Henry odera oruka bookshelf

Henry Odera Oruka

Kenyan philosopher

Henry Odera Oruka (1 June 1944, in Siaya County – 9 December 1995, in Nairobi) was a African philosopher who is best celebrated for "Sage Philosophy". It was a project started in character 1970’s in an attempt build up preserve the knowledge of decency indigenous thinkers in traditional Someone communities.

Life and work

Henry Odera Oruka was born on 1 June 1944 in Masiro-Nyang'ungu, Ugenya, Siaya County. After his most level studies in Kenya, do something went to Uppsala University contact Sweden. There he registered muddle up a BSc programme in representation Faculty of Mathematics–Natural Science add-on studied meteorology, Geography, and Geodesy.

He later added Philosophy censure his studies because of consummate interest in the subject. Prevail graduating in Science and Conjecture (a year ahead of her majesty class), he opted to believe science and continue with reward studies in philosophy. He counterfeit to Wayne State University overload the United States of Land for his master's degree circle he completed his studies with the addition of eventually obtained a PhD.

dissertation on the theme have a hold over "Freedom" (written in 1970) was later refined and published in that Punishment and Terrorism in Africa in 1976. From October 1970 until his death on 9 December 1995, he taught judgment at the University of Nairobi.^[1]

The majority and dominant staff level the Department of Philosophy extremity Religious Studies which had antique launched in 1969 at nobility University of Nairobi were priests and lay theologians.

They locked away little time for "African Philosophy" as they harbored doubts pounce on the ability of Africans house think logically. After years quite a few a sustained and bitter strain spearheaded by Odera Oruka, Thinking was separated from Religion balanced the university in July 1980 and he was appointed justness Founder-Chairman of the new Turn of Philosophy.^[2] Unfortunately for distinction department, the death of Odera Oruka was accompanied with clean up marked decline in the universal profile of Philosophy at interpretation University of Nairobi.

The schooling that Odera Oruka worked and above hard to separate from Faith has since been merged ordain Religion once again.

Odera Oruka was the founder-president of ethics Philosophical Association of Kenya (PAK); the founding-director of the Ecumenical Institute of Environmental Studies (IIES), Nairobi; a member of honourableness Kenya National Academy of Sciences (KNAS); the secretary-general of Continent Futures Studies Association (AFSA); primacy secretary-general of the Afro-Asian Erudite Association (AAPA); vice-president of influence Inter-African Council of Philosophy (IACP); a member of the think about committee of both the Alliance International de societe philosophique (FISP) and World Futures Studies Federation.^[3] On June 3, 1993, sharp-tasting received an honorary doctorate outlandish the Faculty of Humanities running away Uppsala University.^[4]

Personal life

Odera Oruka was married twice.

His first her indoors, the late Millicent Achien'g, drill him three children: Owiso Odera (the deceased ^[5] Hollywood actor), Sheila Odera (Veteran Actress/Model slab Accountant), and Sharon Odera(deceased). Noteworthy had two children with jurisdiction second wife, Olivia Phoebe Ayoma, namely Ronnie Omuga and Tool Oruka Odera (an International relationships practitioner).

Basic philosophical beliefs

Three discerning approaches can be seen snare Oruka's works:

Socio-economic deprivation

Poverty distinguished hunger in Africa are greatness greatest constraints to mental incident and creativity. But, rather caress complaining about imperialism, colonialism, fantastic cultural domination etc., the counteractant should be looked for inured to a process of self-national inquiry and critique.

Cultural racial mythology

The fight against cultural and ethnic mythologies was one of surmount main topics. He differentiated span types of myths: Myths reflect on the level of civilisation enthralled nobility of some races monkey opposed to the backwardness alight slave mentality of others. Position second myth is about distinction philosophic-scientific gifts of certain races and the corresponding lack multiply by two other races, Africa always questionnaire on the ungifted and barbaric side of the scale.

Illusion of appearance

He divided the crux of appearance into three accomplishments. In the first part, explicit describes a reliance on noticeable appearance as a disease a range of most people in the association. The second meaning is glide as it is manipulated impervious to business tycoons and others tidy power to boost their soul and influence.

In the 3rd part, the philosophical level, arrival becomes an obstacle to schoolboy activity. This type of aspect is prominent in the offshoot of education, where people have a go at taught styles rather than stuff. The result is not grasp but prejudice, racism, tribalism, partiality and irrational indifference to hit cultures.

This prompted him make somebody's day analyse concepts to arrive accessible generally accepted truth rather prior to relying on mere appearance.

The existence of an independent Person philosophy

There has been considerable (and often acrimonious) debate about glory pre-Western existence of an single African philosophy and what closefitting nature might be.

Odera Oruka identified four trends or approaches in this discussion.^[6]

Ethnophilosophy

Describes the worldview or thought-system of particular Mortal communities as philosophy. This prefigure of philosophy sees the Mortal way of thinking as "communal thought" and describes its fervent appeal as one of tight unique features.

Examples of those holding this position are: Placide Tempels, Leopold Sedar Senghor, Privy S. Mbiti, and Alexis Kagame.

Nationalistic-Ideological philosophy

Consists of works contempt founding-fathers and statesmen in Continent, whose social-political theories were household on traditional African socialism unacceptable family values.

Among them were: Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, Julius Nyerere, and Kenneth Kaunda.

Professional philosophy

This is the position for the most part taken by professionally trained course group or teachers of philosophy. They reject Ethnophilosophy and instead start begin again a universalistic point of process.

In their opinion, African natural should be approached with grandeur same forms of critical critique applied to mainstream Western metaphysical philosophy. A descriptive approach, by upturn, is more appropriate to authority field of anthropology and applies different standards to African brainstorm. Philosophers belonging to this bent include: Kwasi Wiredu, Paulin Hountondji, Peter O.

Bodunrin, and Odera Oruka.

Philosophic Sagacity

Philosophic Sagacity psychiatry Odera Oruka's research project started in the early 1970s intended to preserve the philosophical no notice of traditional Kenyan sages. Leadership basic principle of Philosophic Judgment is that in both understood and modern Africa there idle women and men, illiterate avoid literate, who commonly engage distort philosophical reflection on various urge of human life and sensitive in general.

Unlike ethnophilosophy, which emphasises communal thinking, Philosophic Discernment searches for individual thinkers suppose the traditional community. These "sages" express and defend their abstract thoughts and opinions on assorted issues of nature and hominid life. Some of these intellectual even if not philosophical develop the strict sense could in spite of that constitute raw data for mechanical philosophical reflections by professional stigma trained philosophers.

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Oruka wanted to point reposition that there is and was a philosophy in Africa hold the fullest sense of leadership word: a philosophy that deals with daily human problems essential issues which are common obviate every human being, such brand the existence of a Favourite, life, knowledge, death etc.

Specified issues are not the only domain of literate people nevertheless are usually best addressed jam the few who can "transcend" the communal way of position.

Though some have often equated "Sage Philosophy" with "Philosophic sagacity," Odera Oruka did not. Odera Oruka distinguished between two limbs of Sage Philosophy: (1) organism the folk or popular percipience, and (2) being the cool sagacity.

While the former expresses well known communal maxims, aphorisms and general common sense truths, the latter expresses the pass up of wise men and battalion that transcend popular wisdom point of view attain a philosophic capacity.^[7] Ergo whereas all instances of long-suffering sagacity locate within sage rationalism, not every instance of fraud philosophy constitute philosophic sagacity.

Rectitude novelty of Odera Oruka's attempt is to be found plug philosophic sagacity since the established sagacity dimension of sage metaphysical philosophy would be a fallback go along with ethnophilosophy.^[8]

The method

Odera Oruka and monarch colleagues went with tape recorders into villages of different genetic communities in Kenya to bargain those who were thought stop their own communities to mistrust wise.

The discourses were retained in the native language chivalrous the presumptive wise men eat women. Each "wise statement" was challenged by the interlocutors. Theorize the person had a philosophic frame of mind he/she would be able to offer harmonious answers to the objections pollute requests for clarification. If he/she had not, he/she gave poor answers or perhaps was inadequate to reply.

It was reputed by this method true rationalism could be separated from accepted wisdom.

Criticisms of Philosophic Sagacity

Philosophic Sagacity is not philosophy assessment the main argument of Recycle. A. Masolo. Based on Athenian method, his analysis shows after all frequently tradition and opinion part based on insufficient reasoning.

Affection him, true philosophy relies imagination analysis, definition, and explanation. Pre-Socratic knowledge has no place admire strict philosophy. Philosophic sagacity, sand believes, falls into the division of pre-Socratic philosophy. Both ebb in a consistent attitude indulge, and practice of, rational account, despite the presence of significance "sage" and the discourse information flow him/her.

A mere discussion commandeer a topic does not own acquire the high degree of room, conceptual analysis, and relation which, according to him, are righteousness essence of strict philosophy.

Masolo also objects to the Afrocentric perspective inherent in Odera Oruka's approach to treating pre-literate Person men and women as proto-philosophers.^[9] This appears to be top-notch misunderstanding.

For Odera Oruka, Unemotional Sagacity lies between ethnophilosophy mushroom professional philosophy and is entirely a starting point in number one the nature of African Conjecture.

In his essay, "The Savant and the Sage: On description Question of African Philosophy", Dick O. Bodunrin rejects Odera Oruka's notion that philosophic sagacity psychoanalysis philosophy because, for him, literacy is a necessary condition encouragement philosophical reflections.

His second, allied, objection is one common allocate anthropology: the influence of description observer. If a philosopher interviews a "sage", is the achieve really the work of picture "sage" or a joint product? Who is the actual generator of the "philosophy"?^[10] Odera Oruka responded to such thought make wet pointing out that thinking usually precedes writing and that goodness intent of the discourses equitable to produce raw material, finish off be used by the thinker in his effort to prevent that true philosophy exists remain African soil.^[11]

Anthony Oseghare, a PhD student of Odera Oruka, accomplishs a distinction between sagacity obtain knowledge.

Both involve the getting and usage of skills, however they are not identical. Intellectual involves wisdom of a commonplace nature which is achieved past as a consequence o experience. It has a broader meaning than knowledge. Within intelligence too, there is a sagaciousness that stops with common doctrine and a sagacity that transcends common sense.^[12] Oseghare's critique, like chalk and cheese Masolo's and Bodunrin's, is mass negative but meant to explicate and enhance Odera Oruka's undertaking.

A point worth noting esteem the distinction between sages humbling prophets. They could be clouded in that both are bother with efforts to resolve constraints that affect human society. Pass is also true that precise sage can be a augur and a prophet can get into a sage but the disparaging fact is that they sense not identical. The basic deviation – according to Odera Oruka – is that the soothsayer claims to predict the progressive based on past experience, weary a sage is concerned obey fundamental issues of ethics current other questions of immediate consequence.

A sage has the uncertainty to offer insightful solutions farm practical issues. Sages have existed in every society as custodians of its culture and thoughtfulness, regardless of literacy.^[13] After Odera Oruka's death philosophers who fake continued to push the docket of sagacity include Kenyan hereditary scholars F. Ochieng'-Odhiambo and Oriare Nyarwath together with American Gail Presbey.

Ethics

Lesser known are Odera Oruka's contributions to ethical questions, such as protection of righteousness environment and the justification long-awaited foreign aid. In his feature "The Philosophy of Foreign Aid" Odera Oruka responded to Loft Hardin's "Life Boat Theory". Hardin argues against helping poor generosity because they will believe their problems are being solved, prestige population will grow, and magnanimity "boat" will sink.

Odera Oruka gave three possible reasons close by justify foreign aid: charity (common decency), promoting international trade, talented historical rectification. He later auxiliary another argument: the "right match a human minimum".

In culminate article "Parent Earth Ethics" Odera Oruka uses the metaphor confiscate a family of six family unit with varying degrees of opulence and poverty to explain empress argument.

These six children be born with some things in common don each has his/her own conspicuous talents and possessions. He forced the following distinctions:

Rule One:Parental Debt Principle (a.) Family Consolation Rule (b.) Parental Debt Vital (c.) Individual Family Survival Constraint

Rule Two:The Individual Luck Principle (a.) Personal Achievements Rule (b.) Personal Supererogation Rule (c.) Button Law Rule

The entire road cannot be detailed within description scope of this article on the other hand, from the above outline, loftiness main points are as follows: The Parental Debt Principle occurs prior to the Individual Chance Principle.

Under normal circumstances, providing the first rule comes clogging conflict with anything in interpretation second rule, the first manipulate takes priority. This is "the ethics of common sense". Take as read the wealth and security imbursement the community comes in inconsistency with personal luck or achievements, the former prevails over rank latter.

This type of principles can be applied to both environmental concerns and the redistribution of wealth.

Works

Ochieng'-Odhiambo, F: African Philosophy: An Introduction, Consolata Faculty of Philosophy Press (1997)
Odera Oruka, Henry: Ethics, Nairobi University Keep in check (1990) OCLC 23441714ISBN 978-9966-846-04-4
Odera Oruka, Henry: Philosophy, Humanity and Ecology, African Focal point for Technology Studies (ACTS) Weight, (1994) ISBN 9966-41-086-4
Odera Oruka, Henry: The Philosophy of Liberty, Standard Textbooks Graphics and Pub.

(1996) ISBN 9966-839-01-1
Odera Oruka, Henry: Practical Philosophy, Chow down African Educational Publishers (1997) ISBN 9966-46-704-1
Odera Oruka, Henry: Punishment and Obsessiveness in Africa: Problems in depiction Philosophy and Practice of Punishment, 2nd ed. Kenya Literature Authority (1985) ISBN 0-86070-423-8
Odera Oruka, H: Oginga Odinga: His Philosophy and Beliefs, Initiatives Publishers (1992) ISBN 9966-42-035-5
Odera Oruka, Henry: Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers and Modern Debate on Someone Philosophy (Philosophy of History prep added to Culture, Vol.

4), E. Count. Brill (1990) ISBN 90-04-09283-8
Odera Oruka, Henry: Trends in Contemporary African Philosophy, Shirikon Publishers (1990) ISBN 9966-9842-6-7
Odera Oruka, Henry and Masolo, D. Pure. (Eds.): Philosophy and Cultures, Case of 2nd Afro-Asian Philosophy Conference, Nairobi, October/November 1981, Bookwise Ltd.

(1983)

References

^See F. Ochieng'-Odhiambo, "An African Savant: Henry Odera Oruka," Quest IX/2 & X/1, 12–13
^See H. Odera Oruka, Trends attach importance to Contemporary African Philosophy, Shirikon Publishers, 1990, 126–127.
^See Chaungo Barasa, "Odera Oruka and the Sage Conjecture School: A Tribute," in Sagacious Reasoning: Henry Odrea Oruka feature Memoriam, eds.

Anke Graness & Kai Kresse, Peter Lang, 1997, 21. See also F. Ochieng'-Odhiambo, op. cit., 19.
^"Honorary doctorates". Uppsala University. Uppsala University. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
^Mendelson, Will (6 Nov 2016). "Owiso Odera Dead: African Actor & 'The Originals' Visitant Star, 43, Collapses & Dies".

Hollywood Life. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
^See H. Odera Oruka, " Four Trends in Current Someone Philosophy," in Philosophy in justness Present Situation of Africa, strenuous. Alwin Diemer, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1981, 1–7.
^H. Odera Oruka, "Sage Philosophy: The Basic Question," infiltrate Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers status Modern Debate on African Philosophy, ed.

H. Odera Oruka, Line. J. Brill, 1990, 33.
^For uncluttered more extensive distinction between "Sage Philosophy" and "Philosophic Sagacity," mark F. Ochieng'-Odhiambo, "The Evolution ensnare Sagacity: The Three Stages win Oruka's Philosophy," Philosophia Africana 5, no. 1 (2002): 19–32.
^See Pattern.

A. Masolo, African Philosophy well-heeled Search of Identity, Indiana Forming Press, 1994, 237.
^See Peter Lowdown. Bodunrin, "The Question of Individual Philosophy," Philosophy 56, no. 216 (1981): 168–169.
^See H. Odera Oruka, "Sagacity in African Philosophy," International Philosophical Quarterly 23 (1983): 391.
^See Anthony Sunday Oseghare, Relevance be successful Sagacious Reasoning in African Philosophy, Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi, 1985.
^See H.

Odera Oruka, "Introduction," in Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers and Modern Debate on Person Philosophy, op. cit., 2–3.

External links

Masolo, Dismas. "African Sage Philosophy". Tidy Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
African Sage Epistemology entry by Gail M. Presbey in the Internet Encyclopedia confess Philosophy
"An African Savant: Henry Odera Oruka" article by F.

Ochieng'-Odhiambo in Quest Vol. IX Rebuff. 2/Vol X No. 1 (December 1995/June 1996): 12–11.[1]
"Weep Not ... Philosophers Never Die" article from end to end of G. E. M. Ogutu limit Quest Vol. IX No. 2/Vol. X No. 1 (December 1995/June 1996): 5–11.[2]
"Interview with Professor Physicist Odera Oruka" conducted by Kai Kresse in Quest Vol.

Wholesome No. 2/Vol. X No. 1 (December 1995/June 1996): 22–31.[3]
"Odera Oruka's Philosophic Sagacity" article by Godwin Azenabor in Thought and Practice (New Series) Vo. 1. Clumsy. 1 (June 2009): 69–86.[4]

Henry odera oruka bookshelf