent thought and nothing can derive her of her philosophical thought.
PAPER TOPIC: A SHORT EXPOSE ON THE HISTORICAL TRAJECTORY OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
INTRODUCTION
Africa has definitely had her own share of man’s historical developments and travails. After blazing the trail of evolving cultures and civilizations for mankind, she has gone through an eclipse, decadence and backwardness, conquest, colonialism and slavery, resulting in her loss of dignity and respect.
What has been said of African history is also true of Africa philosophy by the western scholars. In fact, philosophy was denied of Africans who are considered to be an inferior primitive mentality and incapable of rigorous, logical, systematic and coherent reflection of reality. The misrepresentation and the misconception of African history have eventually affected existence of her philosophy in extension. The western scholars and philosophers claim their stand that there is nothing called African philosophy, but when analyzing this statement, can it be true?
Indeed, African philosophy has passed through a trajectory moment in the cause of her history. However, for the purpose of this work, it will be fitting to elucidate more on the historical trajectory of African philosophy using the following pattern.
The nature of the history of African Philosophy
The epochs in Africa Philosophy
Evaluation.
Conclusion
THE NATURE OR THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
What have been said about the meaning of the word ‘history’ is very simple. Ordinarily, history is conceived as the record of the past events. This definition perhaps may be too narrow because it does not encapsulate what history is all about. However, the definition of history according to Olatunji Olourntimleyin shall be considered. According to him “history is the study of society in time perspectives”. This definition presupposes that history makes us to construct a body of knowledge about the past, the present and how to live the future.
Let us start by setting in place what this might mean by ‘African philosophy’ philosophy as an academic discipline, like many other discipline in the western system of education, has a definite history of origin and development to which Africans have in various ways made immerse contributions. Taking into consideration the definition of philosophy by Joseph Omoregbe, he defined philosophy as “a rational search for answers to the question that arises in the mind when we reflect on human experience”. This implies that every rational being can be engaged in philosophy whether in strict or loose sense of it. Philosophy or act of philosophizing is thereby not restricted to any being. In fact, we are all obliged to participate in rational thinking.
Going down to African philosophy, it is the critical and systematic reflections or ruminations on the problematic bothering the minds of African on the continent of Africa. This means that Africans are expected to be at least in the minds of African governments and the founding fathers of our university departments of philosophy, a derivation of the western philosophy. What existed before African philosophy was philosophy in a loose sense, one characterized by minimal use of critical reason, personal reflection or insight. On the one hand, by many unquestioned assumptions dogmatism, religious myths, at times magical, super naturalistic, explanation of event and others. From this perspective, the movement of thought of the African can be said to be Folk or ethno-philosophy to African philosophy.
THE EPOCHS OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
It is clear that different criteria are used in the division of the various philosophies into periods. Similarly, Africans have had a different and unlike history of kings, dynasties, of empires, of religious, of literature, art and of science and technology. Therefore, African philosophy history does not necessarily have to follow the same trend with the western philosophy because of it dynamism. It is fitting therefore to dazzle into African philosophy historical epochs using the following:
Ancient period
This period lasted for 10,000 BC to 700BC. In this philosophical period, the ancient world became definitive with the black Egyptians who developed centres of leaning and civilizations between 5000 and 3300 BC. This period lasted for long before the advent of the Greeks philosophy. Initially their speculations were couched as an overtone like most primitive peoples. Five main scholars are developed in this ancient Egyptian world they are; Hermopolitan, Helipotian, Memphite, Thebean and rebel. Armema thought systems. All these schools commonly thought what can generally be described as the basic elements of Egyptian philosophy namely, cosmology Anthropology and Theology
Greek Period
This period can be described as that age when as a result of the decline in Egyptians power in world affairs makes the Greek trooped in masses into Egyptians centres of learning such as Hermopolis, Memphis Thales in search of knowledge or technology and were thought by the Egyptian masters.
Consequently, when the Egyptian knowledge was made known outside word, it has been discovered that Greek philosophers like Thales and Pythagoras traveled out to acquire this philosophical knowledge in Egypt and then return to Greek to start their own schools. No wonder why Cheik Anta Diop described some giant of western philosophers as plagierisers since the fail to acknowledge the Egyptian source of their doctrine.
Early Christian
This period also lasted from 1-6AD and it witnessed the growth and flowering of the mixed cultures of the Greek, Romans, Egyptians and Persians. While the Romans conquered the Greek, the language and the thought of the Greeks, who had learned most philosophic and scientific knowledge of Egyptians, dominated the intelligentsia. Some philosophers that featured in this period were St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Islamic West African period
This period lies between 7-13AD and was characterized by intellectuals. At this time, universities were just beginning to develop in countries like Ghana, Mali and others. Also, this period was characterized by Islamic religion, thereby ensuring the complete eclipse of Egypt. The kind of studies that was predominant in this period were, law, politics philosophy and theology.
Early African Contact with Europe to Modern period
The contact with Europe since 14-5AD marked the beginning of destruction of the souls and loss of identify in the sub-Sahara Africa. In fact, Africa, before the arrival of the white men developed culture and civilizations, beside the advent of European civilization bought about the misconception and misrepresentation of Africa philosophy. The Africans gradually began to lose their extremely deep sense of brotherhood when they began to be trade partners with the Europeans. Sooner and surprisingly, their interests were now focused on acquiring slaves to work for them. Surprisingly again, Africans themselves facilitated their own slavery. This was indeed a period marked with negativity. Ridiculously, not too long from then and in the period of western colonialization, in the year 1885, Europe began to affirm that Africa had no history, culture and civilization; and thus forced the rule of the Africans by the western colonialists powers at the Berlin conference in the same year.
Contemporary Period
The contemporary period started in the 20th century, to be precisely 1939 with Aime Cesaire’s return to my native land. The first “negritude” is used six times to conceptualize the dignity, the personhood or humanity of black people. The second ‘return’ which appears in the title of the poem itself gives the dignity, the personhood or humanity of black people historicity.
Contemporary African philosophy has gone through a stage of development. The first stage can be describe as western motivation, and paternalistic. The second is Africans orientation and the third is the historic-cultural reconstructivism.
EVALUATIVE CONCLUSION
To say African have no philosophy is to say African’s do not exist and that will be the greatest fallacy one can commit. In Africa, many philosophical questions have been raised, such as, what is behind existence or life itself? Does God exist? Evidently, these questions concern the basic assumptions of the structure of reality, or the nature of the origin of things. These questions are contextual because they are meaningful to the African in so far they relate to her consciousness and experience. Hence, it is not just enough that African philosophy exist, but that is conceived historically as well.
Finally, African is a continent with a rich culture and logical and coherent thought and nothing can derive her of her philosophical thought.
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