ISSN 2756-3405
Review
African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies ISSN 1621-4587 Vol. 3 (12), pp. 001-008, December, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Review
Tracing contemporary Africa’s conflict situation to colonialism: A breakdown of communication among natives
Afisi, Oseni Taiwo
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected], Tel: 08023223278, 08075921393.
Accepted 04 September, 2017
Abstract
The problems of violent conflicts in Africa today can be traced back to situations deeply rooted in exploitation and colonial domination of Africa. As far back as the days of the Atlantic slave trade to the period of colonial subjugation, Africa witnessed one form of violent conflicts or the other virtually unprecedented in the life of a typical African. Further on was the scrabble for African territories which eventually created artificially bounded nation-states. Similar was the divide and rule method, which alienated Africans from Africans. This method characterized the policies of the various colonial administrations. This paper admits that conflicts, not on a large scale, existed in pre-colonial Africa. It also examines the traditional methods of resolving these conflicts in pre-colonial Africa particularly among the Yorubas. However; the paper traces the incessant ethnic/tribal conflicts or the civil wars on a large scale that have pummeled various African societies since independence to the invasion of the continent by European colonialism. It examines the implication of the partitioning and creation of artificial boundaries in Africa and how it leads to a breakdown of communication among artificially bound natives. The paper submits that the various violent conflicts in Africa are a direct consequence of colonial domination.
Key words: Colonialism, conflict, native communications, African, ethnic.
Oseni Taiwo, Afisi
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Research Article
African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies ISSN 1621-4587 Vol. 3 (11), pp. 001-010, November, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
The influence of curriculum diversification and ethnic culture on student cognitive functioning
Saad Shawer
Curriculum & Instruction Department Chair, College of Education, Ittihad University, RAK, P. O. Box 2286, UAE. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Tel: 00971-72059911. Fax: 00971-72059982.
Accepted 22 April, 2017
Abstract
This study examined the influence of curriculum diversification on student use of learning strategies; EFL Arab students’ patterns of strategy use; and how they differ from other ethnic groups in their strategy use. The study made use of positivism at the levels of ontology (one form of reality), epistemology (detachment from the subjects) and methodology (‘nomothetic’/ standardized research strategy ((survey) and instrument (questionnaires)). Data analysis involved percentages, means, one-way MANOVA (Lambda), and one-way ANOVA (Scheffe). Working with college students, the study concluded that course diversification influenced student use of compensation (but not memory, cognitive, meta- cognitive, affective, and social) strategies in favour of the scientific track of study. It also concluded that Arab learners were frequent users of meta-cognitive and social strategies but moderate users of memory, cognitive, compensation, and affective strategies. In addition, disagreement about ethnic cultures’ patterns of strategy use still continued. The study recommended that clear identification of effective cognitive strategies and styles could guide classroom-level and school-level curriculum developments and innovations and facilitate curriculum implementation (instruction). Moreover, it recommended that research should focus more on influential cognitive functioning factors (e.g., cognitive strategies and styles) than ethnic cultures.
Key words: Cognitive strategies, learning styles, diversification, curriculum differentiation; foreign language learning.
Saad Shawer
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Research Article
African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies ISSN 1621-4587 Vol. 3 (10), pp. 001-007, October, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
The being of culture: Beyond representation
Alec McHoul
School of Media Communication and Culture, Murdoch University, W. Australia 6150, Perth Australia. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +61 9525 9501.
Accepted 22 June, 2017
Abstract
This work begins with the general question of whether it is possible to think of the idea of culture beyond the confines of representationalism, and discusses Heidegger’s ‘matter’ of Ereignis as the ‘mis-appropriability’ of cultures and cultural objects. In the second section, it moves on to the question of the ontological difference and its significance for a non-representationalist version of culture as ‘poiesis’. This leads to a radical notion of (transcendental) empiricity beyond the ordinary sense of ‘the empirical’ and, in light of this, a questioning of cultural relativism and the invisibility of the ontological difference to the cultural sciences. The third section of the paper briefly addresses the ethics of cultural research and the possible deconceptualisation of (the idea) culture. The final section summarises the paper by offering a (counter) definition of culture as such.
Key words: Culture, representation, Ereignis, ‘appropriability’, ‘poiesis’, transcendental empiricism, cultural relativism, research ethics.
Alec McHoul
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Review
African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies ISSN 1621-4587 Vol. 3 (9), pp. 001-007, September, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Review
Recent trends and future prospects in epistemology: A review of John Kekes
Fayemi Ademola Kazeem
Department of Philosophy, Lagos State University P.M.B 1087, LASU Post Office, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. E -mail: [email protected] or [email protected].
Accepted 24 April, 2017
Abstract
The paper is a critical survey of John Kekes’ perspective on the recent trends and future prospects of epistemology. The three fundamental issues in contemporary epistemology that engaged the attention of Kekes are intimately connected to justification: foundationalism, skepticism and rationality. The paper argues that Kekes’ epistemic survey of these issues is on the one hand commendable as his analysis clearly reveals a sound awareness, understanding and apprehension of the recent trends and future prospects in epistemology. On the other hand, the paper critically exposes the conceptual flaws and problems that fraught Kekes’ epistemic survey in the final analysis.
Key words: Justification, foundationalism, fallibilism, skepticism, rationality.
Fayemi Ademola Kazeem
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Research Article
African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies ISSN 1621-4587 Vol. 3 (8), pp. 001-008, August, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Ricoeur’s narrative theory applied to science
Sanja Ivic
Institute for European Studies, Department of philosophy, Belgrade University, Serbia. E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 25 April, 2017
Abstract
Ricoeur’s narrative theory can be applied to scientific theories. Scientific theories as well as narrative plots represent a “synthesis of heterogeneous” based on productive imagination. On the other hand, narrative plots can be perceived as an answer to the “why?” questions as well as scientific explanations. In this paper it will be argued that an analogy between narrative and scientific paradigms can be made. In the 18th and 19th centuries, both narrative and scientific paradigms aspired to represent a mimesis of reality. However, in the 20th century, those realist aspirations were rejected or supplemented with an idea of fragmented and mind-dependent reality. This point of view opened the question of the role of non-existent (and non-referential concepts) in science. In literature, novels without traditional plots arose.
Key words: Emplotment, explanation, narrative, science, realism.
Sanja Ivic
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Research Article
African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies ISSN 1621-4587 Vol. 3 (7), pp. 001-010, July, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Theistic panpsychic naturalized epistemology: the scientific philosophy of Africanity and einsteinism
Maduabuchi Dukor
Department of Philosophy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 14 April, 2017
Abstract
The objective of this those is to postulate Theistic panpsychism as a version of naturalized epistemology it is a cognitive science of essences, substances and modes of physical world (phenomenon) and the a priori world (nuomena). The traditional epistemology is that with experiences in the form of impressions or sense data, we justify our claims to know objects such tables, or molecules etc. Theistic Panpsychic naturalized epistemology is concerned with external physical and metaphysical worlds of objective and subjective realities. Consistent with modernity and post-modernity, it is neither against the canon of reason nor intuition, nor experience but asserts that there are truths of non-empirical modalities. As an objective idealist, realist and panpsychist, the African Bantu sees God in every being and object manifesting as gods, spirits and forces. These forces, he understands and grapples with designators and predicates in explaining nature and medical and scientific puzzles. Similarly, considering the theory of relativity from epistemological standpoint, this paper establishes that Albert Einstein grappled with theistic panpsychism, and then to special theory of relativity and finally general theory of relativity. He explained the randomness and uncertainty of nature with notion of God and forces thereby confirming his theistic panpsychic disposition before his great scientific discovery’s namely E= mc2. The realm of theistic panpsychic naturalized epistemology is nature, absolutes, thinking, cognition and deductive reasoning. It is a transcending totality encompassing the a priori and a posteriori and provides answers to moral, epistemological and metaphysical questions. It is the epistemologist of Africanity (African or Bantu cognitive world view) and Einsteinism (Ensteins world view that influenced his theory of relativity).
Key words: Africanity, Einsteinism, Theistic panpsychism, Naturalized epistemology,Animism, Please re-attach the following as the correct References
Maduabuchi Dukor
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