ABSTRACT
As it progresses, philosophy constantly goes back to its history and with that practice helps carry that history with it into the future, thereby immortalising some of its leading figures. This is true of the situation in African philosophy as an academic practice, in spite of the impression that a requiem has been celebrated for Tempels’s work, Bantu Philosophy. Bantu philosophy, in the sense of the idea of philosophy as articulated by Tempels, has been the subject of numerous attacks. However, the initiative, largely owed to Tempels, of documenting and articulating the philosophy of the indigenous peoples by way of responding to the philosophical dictum “African know thyself” is still ongoing. Even the fecundity of African philosophy and its expression as a discourse is yet to manifest in fullness. A wealth of historical texts in the form of Africa’s rich oral literature and tradition are yet to be meaningfully explored for their philosophical import. With its roots firmly planted in the traditions which constitute the lifeworld of its peoples, African philosophy must continue to develop new and authentic forms of articulation, even as it draws crucial theoretical and intellectual resources from other traditions. As a critical inquiry informed by its own historical realities, philosophy in Africa must define its own priority questions and, together with other philosophies, help set the agenda for meaningful dialogue in world philosophy.
