International Journal of Philosophy

Special Issue

Towards the Creation of Technological African: The Imperative of a “New Philosophy”

  • Submission Deadline: Nov. 20, 2020
  • Status: Submission Closed
  • Lead Guest Editor: Lambert Ukanga
About This Special Issue
Cultural pluralism leads to diverse forms of technology and scientific models; and certain cultural forces can either impede or enhance the development of science and technology in any given society. Africa seems not to consider seriously these cultural elements in her bid for scientific and technological development. Our special issue therefore, aims at showing that the effort of Nigeria, and indeed Africa, towards the creation of technological African society vis-à-vis technological and scientific development reveals that Africa is still dormant. This is because, given the meaning of technological development, as scientific knowledge applied to practical (especially industrial) purposes, contemporary African is increasingly unable to cope with his or her social, political and economic problems. Yet, a social, political and economic evolution is underway. This threatens the African’s identity and might make the continent unmanageable and literally uninhabitable. The contemporary and traditional Africa is incapable of coping with this evolution judging by the level of his or her technological development. That is to say, the technological Africa will not be a new ruling class equipped to perform a new role based on new sources of power, namely, western science. On this, we summits that, science and technology confer power, but ruling classes perform political roles, not scientific or technological roles as such. The technological Africa will not be a new ruling class neither will it bear new personality type: hyper-rational, objective, and manipulative. He has to retain his Africanness; the technological Africa must be Africa if he is to be really technological. He will not and cannot be imagined to be trading his own personality for a different one. It must not become the rationalistic, instrumental, hard-nosed human beings of the West, or the economic man of the classical economist” or even the emotional African of the Negritudeans. Indeed, man must emerge naturally from his context. So he needs not be a new biologically type artificially created. Such a development would mean that the technological Africa had not emerged naturally from his context and African civilization would consequently fall prey to its own creation. To make for an authentic technological Africa, it is submitted that it must be an African who will be in control of his own development within the context of a meaningful philosophy of the role of technology in human evolution. He will be a new cultural type, so to speak, that will leaven all the leadership echelons of society. That is to say, the technological Africa will not only be man at home with science and technology; he will also dominate them rather than be dominated by them. The question now becomes; how can one possibly lay down a future African philosophy of technology for general acceptance? This question becomes more pertinent when one recalls that such dominant world views as traditional Christianity, orthodox Marxism, and classical liberalism have clearly failed to provide a rationale for dealing with the existential identity evolution of the contemporary western world. Can a new African philosophy achieve this?
Aims and Scope:
  1. Technology
  2. Africa
  3. Creation
  4. Development
  5. Philosophy/New Philosophy
  6. Sustainability
Lead Guest Editor
  • Lambert Ukanga

    Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

Guest Editors
  • Martin Udom

    Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Mfonobong Udoudom

    Social Science Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Felix Oyosoro

    Philosophy and Strategic Studies, Faculty of the Social Sciences, Obong University, Uyo, Nigeria

  • Anthony Areji

    Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Paul Amoke

    Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Eboyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria

  • Emmanuel Utiakan

    Philosophy, Akwa Ibom State University, Uyo, Nigeria

  • Shaibu Augustine

    Department of Philosophy, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Augustine Atabor

    Department of Philosophy, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

  • Mufedei Mohammed

    Department of Natural Resource Management, Oda Bultum University, Chiro, Ethiopia

Published Articles
  • Hawking as a Mirror of Advertisement in African Society: Nigeria as a Case Study

    Abodunrin Kemi

    Issue: Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2020
    Pages: 15-21
    Received: Dec. 05, 2019
    Accepted: Jan. 10, 2020
    Published: Feb. 28, 2020
    DOI: 10.11648/j.ijp.20200801.13
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    Abstract: Making goods, services and ideas known to those who need them with the intent of repeat purchase is advertising. However, hawking formed the basis of this art in traditional Africa for which a technology is implied. As a basis to determine hawking’s relevance and subscription propensity in the face of mass mediated advertising, responses solicited ... Show More
  • A Philosophical Perspective of Annang Values Education and Its Implication for the Creation of a New Technological Africa

    Lambert Peter Ukanga , Eseohe Glory Okoedion , Udom Martins Solomon

    Issue: Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2019
    Pages: 141-150
    Received: Sep. 24, 2019
    Accepted: Oct. 22, 2019
    Published: Nov. 05, 2019
    DOI: 10.11648/j.ijp.20190704.12
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    Views:
    Abstract: This work presents the philosophical in-depth of Annang values education and its implication for the creation of a new technological Africa. Thus, the problem of how Annang values education can develop and activate mental prowess for creativity, sustainable development and provide standard values for future African civilization, becomes imperative ... Show More