Philosophy Bites: Chike Jeffers on Africana Philosophy

Podcast: Philosophy Bites
Hosts: David Edmonds & Nigel Warburton
Guest: Chike Jeffers, Dalhousie University
Date: January 1, 2026
Episode Theme: Exploring the meaning, history, and significance of Africana philosophy—its scope, distinctive features, and its relationship to African philosophy and global philosophical traditions.

Episode Overview

In this episode, David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton speak with Chike Jeffers about the nature and breadth of Africana philosophy. The discussion clarifies the distinction between "Africana" and "African" philosophy, explores the historical development of philosophical traditions across Africa and its diaspora, delves into the challenges of reconstructing oral philosophical traditions, and considers the importance of Africana philosophy for global metaphilosophical debates.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

What is Africana Philosophy?

[00:31–02:22]

• Definition and Context:
  • Africana philosophy is a broad category that encompasses African philosophy as one of its components.
  • The term draws on "Africana Studies," which itself signified academic efforts to cover not only African American life but also African, Afro-Caribbean, and other diaspora experiences.
  • Lucius Outlaw's 1982 conference is highlighted as a pivotal event bringing together African and African-American philosophical traditions.
• Quote:
  • “Africana philosophy is a larger category within which African philosophy can be seen as one component.” (Chike Jeffers, [00:42])
• Scope:
  • Covers African, African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and all African diaspora philosophical traditions.

The Challenge of Oral Traditions

[02:41–05:43]

• Historical Depth:
  • Written traditions can be traced as far back as ancient Egypt, one of the earliest centers of writing alongside Mesopotamia.
  • Most African cultures, however, maintained rich oral traditions until the 19th or 20th centuries.
• Philosophical Debate:
  • Some 20th-century African philosophers doubted the philosophical validity of oral traditions, arguing that they risked being merely anthropological.
  • Others, like Kwame Gyekye, used the example of proverbs in Akan culture to show that oral traditions can encapsulate significant philosophical ideas.
• Quote:
  • “Proverbs can often carry very weighty philosophical claims within them… The fact that we don’t know these people’s names, the fact that these statements became sort of communal property, doesn’t rob them of their philosophical significance.” (Chike Jeffers, [04:37])

Geographic and Historical Range

[05:43–09:35]

• Diversity of Traditions:
  • Ancient Egypt and Ethiopia are highlighted as early writing cultures in Northeast Africa, with cross-links such as the Egyptian-sent leadership for the Ethiopian church.
  • Islamic influence leads to important writing traditions in West Africa, while Swahili literature develops on the east coast.
  • There’s a problematic tendency to separate Egypt from ‘sub-Saharan’ Africa in historical discussions.
• Periodization:
  • Ancient Egyptian period (early writing tradition)
  • Christianization (Ethiopia, 4th century AD and onward)
  • Islamic period (spread of Islam, expansion of writing in West Africa)
  • Slave Trade and Colonial Era (introduction and spread of writing systems continent-wide under duress)
• Quote:
  • “The tragic fact [is] that Africa becomes fully part of the sphere of writing cultures, of the scribosphere, under the very painful and destructive forces of slavery and colonialism.” (Chike Jeffers, [08:50])

Thematic and Philosophical Unity

[09:35–11:05]

• Recent centuries tie together Africana traditions through common experiences of slavery, colonialism, and cultural interaction with Europe.
• The arrival of European imperialism forced African thinkers to grapple with questions of identity, cultural preservation, and the relationship between indigenous and European ideas, including modern science.

Relation to European Philosophical Traditions

[11:05–13:53]

• Influence of Colonization:
  • Patterns of analytic vs. continental philosophy in Africana philosophy often reflect whether the region was colonized by Britain or France.
    • Example: Kwasi Wiredu (Ghana, studied at Oxford with Gilbert Ryle—analytic) and Paulin Hountondji (Benin, studied in France with Louis Althusser—continental).
• Philosophical Similarities:
  • Despite training, their works reflect shared concerns about reconstructing philosophy from oral traditions.
  • Both move from skepticism to a recognition of the importance of engaging with oral philosophical traditions in modern African philosophy.
• Quote:
  • “There are so many similarities between the two of them that can’t be reduced to anything about their European training, but really is, I think, a matter of their identities as African philosophers in the 20th century.” (Chike Jeffers, [12:49])

What Can the World Learn from Africana Philosophy?

[13:53–15:08]

• Africana philosophy is especially relevant for metaphilosophy—questions about the very nature of philosophy itself.
• Debates on whether philosophy must be based in written traditions, and how to read philosophical meaning in oral cultures, have global importance.
• Quote:
  • “Anybody in the world who’s at all interested in thinking about what philosophy is has great reason to take seriously Africana philosophy as a tradition.” (Chike Jeffers, [14:51])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the definition and breadth of Africana philosophy:
  • “Africana philosophy is a larger category within which African philosophy can be seen as one component.” ([00:42])
• Acknowledging the philosophical role of oral traditions:
  • “Proverbs can often carry very weighty philosophical claims within them… The fact that we don’t know these people’s names, the fact that these statements became sort of communal property, doesn’t rob them of their philosophical significance.” ([04:37])
• On Africa’s transformation into a writing culture:
  • “The tragic fact [is] that Africa becomes fully part of the sphere of writing cultures, of the scribosphere, under the very painful and destructive forces of slavery and colonialism.” ([08:50])
• On the lasting importance of Africana philosophy:
  • “Anybody in the world who’s at all interested in thinking about what philosophy is has great reason to take seriously Africana philosophy as a tradition.” ([14:51])

Important Segment Timestamps

• Definition and Origins of Africana Philosophy: [00:31–02:22]
• Oral vs. Written Traditions: [02:41–05:43]
• Geographic and Historical Range: [05:43–09:35]
• Slavery, Colonialism, and Modern Concerns: [09:35–11:05]
• Analytic vs. Continental Influence; Shared Concerns: [11:05–13:53]
• World Philosophical Lessons from Africana Traditions: [13:53–15:08]

Conclusion

This episode offers an insightful primer on Africana philosophy, showing its vast scope—across time, cultures, and continents—and its significance for broader philosophical debates. From ancient Egypt through the oral traditions of many African societies, to the impact of colonization and the global African diaspora, Chike Jeffers highlights the field’s richness and its capacity to challenge and deepen our understanding of philosophy itself.