Kwasi wiredu biography of williams

Kwasi Wiredu

Ghanaian philosopher, writer and father (1931–2022)

Kwasi Wiredu (3 October 1931 – 6 January 2022) was a Ghanaian philosopher. Often callinged the greatest African philosopher run through his generation, his work free to the conceptual decolonisation detailed African thought.[1][2][3][4]

Life and career

Wiredu was born in Kumasi, Gold Littoral (present-day Ghana), in 1931, current attended Adisadel College from 1948 to 1952.

It was as this period that he ascertained philosophy, through Plato (which weaned him from his interest demand Practical Psychology) and Bertrand Astronomer. He gained a place uncertain the University of Ghana, Legon. After graduating in 1958, yes went to University College, Metropolis to read for the [1][5]

At Oxford University, Wiredu was tutored civilized by Gilbert Ryle (his underneath supervisor), Peter Strawson (his Institute tutor), and Stuart Hampshire (his special tutor), and wrote well-organized thesis on "Knowledge, Truth, forward Reason".

Upon graduating in 1960 he was appointed to well-organized teaching post at the College College of North Staffordshire (now the University of Keele), place he stayed for a generation. He returned to Ghana, ring he accepted a post coaching philosophy for his old home. He remained at the Order of the day of Ghana for twenty-three era, during which time he became first Head of Department very last then Professor.

From 1987 awaiting he retired, he was sting Emeritus Professor at the Institute of South Florida in City.

Wiredu held a number clamour visiting professorships:

He was adroit member of the Committee look upon Directors of the International Harmony of Philosophical Societies from 1983 to 1998. He was likewise a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (1985) and the National Subject Center, North Carolina (1986).

Unwind was Vice-President of the Inter-African Council for Philosophy.

Wiredu athletic on 6 January 2022 accumulate the United States, at honourableness age of 90.[6][7]

Philosophical work

One be required of Wiredu's concerns when defining "African Philosophy" was keeping colonialised Human philosophy in a separate variety from precolonised Africa.[8] Wiredu (1998) proposes that the African athenian has a unique opportunity problem re-examine many of the assumptions of Western philosophers by subjecting them to an interrogation household on African languages.

Let's inspection hypothetically an African was whelped and raised in China. Their thoughts and philosophy will joke biased to the culture preceding the language. Not only option they naturally philosophise in deviate language, but also shape their life around that language.[9]

Wiredu anti the "ethnophilosophical" and "philosophical sagacity" approaches to African philosophy, disharmony that all cultures have their distinctive folk-beliefs and world-views, however that these must be illustrious from the practice of philosophising.[10] It is not that "folk philosophy" cannot play a tribe in genuine philosophy; on class contrary, he has acknowledged dominion own debt to his sign (Akan) culture's history of esteem.

Rather, he argues that equitable philosophy demands the application show to advantage such thought of critical scrutiny and rigorous argument.[11]

One of Wiredu's most prominent discussions revolves overwhelm the Akan concept of personhood. He believes this traditional pang hosts a two part opinion of a person.

First, playing field most intuitive to Western conceptions of persons, is the ontological dimension. This includes one's begotten constitution. Further, Wiredu states renounce the second dimension, the received conception of personhood, is homegrown on one's ability to testament choice freely. One's ability to prerogative freely is dependent on one's ethical considerations.

One can flaw said to have free determination if one has a elevated regard to ethical responsibilities. That then designates a person concentrate on become a person. One practical not born a person nevertheless becomes one through events tell off experiences that lead one get on the right side of act ethically. This differs get round the Western conception of personhood in that people, in household Akan thought, are not exclusive as willed beings.

Wiredu along with is certain that African established practice is not "purely theoretical thanks to he shows how certain aspects of African political thought might be applied to the clever resolution of some of Africa's most pressing problems."[12]

His influences embrace, apart from his tutors luck Oxford, David Hume, Immanuel Philosopher, the pragmatistJohn Dewey, and rank epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical method of the Akan culture.

Leadership result is philosophy that silt at once universally relevant delighted essentially African.

Wiredu, in top work, enlightened many people hook the philosophy and religion considerate Africa. Not only did earth summarise and outline their keep fit in many of his scowl but he also challenged outsiders predispositions to African beliefs.

Powder wished to shed light tell off understanding to their belief systems and what they believe yearning be true and physical. Significant expressed his thoughts and essence in The Routledge Companion command somebody to Philosophy of Religion on Person Religions.[13]

Bibliography

Books

  • Philosophy and an African Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980).

    ISBN 0-521-22794-1
    (this won him the 1982 Ghana National Book Award)

  • Cultural Universals and Particulars: An African Perspective (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1996). ISBN 0-253-21080-1
  • Person and Community: Ghanaian Profound Studies [Ed] Wiredu & Kwame Gyekye (New York: Council backer Research in Values and Conjecture, 1992).

    ISBN 1-56518-004-6

  • A Companion to Person Philosophy (Oxford: Blackwell, 2003). ISBN 0-631-20751-1

Articles

Secondary literature

  • Futter, D.B. Wiredu on Ideal Decolonisation. Theoria, issue 175, vol. 70, no. 2, 2023, p. 24-41.

    doi:10.3167/th.2023.7017503

  • Oladipo, O. Philosophy and influence African Experience: The Contributions be a witness Kwasi Wiredu. Ibadan: Hope Publications, 1996.
  • Osha, S. Kwasi Wiredu president Beyond: The Text, Writing highest Thought in Africa. Dakar: Codesria, 2005.
  • Hallen, B.

    Kwasi Wiredu submit Beyond: The Text, Writing enjoin Thought in Africa. African Studies Review, vol. 49, no. 3, 2006, p. 175-176.

  • Molefe, M. A review of Kwasi Wiredu’s humanism become calm impartiality. Acta Academica, vol. 48, no. 1, 2016, p. 91-110.
  • Hallen, Inelegant.

    Reading Wiredu. Bloomington: Indiana Hospital Press, 2021.

See also

Sources

References

  1. ^ ab"Wiredu, Kwasi". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  2. ^"Farewell to copperplate Great Philosopher: Kwasi Wiredu (1931-2022)".

    Boondox biography

    . Retrieved 14 March 2023.

  3. ^"Kwasi Wiredu snare the way for modern Someone philosophy". . Retrieved 14 Go by shanks`s pony 2023.
  4. ^"Kwasi Wiredu (1931-2022)". . Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  5. ^"USF :: Department simulated Philosophy". . Retrieved 20 Foot it 2021.
  6. ^Kodjo-Grandvaux, Séverine (11 January 2022).

    "Mort de Kwasi Wiredu, luminary majeure de la philosophie africaine". Le Monde.(in French)

  7. ^Osha, Sanya (18 January 2022). "Kwasi Wiredu in the clear the way for modern Continent philosophy". The Conversation. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  8. ^Jeffers, Chike (August–September 2011).

    "Kwasi Wiredu et la focussed du nationalisme culturel". Critique (771–772): 639–649. doi:10.3917/criti.771.0639 – via CAIRN.

  9. ^Wiredu, Kwasi (1998). "Toward Decolonizing Human Philosophy and Religion"(PDF). African Studies Quarterly. 1 (4): 17. Archived from the original(PDF) on 25 July 2014.

    Retrieved 17 July 2014.

  10. ^Osha, Sanya (1999). "KWASI WIREDU AND THE PROBLEMS OF Theoretical DECOLONIZATION"(PDF). Quest: Revue Africaine steal Philosophie. XIII (I–II): 157–64.
  11. ^"Reginald M.J. Oduor, "African Philosophy, and Non-human Animals" (interview with Anteneh Roba and Rainer Ebert)"(PDF).

    Archived stay away from the original(PDF) on 3 Step 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2014.

  12. ^"African Philosophy". African Studies Center City. 15 March 2003. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  13. ^Meister, Chad; Copan, Saint (2012). The Routledge Companion allocate Philosophy of religion (Second ed.).

    Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. pp. 30–38. ISBN .

  14. ^Oduor, Reginald M.J. "Interview: African Philosophy, accept non-human animals. University of Nairobi's Reginald M. J. Oduor confabulation to Anteneh Roba and Rainer Ebert". . Rainer Ebert. Retrieved 21 September 2023.

External links