Study Unit 2

Question 1

Why are dictionary definitions insufficient for understanding “discourse”?

Answer 1

Dictionary definitions help, but they don’t cover all the details and meanings.

Question 2

What is the first key element for understanding “discourse” related to meaning?

Answer 2

Meaning as Content includes clear thinking, talking about ideas, and expressing thoughts clearly.

Question 3

What does “meaning in context” mean for discourse?

Answer 3

It means using language that fits the situation and the specific rules around it, especially in philosophy.

Question 4

How does Foucault define discourse?

Answer 4

He says discourse is about power, focusing on who gets to use it, who benefits from it, who controls it, and where its authority comes from.

Question 5

What does “discourse” include besides what is said?

Answer 5

It includes power; the people who control the discourse also shape what others believe.

Question 6

What are the important meanings of “discourse” in philosophy?

Answer 6

• It’s about expressing thoughts in a clear and organized way.
• It looks at how power affects these expressions.

Question 7

What is the focus of post-colonial African philosophy?

Answer 7

It emphasizes that knowledge and truth about Africa should be understood by Africans themselves.

Question 8

What false images did colonizers create about Africans?

Answer 8

Colonizers made one-dimensional and misleading images of Africans, which still exist today.

Question 9

What should be analyzed in essays about African philosophy?

Answer 9

Both the content and structure of the essays to clarify and explain the ideas.

Question 10

Why is it important to engage with questions in philosophy?

Answer 10

To understand the issues deeply, not just summarize the content.

Question 11

What does post-colonial philosophy emphasize?

Answer 11

It highlights Africans’ right to define their own identities.

Question 12

What does post-colonial philosophy do regarding distorted images of Africa?

Answer 12

It questions and critiques these false images presented by non-Africans.

Question 13

How do African thinkers contribute to post-colonial philosophy?

Answer 13

They test and sometimes disprove false claims about Africa.

Question 14

What do the essays by Biakolo and Ramose represent?

Answer 14

A dialogue between Africans and non-Africans.

Question 15

What are the two forms of dialogue mentioned?

Answer 15

• Focusing on a philosopher’s thoughts on a specific topic.
• Exploring a particular philosophical trend.

Question 16

What significant historical events are recognized in this context?

Answer 16

The Arab conquest and Western colonization, with the latter being more dominant.

Question 17

How does historical context affect dialogue between African and Western philosophies?

Answer 17

It includes both pre-colonial and post-colonial experiences.

Question 18

What role does the pre-colonial period play in understanding Africa?

Answer 18

It provides background and helps verify or falsify non-African claims about Africa.

Question 19

What is the role of philosophy in the discourse about Africa?

Answer 19

Philosophy is essential for discussing knowledge and truth about Africa.

Question 20

What are the three key aspects of philosophical thinking?

Answer 20

• Review and assess existing ideas.
• Critique and challenge these views.
• Reconstruct and reformulate ideas based on critical evaluation.

Question 21

What does it mean to “examine anew”?

Answer 21

It means to look at ideas from a different perspective.

Question 22

How should anthropological arguments about Africa be treated?

Answer 22

They should be reevaluated and reconsidered for accuracy.

Question 23

What should be analyzed regarding colonial ideologies?

Answer 23

Fallacies and misconceptions about Africa created by these ideologies should be exposed.

Question 24

What example illustrates the critique of colonial views about Africans?

Answer 24

Biakolo’s essay critiques Lucien Lévy-Bruhl’s view of Africans as savage and pre-logical, contrasting it with the civilized and logical European view.

Question 25

What is the role of philosophers in relation to ideas?

Answer 25

Philosophers need to critique ideas, not just review them.

Question 26

What does it mean to critique ideas?

Answer 26

It means to evaluate and criticize ideas, not just review them.

Question 27

What is an example of a critique in Ramose’s essay?

Answer 27

He challenges the colonizers’ claim that only rationality defines humanity, which excluded Africans and others from being considered human.

Question 28

What are restrictive definitions in the context of critique?

Answer 28

They are narrow definitions of “man” that were used by colonizers to exclude certain groups.

Question 29

What is Eurocentrism?

Answer 29

It is the belief that Western or European perspectives are the most important, ignoring non-European experiences.

Question 30

What does the critique of world division involve?

Answer 30

It challenges the idea that European civilization is at the center of the world, with other peoples pushed to the margins.

Question 31

What is the next step after critiquing ideas?

Answer 31

The next step is to reconstruct those ideas based on the critiques.

Question 32

What is the focus after reviewing and critiquing ideas?

Answer 32

The focus shifts to reconstructing those ideas.

Question 33

What kind of worldview do thinkers argue for during reconstruction?

Answer 33

A worldview that affirms cultural diversity and seeks a new, true humanity.

Question 34

What method is used to examine essays systematically?

Answer 34

The examination method involves several steps to engage with philosophical essays.

Question 35

What is the first step in the examination method?

Answer 35

Identify the statement of the question in the essay.

Question 36

What is the second step in the examination method?

Answer 36

Identify the thesis or theses that the author defends.

Question 37

What does the third step involve in the examination method?

Answer 37

Show the approach and method used to answer the question and defend the thesis.

Question 38

What is the final step in the examination method?

Answer 38

Show how the author arrives at a conclusion.