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deutsch 
Frankfurt/M: IKO,
1999.
135 pages
ISBN 3-88939-492-2
IKO – Verlag für Interkulturelle Kommunikation:
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Philosophy in Africa today often engages with the texts of authors whose perspective is influenced by their personal involvement in the national independence and liberation movements. However, members of the younger generation have not experienced this process firsthand. How does this generation cope with the stagnation in the development of African society? Where do they see philosophy's sphere of influence? How do they deal with their heritage of philosophical literature in Africa? What are their focal points?
Michel Foaleng belongs to this younger generation and his dual focus is thus shaped by the perspective of one born after independence. Firstly, he critiques the system of education (of which philosophy is a part) which remains rooted in the politics of cultural adaptation and still awaits reform. Secondly, he makes a claim for a pragmatic philosophy of evolution that addresses the problems encountered in the development of African societies. These two concerns are interwoven. Both educational reform and the linking of African heritage and experiences with the challenges of the modern world can, and must, be a primary concern for such a philosophy of evolution.
Foaleng's brand of political philosophy for Africa conveys the author's touching uncertainty with regard to the limitations of academics (not only in Africa). These limits must be overcome, focusing on and supporting humanity's "real abilities" such as achieving a reconciliation between Africa's cultural heritage and the demands of progress. Foaleng's basic premise is that in contemporary Africa, a western European style educational system and so-called traditional cultural structures hinder each other in their efforts towards development in post-colonial Africa. However, from the perspective of a philosophy of evolution, »the whole history of philosophy in black Africa refers to this challenge, that is, to discern an 'African way of development'«.
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