Best Guides to African Philosophy
Want to learn more about the philosophy of Sub-Saharan Africa? Many university programs skip it,so there are not many courses available, but here's a list of guides and resources about this under-appreciated branch of philosophy.
Arcesilaus Neos
9/17/20252 min read
1. Most In-Depth Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Africana Philosophy
One of the best comprehensive, free online resources for any philosophical topic, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP), has an amazing range of resources on nearly any topic in philosophy that you could imagine. They are a great starting point for research as they reference most of the best-known, and up-to-date articles on every subject that they cover. The only drawback to the SEP is that their summaries are often very technical and dense. They can be hard for beginners to get through, but a fantastic resource for folks with experience in philosophy who are looking expanding into a new branch of the discipline.
When it comes to African Philosophy, their article on Africana Philosophy, it covers a range of ancient views from the continent, including ethnophilosophy, and philosophy in the African Diaspora. It has a systematic timeline of major works of Africana philosophy starting in 1600 and moving forward. Overall a great guide for someone that is already experienced in Western philosophy looking to broaden their horizons.
2. Best On The Modern Era: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: History of African Philosophy
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP) serves as a great counterpoint to the SEP. Articles are peer reviewed, and high quality. The IEP is generally more varied in the level of its articles, with some more geared towards experts, similar to the SEP, while others are more accessible to beginners in philosophy. Some entries are drawn directly from other encyclopedias such as the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (often by the same authors), and serve as a free and open source resource for this information.
Their article on African Philosophy does a great job of breaking down African thought into various disciplines and positions, providing a higher level formulation of these positions and their interactions with each other. Unlike other entries on this list, the IEP focuses more on modern African philosophy. While it has some references to ethnophilosophical treatises, its main focus is on more recent African philosophy.
3. Best Video Course: Analyzing African Philosophy
With a library of over 1,000 videos on any philosophy topic you can imagine, the YouTube channel Carneades.org has a little bit of everything. The videos are short and easily accessible for beginners to philosophy, while still giving you a comprehensive and accurate view of the topic. While most of the videos focus on Western, Analytic philosophy, the creator has lived and worked extensively in Africa, so has a great series on this niche topic.
This course, provides an accessible introduction to many of the key issues in African Philosophy, including an in depth look into Ethnophilosophy, making the case for African philosophy existing pre-colonialism. The series also covers a range of concepts in more recent African philosophy such as Negritude and Afrofuturism. Much more accessible to beginners than either the SEP or the IEP, the course also allows participants to test their own knowledge of the concepts with quizzes throughout the program.
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