Critical Thinking and the African Identity
I start this piece by stating emphatically that if lack of critical thinking or inability to apply one’s common sense to issues is what makes one an African, then I am not an African. I say this – and I really mean it. That I hereby renounce my African identity if it means that I should not exercise my critical intelligence or apply reason and science in all areas of human endeavor. If being an African means I should suspend and shut down my thinking faculty and blindly accept whatever any person or prophet says or preaches, then, I say, count me out. Don’t count me as an African. I am making this assertion because very often blind faith, dogma and fetishism are identified with African mentality.
Whenever I try to apply logic, critical reasoning and scientific temper to issues during public debates, I am often accused of not thinking like an African. I am always told that I think like a white man or that I have a western mentality. As if critical thinking or the scientific outlook is for westerners alone or that critical thinking can only be exercised by people from a particular race or region. No, this is not the case.
Surprisingly, nobody has ever stepped forward to tell me how an ‘African’ thinks. For me it is either this ‘African mode of thought’ is one which nobody knows about or is one that does not exist or qualify to be called a thinking pattern. Nobody has tried to let me know if Africans think at all. Because this misguided view that one is unAfrican or western in outlook is often employed to block or suppress critical reasoning or inquiry particularly when it is used to challenge traditions, positions and opinions informed by blind faith or dogma.
While holding on to beliefs and outlooks informed by superstition and primordial thinking is often glorified as African. Even in this 21st century, reason and science are still perceived as western, and not African values. I have yet to understand how we came about this mistaken idea. Hence, it is often portrayed as if the African does not reason and dare not reason or that the African does not think or cannot think critically. It seems thinking like an African means suspension of thought, logic or common sense. Thinking like an African means not thinking at all- thoughtlessness or thinking in spiritual, occult or magical ways.
For instance, whenever I try to challenge or question the irrational and absurd claims of witchcraft, juju and charms, and other ritualistic and religious nonsense that dominate the mental space of Africans, I am often reminded that my mentality is western. And you know what, whenever in the course of a public debate, somebody allges that a position is western, it means that it is unacceptable though it may be reasonable or may have a superior argument. Is that not unfortunate?
Whenever I try to fault or expose the absurdity of witchcraft accusations or the persecution of alleged witches or wizards, many people often urge me to set aside this my oyibo(white man’s) mentality. As if critical thinking is the exclusive cultural preserve of white people while mystical thinking is for blacks and for Africans. Personally, I am aware that the white race and the western world have recorded significant achievements in the areas of science and technology, in rational and critical disourses. They also have their own share of dark age nonsense, dogmas and superstitions.
But that does not make the values of science, reason and critical thinking western or white. The values of science and reason constitute part of human heritage, which all human beings can lay claim to, exercise, access, express, celebrate, cultivate and nurture. The progress which the western world has recorded as a result of their institutionalization of reason and science is one which any society can realize and supercede if it wants. Africans should stop hiding behind this misrepresentation thatreason and science are unAfrican western values. Africans should embrace the enlightening matrices of critical mindedness and work to dispel the dark age and barbaric mentality that loom large on the continent.
Those who are propagating this erroneous idea that critical thinking is alien to African identity and mentality are doing the African race and civilization a great disservice. They are frustrating the take off of African enlightenment, emancipation and emergence. There is no sound mind who would fault this logic. The syllogism that says –
All human beings can think critically. All Africans are human beings. Therefore all Africans can think critically.
So Africans should rise up to the challenge of critical evaluation of issues. Because lack of critical thinking is at the root of most problems that plague the continent. Africans should strive and make critical inquiry part of African culture, identity and civilization. I am also appealing to all all lovers of science, reason and critical thought around the globe to help Africans realize this intellectual breakthrough.
One can’t help but admire Leo Igwe.
Why would one want to help it?
:- )
I had a young Nigerian (like Leo) show up in my office one day, looking for a residency. He was British educated, and spoke extremely well. It took me only a few minutes to recognize that he was special, and I hired him as a fellow, as my residency slots were full. He had been looking all up and down the East Coast, no one would take a chance on him. Well, he settled in very well, outscored my senior residents on their in-service exams, went on to a fuill residency at Emory, then stayed on there on faculty. He had intended to return to Nigeria when finished, but after two visits home in his final years at Emory, he told me that it would be a waste of his intellectual capital. He went on to become President of the College of Neurological Surgeons after a decade or so. What a loss for Nigeria, but he was right. They’d have treated him the same way they’ve treated Leo.
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If a White person said that “lack of critical thinking or inability to apply one’s common sense to issues is what makes one an African”, that would be undoubtedly racist; I think that’s easy to agree upon. Then how would the exact same afirmation, coming from an African person, be any less racist?
@Raluca
I think the difference is that Leo Igwe isn’t saying Africans are irrational. He’s commenting on a social stigma among Africans that prejudices them against rational thinking.
I did definitely not mean that I think Leo Igwe says it. On the very contrary, I meant that the ones he is criticizing are having pretty much the same kind of prejudice that racists have. (Although for different reasons.)
Back to my Nigerian fellow for a moment: I asked him once how much prejudice he ran into in Atlanta. His skin was so black, it looked purple. He laughed, and said the worst of it came from the rural black people he saw in the clinics. They resented his English accent – which he tried to supress – and a few called him an `uppity nigger`. Ain`t human nature grand!
“But that does not make the values of science, reason and critical thinking western or white. The values of science and reason constitute part of human heritage, which all human beings can lay claim to, exercise, access, express, celebrate, cultivate and nurture. The progress which the western world has recorded as a result of their institutionalization of reason and science is one which any society can realize and supercede if it wants.”
Of course. But one only has to look at, say, The Guardian, which, almost on a daily basis, denigrates these values as evidence of an ethnocentric pro-Enlightment mentality that embodies a cultural insensivity towards non-Western societies.
I think Leo is confusing issues with this piece of writing. I am a Nigerian and a Pastor who have lived now outside Nigeria for over 10 years. I cannot find anything farther away from the truth than the suggestion that been an African or having an African mentality is anti-critical thinking or the acceptance of so call blind faith. I am a practicing Christian with a degree in Biochemistry and two others in Theology. And I can tell you that I apply Critical thinking more in my theology than I ever did in Biochemistry. The Senior Pastor of a Mega church I use to be part of has a PHD in Molecular Genetics and he is one of the best in his field at least from Africa, he still lives in Nigeria and active in Biotechnological research works, I never heard him complain of not been allowed to apply critical thinking, I know many others like him. There is a difference between been a good and practicing Christian or a Theologian or a Scientist. On the one hand, Leo must realize that Christianity where ever it is been practiced in its true sense is mutually exclusive with Science, but that does not mean you cannot be a Christian and also be a scientist at the same time because Faith and Reason is not mutually exclusive. In other words you can have Reasonable Faith even as a scientist or the other way round. Again Leo must realize that Theology is not Christianity; there are many Professors of Theology that are not Christians. A theologian may argue that there is nothing like Witchcraft, but no true Christian whether in the West or in Africa will argue about that. Most of what pass for Christianity nowadays in the West is essentially the product of theology and not Faith as is in the Bible. The inability to recognize these differences I suggest is the root of the problems, it has nothing to do with been an African. An intro Course in Cultural Anthropology might help to explain the differences in the 3 worldviews of an African, a Westerner and a Christian that invariably affects why they all think or perceive differently. I will accept the fact that poor theological and medical development affects critical thinking in Africa in the area of religion and social issues when compared to the West but African mentality is not necessarily bad or anti-critical thinking. Critical thinking or not, Witchcraft and other spiritual phenomenon like it are REAL whether in the West or in Africa.Though I do not subscribe to abuse of people in the name of exorcising withcraft, for it is a spiritual phenomenone and experience that can only be dealt with spiritually. But to explain it off only from a scientific or theological perspective will equally be very naive. Leo should remember that it has not always been this good in the West; some people paid the price for them to get to where they are today in Science and technological development.Africans think, and think even with deeper insight to issues, we have African words of wisdoms, rich poetry, proverbs, arts etc. I suggest a well meaning African should go back home and weather the storms of poverty and poor education rather than sit comfortably in the west to criticize.
From the article:
“Whenever I try to fault or expose the absurdity of witchcraft accusations or the persecution of alleged witches or wizards, many people often urge me to set aside this my oyibo(white man’s) mentality.”
Scratch the word “oyibo” out of that quote and it would be a transcript of conversations I’ve had, even with white people. It’s just a sign of someone who switched his mind off a long time ago. Let’s go all mushy for a second and posit that all these different thought processes are equally valid. Why then choose one over the other? The answer is that those folks think their way is better somehow, but they just can’t make the case why. So they appeal to your prejudices instead.
People have become very sensitized to ‘racism’ that we become afraid to criticize. Just as condemning some Islamic teaching is not racist, condemning attitudes common in parts of Africa (race has nothing to do with it) is not racist whether it’s an African speaking the words or not (though people would likely listen more to an African making those points).
He makes some of the same points that Bill Cosby and John McWhorter have made
I take that the `or’ in `Critical thinking or not’ is used in the usual, non-exclusive sense, as it is followed by `Witchcraft and other spiritual phenomenon like it are REAL whether in the West or in Africa’. Though I’ll grant the `craft’ in `Witchcraft’.
And though you do not support physical abuse in the name of witchcraft, one can only notice that witchcraft and abuse go together and for good reason. If people truly believe that a witch is cursing a village, purported consequences of which often include death, how do you expect people to treat the supposed `witch’? If the Evil Eye is real and can cause serious harm, does this not justify penalty and reaction? One can not so casually relegate witchcraft to the `spiritual’ realm while simultaneously claiming very real effects. We can talk about hypothetical versions of witchcraft which have not afflicted mankind of all regions and other interesting, theoretical items, but we’re dealing with a reality, not a `spiritual’ realm.
I’m not even going to comment on the idea that “a well meaning African should go back home and weather the storms of poverty and poor education rather than sit comfortably in the west to criticize” beyond mentioning that it illustrates perfectly how Leo is NOT “confusing issues with this piece of writing”.
And great article, Leo Igwe. I can also happily report that some of my best classmates are Africans guilty of understanding Western ideas.
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Africans mind had alcoholised with whites superiority and blacks inferiority complex, in my coments if only then therefore we think critically self development, society development and few to mention will possiblelly be attained. These few african philosophers for their efforts they have to make sure that they provide suitable solutions for this great problem of thinking dogmas
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I am still proud that I have my origin in Africa, We must not also limited African to a BLACK MAN because there are people who are from Africa that are not blacks,Many African of OLD who did not have an opportunity to do their own study through Western method or approaches were still in their own time intellectuals,philosophers, MEN of Depth and vast understanding that ever live on the planet earth.This shows that CRITICAL THINKING is not just with us in Africa but it is a nativity of Africa.
I think the people who criticize LEO must have allow sentiment of who is who, in many cases which is still prevalent in African society to becloud their sense of JUDGEMENT, This should not make Leo to separate himself from his inherent ability that gave him enabling power to think critically which originated from Africa though fanned by western education he received .
Christianity Culture and faith where I belong, although often called Religion, cannot be truly practiced by the bigot or people who are offended by logical reasoning.It forbids a situation where a man will exercised authority over a man or a situation where any man will try to LORD himself over the people who freely congregate to worship God.
Anytime,People that are appointed to stand as Minister or simply put SERVANT of God to people who congregate to learn more about their faith tries to LORD over them or exercise authority over them in action or in words, they are getting into the act of disobedient to the constitution of God and what they are practicing is WITCHCRAFT in the light of the holy writ.
What is Witchcraft ? In Scriptures context, Witchcraft is nothing but rebellion to order or Constituted authority anyone sworn an allegiance to keep or stay under. Witchcraft is perversion, it means to change an existing rules in a way that negate the rule of the law for selfish purpose . it means manipulation or manoeuvre of an existing laws, witchcraft is unholy desires or uncontrollable passion exhibited by men to get or achieve something outside the governed laws they earlier pledged to abide by. Everything above here is called Witchcraft in the Bible or manifestation of the natural tendency in a natural man.
Anything outside what we have above is not Witchcraft in the Bible light but magic which white men at least 50 percent of them that holds on to technology and scientific reasoning also believes its efficacy otherwise they will not be producing films that contains magic.