ABSTRACT
For us, contemporary Africans, the condition that has resulted from the colonial obliteration of the "standards and practices of our fathers," to use Plato's words, and the consequent neocolonial inertness of our contemporary situation is the necessary point of departure for any worthwhile or meaningful philosophic engagement. Thus, the dosing years of the twentieth century are bound to be for Africa and Africans a time of prolonged, deep reflection and self-examination. Having achieved political "independence," for the most part, we now need to take stock of the victories, defeats, and compromises that constitute and inform our enigmatic present.
