AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY AND MULTICULTURALISM

Abstract

Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is a condition in which there are many cultures as ways of peoples’ life within (a well-defined and organized) human society. In lato sensu, multiculturalism is a socio-political situation that allows healthy human interaction within a society, amongst many peoples of diverse cultures, races and nations. Multiculturalism, therefore, deals with cultural diversities within a human society. It is all about proper differential integration of humanity. However, Philosophy with its conceptual appreciation of philosophemes remains in Okere’s definition a hermeneutics of culture within the people’s weltamschaunng. Consequently, Philosophy as a human enterprise as well as hermeneutics of culture and in our context, African Philosophy, as love of African wisdom and a disciplinary movement helps in human integration into cultural diversities. The researcher in his critical assessment finds out that Continental Africa, being a multicultural society, needs a philosophy, precisely an African Philosophy.