ABSTRACT
In this chapter I first illustrate the importance of language with two examples from African philosophy: Kwasi Wiredu’s study of the translation of the correspondence theory of truth into Akan and Oyèrónké Oyéwùmi’s and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf’s analyses of the transfer of the concept of gender into Yorùbá society. I then move on to analyse the general relevance of language for philosophy and, more broadly, for thought. I argue that while it cannot be contended ;– as claimed by linguistic determinism ;– that the language we speak restricts our thinking, historical, psychological and linguistical knowledge show that different peculiarities of languages can steer thoughts in certain directions. This can happen through connections between words, grammatical structures, or differentiations that are used in one language but not in another. The examples I give are very specific, but they are backed up by evidence and have connections to philosophical questions like our concepts of time and space, which clarify that not only language but also the particular language we use while doing philosophy matters. I also argue that the context in which translations are carried out are of great significance for their potential as a source of discoveries, as can be seen from translation efforts that happened during colonisation. This shows how important it is to foster an equality of languages, as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o calls for, if we want to use the languages we know as tools to communicate and express ourselves, while also being aware of their effect on our thinking and philosophical practice.
