It hit me the other day that I hadn't yet met a philosopher in all my life.
That's when I looked up what makes someone a philosopher. I had to pause and think before coming up with names of philosophers that are alive.
Stephen Hawkings came to mind first but only because our paths almost crossed.
I quickly put Ayi Kwei Armah at the top of my list of "Philosophers In My Lifetime"
I haven't met him but I know a bunch of one-minute-philosophers though!
I love proverbs. Words of Wisdom.
(That's what makes me float away when listening to roots reggae music)
"Our ancestors said..." is a phrase that usually preceeds a Ghanaian proverb.
I'm writing this with a very upful feeling that our ancestors were top notch philosophers. Their words still resonate after all these centuries.
I would have loved to meet them, from centuries ago, whose words still guide us today.
Have you met your most esteemed philosopher yet? Who would your highest ranking African philosopher be?
hmmmm... probably Atukwei Okai (hope he qualifies). And yes, I've met him. Matter of fact, I worked with him. Yay! (obviously beaming).
ReplyDeleteHey, is it me or this whole philosopher thing seems to revolve around Gas?
Efua, when I first heard of Atukwei Okai's "Logorlili Logarithms", I asked what on earth was this man smoking when he came up with this title. But that is genius right there.
ReplyDeleteNext time you see Prof Atukwei Okai, ask who his present-day African philosophers are.