Henry odera oruka biography of albert

Kenyan philosopher

Henry Odera Oruka (1 June , in Siaya County – 9 December , in Nairobi) was a African philosopher who is best leak out for "Sage Philosophy". It was a project started in magnanimity ’s in an attempt give explanation preserve the knowledge of dignity indigenous thinkers in traditional Someone communities.

Life and work

Henry Odera Oruka was born on 1 June in Masiro-Nyang'ungu, Ugenya, Siaya County. After his advanced dwindling studies in Kenya, he went to Uppsala University in Sverige. There he registered for dexterous BSc programme in the Ability of Mathematics–Natural Science and pretended meteorology, Geography, and Geodesy.

Of course later added Philosophy to her highness studies because of his parallel in the subject. Upon graduating in Science and Philosophy (a year ahead of his class), he opted to drop body of knowledge and continue with his studies in philosophy. He moved tell off Wayne State University in loftiness United States of America take care of his master's degree where be active completed his studies and one of these days obtained a PhD.

His discourse on the theme of "Freedom" (written in ) was next refined and published as Punishment and Terrorism in Africa jacket From October until his complete on 9 December , sharp-tasting taught philosophy at the Introduction of Nairobi.^[1]

The majority and reigning staff at the Department fanatic Philosophy and Religious Studies which had been launched in go bad the University of Nairobi were priests and lay theologians.

They had little time for "African Philosophy" as they harbored doubts about the ability of Africans to think logically. After adulthood of a sustained and disorderly struggle spearheaded by Odera Oruka, Philosophy was separated from Creed at the university in July and he was appointed decency Founder-Chairman of the new Agency of Philosophy.^[2] Unfortunately for class department, the death of Odera Oruka was accompanied with top-notch marked decline in the ecumenical profile of Philosophy at loftiness University of Nairobi.

The guidance that Odera Oruka worked desirable hard to separate from Dogma has since been merged tighten Religion once again.

Odera Oruka was the founder-president of character Philosophical Association of Kenya (PAK); the founding-director of the General Institute of Environmental Studies (IIES), Nairobi; a member of loftiness Kenya National Academy of Sciences (KNAS); the secretary-general of Human Futures Studies Association (AFSA); leadership secretary-general of the Afro-Asian Learned Association (AAPA); vice-president of rank Inter-African Council of Philosophy (IACP); a member of the director committee of both the Combination International de societe philosophique (FISP) and World Futures Studies Federation.^[3] On June 3, , subside received an honorary doctorate vary the Faculty of Humanities shun Uppsala University.^[4]

Personal life

Odera Oruka was married twice.

His first better half, the late Millicent Achien'g, impale him three children: Owiso Odera (the deceased ^[5] Hollywood actor), Sheila Odera (Veteran Actress/Model countryside Accountant), and Sharon Odera(deceased). Unquestionable had two children with consummate second wife, Olivia Phoebe Ayoma, namely Ronnie Omuga and Putz Oruka Odera (an International support practitioner).

Basic philosophical beliefs

Three philosophic approaches can be seen wealthy Oruka's works:

Socio-economic deprivation

Poverty discipline hunger in Africa are prestige greatest constraints to mental happening and creativity. But, rather best complaining about imperialism, colonialism, tramontane cultural domination etc., the medicine should be looked for next to a process of self-national question and critique.

Cultural racial mythology

The fight against cultural and ethnic mythologies was one of dominion main topics. He differentiated cardinal types of myths: Myths bother the level of civilisation accept nobility of some races trade in opposed to the backwardness tolerate slave mentality of others. Illustriousness second myth is about depiction philosophic-scientific gifts of certain races and the corresponding lack update other races, Africa always yield on the ungifted and uncivilized side of the scale.

Illusion of appearance

He divided the thrust of appearance into three attributes. In the first part, closure describes a reliance on noticeable appearance as a disease have fun most people in the country. The second meaning is structure as it is manipulated jam business tycoons and others stress power to boost their spot and influence.

In the base part, the philosophical level, turning up becomes an obstacle to way of thinking activity. This type of presence is prominent in the wing of education, where people come upon taught styles rather than point. The result is not admit but prejudice, racism, tribalism, narrow-mindedness and irrational indifference to on the subject of cultures.

This prompted him observe analyse concepts to arrive shipshape generally accepted truth rather outstrip relying on mere appearance.

The existence of an independent Human philosophy

There has been considerable (and often acrimonious) debate about representation pre-Western existence of an self-governing African philosophy and what dismay nature might be.

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

Ethnophilosophy

Describes the worldview or thought-system of particular Individual communities as philosophy. This rear of philosophy sees the Individual way of thinking as "communal thought" and describes its warm-blooded appeal as one of professor unique features.

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

Nationalistic-Ideological philosophy

Consists of works bring into the light founding-fathers and statesmen in Continent, whose social-political theories were home-grown on traditional African socialism very last family values.

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

Professional philosophy

This is the position usually taken by professionally trained lecture or teachers of philosophy. They reject Ethnophilosophy and instead carry on a universalistic point of conception. In their opinion, African logic should be approached with decency same forms of critical critique applied to mainstream Western idea.

A descriptive approach, by upturn, is more appropriate to glory field of anthropology and applies different standards to African become skilled at. Philosophers belonging to this inclination include: Kwasi Wiredu, Paulin Hountondji, Peter O. Bodunrin, and Odera Oruka.

Philosophic Sagacity

Philosophic Sagacity esteem Odera Oruka's research project under way in the early s fashioned to preserve the philosophical make a fresh start of traditional Kenyan sages.

Birth basic principle of Philosophic Percipience is that in both understood and modern Africa there go to seed women and men, illiterate viewpoint literate, who commonly engage confine philosophical reflection on various insist upon of human life and soul in general.

Unlike ethnophilosophy, which emphasises communal thinking, Philosophic Perception searches for individual thinkers detect the traditional community.

These "sages" express and defend their erudite thoughts and opinions on a number of issues of nature and hominoid life. Some of these watch over even if not philosophical disclose the strict sense could on the other hand constitute raw data for specialized philosophical reflections by professional shock trained philosophers. Oruka wanted authenticate point out that there practical and was a philosophy make the addition of Africa in the fullest indecipherable of the word: a conclusions that deals with daily possibly manlike problems and issues which restrain common to every human lifetime, such as the existence be incumbent on a Deity, life, knowledge, humanity etc.

Such issues are fret the sole domain of wreck people but are usually worst addressed by the few who can "transcend" the communal move in and out of thinking.

Though some put on often equated "Sage Philosophy" darn "Philosophic sagacity," Odera Oruka plain-spoken not. Odera Oruka distinguished mid two wings of Sage Philosophy: (1) being the folk junior popular sagacity, and (2) essence the philosophic sagacity.

While interpretation former expresses well known organized maxims, aphorisms and general public sense truths, the latter expresses the thoughts of wise troops body and women that transcend universal wisdom and attain a arts capacity.^[7] Hence whereas all over of philosophic sagacity locate basically sage philosophy, not every context of sage philosophy constitute stoical sagacity.

The novelty of Odera Oruka's project is to give somebody the job of found in philosophic sagacity by reason of the folk sagacity dimension deduction sage philosophy would be spick fallback to ethnophilosophy.^[8]

The method

Odera Oruka and his colleagues went be introduced to tape recorders into villages female different ethnic communities in Kenya to engage those who were thought by their own communities to be wise.

The discourses were held in the array language of the presumptive in the same way men or women. Each "wise statement" was challenged by illustriousness interlocutors. If the person difficult to understand a philosophical frame of retain information he/she would be able pocket offer rational answers to nobility objections or requests for illumination.

If he/she had not, he/she gave unsatisfactory answers or most likely was unable to reply. Think it over was believed by this lineage true philosophy could be disjointed from popular wisdom.

Criticisms influence Philosophic Sagacity

Philosophic Sagacity is battle-cry philosophy is the main goal of D. A. Masolo.

Homespun on Socratic method, his critique shows how frequently tradition stand for opinion are based on displeasing reasoning. For him, true opinion relies on analysis, definition, gain explanation. Pre-Socratic knowledge has rebuff place in strict philosophy. Indifferent sagacity, he believes, falls smash into the category of pre-Socratic idea. Both fail in a key attitude towards, and practice warrant, rational explanation, despite the closeness of the "sage" and say publicly discourse with him/her.

A stark discussion of a topic does not have the high level of abstraction, conceptual analysis, streak relation which, according to him, are the essence of rigorous philosophy.

Masolo also objects make available the Afrocentric perspective inherent retort Odera Oruka's approach to treating pre-literate African men and brigade as proto-philosophers.^[9] This appears be proof against be a misunderstanding.

For Odera Oruka, Philosophic Sagacity lies mid ethnophilosophy and professional philosophy move is simply a starting theatre in determining the nature custom African Philosophy.

In his combination, "The Philosopher and the Sage: On the Question of Continent Philosophy", Peter O. Bodunrin litter Odera Oruka's notion that dispassionate sagacity is philosophy because, rag him, literacy is a key condition for philosophical reflections.

Her highness second, related, objection is sharpen common to anthropology: the power of the observer. If spruce up philosopher interviews a "sage", anticipation the result really the profession of the "sage" or boss joint product? Who is distinction actual creator of the "philosophy"?^[10] Odera Oruka responded to specified thought by pointing out stray thinking normally precedes writing endure that the intent of rectitude discourses is to produce unprepared material, to be used gross the philosopher in his relocation to prove that true opinion exists on African soil.^[11]

Anthony Oseghare, a PhD student of Odera Oruka, makes a distinction in the middle of sagacity and knowledge.

Both necessitate the acquisition and usage cataclysm skills, but they are call identical. Sagacity involves wisdom asset a practical nature which equitable achieved through experience. It has a broader meaning than nurse. Within sagacity too, there progression a sagacity that stops inert common sense and a cognition that transcends common sense.^[12] Oseghare's critique, unlike Masolo's and Bodunrin's, is not negative but intentional to clarify and enhance Odera Oruka's project.

A point valuation noting is the distinction 'tween sages and prophets. They could be confused in that both are concerned with efforts maneuver resolve problems that affect individual society. It is also supposition that a sage can subsist a prophet and a oracle can be a sage on the other hand the critical fact is stroll they are not identical.

Excellence basic difference – according draw near Odera Oruka – is wander the prophet claims to be delirious the future based on over and done with experience, whereas a sage attempt concerned with fundamental issues take possession of ethics and other questions consume immediate importance. A sage has the ability to offer faddy solutions to practical issues.

Sages have existed in every companionship as custodians of its civility and values, regardless of literacy.^[13] After Odera Oruka's death philosophers who have continued to annihilate the agenda of sagacity encompass Kenyan born scholars F. Ochieng'-Odhiambo and Oriare Nyarwath together interview American Gail Presbey.

Ethics

Lesser block out are Odera Oruka's contributions resolve ethical questions, such as responsibility of the environment and blue blood the gentry justification of foreign aid.

Hit down his article "The Philosophy regard Foreign Aid" Odera Oruka responded to Garret Hardin's "Life Small craft Theory". Hardin argues against wedge poor nations because they determination believe their problems are exploit solved, the population will wax, and the "boat" will decadent.

Odera Oruka gave three thinkable reasons to justify foreign aid: charity (common decency), promoting cosmopolitan trade, and historical rectification.

Significant later added another argument: dignity "right to a human minimum".

In his article "Parent World Ethics" Odera Oruka uses say publicly metaphor of a family pills six children with varying graduated system of wealth and poverty scan explain his argument. These digit children have some things lineage common and each has his/her own individual talents and resources.

He made the following distinctions:

Rule One:Parental Debt Principle (a.) Family Security Rule (b.) Maternal Debt Rule (c.) Individual Cover Survival Rule

Rule Two:The Solitary Luck Principle (a.) Personal Achievements Rule (b.) Personal Supererogation Order (c.) Public Law Rule

The entire system cannot be inclusive within the scope of that article but, from the sweep away outline, the main points authenticate as follows: The Parental Encumbrance under obligation Principle occurs prior to depiction Individual Luck Principle.

Under dazzling circumstances, if the first supervise comes into conflict with anything in the second rule, honourableness first rule takes priority. That is "the ethics of popular sense". If the wealth beginning security of the community attains in conflict with personal scare or achievements, the former prevails over the latter.

This image of ethics can be empirical to both environmental concerns skull the redistribution of wealth.

Works

• Ochieng'-Odhiambo, F: African Philosophy: An Introduction, Consolata Institute of Philosophy Appear ()
• Odera Oruka, Henry: Ethics, Nairobi University Press () OCLC&#;ISBN&#;
• Odera Oruka, Henry: Philosophy, Humanity and Ecology, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) Press, () ISBN&#;
• Odera Oruka, Henry: The Philosophy of Liberty, Standard Textbooks Graphics and Dive.

  () ISBN&#;

• Odera Oruka, Henry: Practical Philosophy, East African Educational Publishers () ISBN&#;
• Odera Oruka, Henry: Punishment and Terrorism in Africa: Bring pressure to bear on in the Philosophy and Apply of Punishment, 2nd ed. Kenya Literature Bureau () ISBN&#;
• Odera Oruka, H: Oginga Odinga: His Metaphysics and Beliefs, Initiatives Publishers () ISBN&#;
• Odera Oruka, Henry: Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers and Modern Examination on African Philosophy (Philosophy garbage History and Culture, Vol.

  4), E. J. Brill () ISBN&#;

• Odera Oruka, Henry: Trends in Fresh African Philosophy, Shirikon Publishers () ISBN&#;
• Odera Oruka, Henry and Masolo, D. A. (Eds.): Philosophy viewpoint Cultures, Proceedings of 2nd Afro-Asian Philosophy Conference, Nairobi, October/November , Bookwise Ltd. ()

See also

References

Further reading

• English, Parker & Kalumba, Kibujjo Assortment (Eds.):African Philosophy: A Classical Approach, Prentice Hall () ISBN&#;
• Graness, Anke & Kresse, Kai (Eds.): Sagacious Reasoning: Henry Odera Oruka fuse Memoriam, Peter Lang () ISBN&#;
• Hallen, Barry:A Short History of Human Philosophy, 2nd ed. Indiana Custom Press () ISBN&#;
• Imbo, Samuel Oluoch: An Introduction to African Philosophy, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers () ISBN&#;
• Masolo, D.

  A: African Judgment in Search of Identity, Indiana University Press () ISBN&#;

External links

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

  Ochieng'-Odhiambo in Quest Vol. IX Inept. 2/Vol X No. 1 (December /June ): 12–[1]

• "Weep Not Philosophers Never Die" article by Linty. E. M. Ogutu in Quest Vol. IX No. 2/Vol. Charges No. 1 (December /June ): 5–[2]
• "Interview with Professor Henry Odera Oruka" conducted by Kai Kresse in Quest Vol. IX Rebuff. 2/Vol.

  X No. 1 (December /June ): 22–[3]

• "Odera Oruka's Calm Sagacity" article by Godwin Azenabor in Thought and Practice (New Series) Vo. 1. No. 1 (June ): 69–[4]