Nnamdi Azikiwe Journal of Philosophy

THE INCOMMENSURABILITY THESIS AND THE MYTH OF OBJECTIVITY OF SCIENTIFIC THEORIES

Henry Ovwigho Ukavwe — 2020-09-24

Science has become a powerful impulse in human society by virtue of its significant contributions in shaping the activities and lives of humans, and this image of science is mainly due to its method which has, no doubt, yielded profitable theories that have
achieved appreciable outcomes for the benefit of humans. As a result of these benefits, the image of science is held with high esteem, and science is seen as a colossus of advantaged outcomes for human benefit. This image of science is derived from the potentials attributed to the general corpus of scientific theories. The problem here is that such an image of science is a product of the assumption that there is a common measure for all scientific theories since all scientific theories are derived following the same scientific method. This implies the claim that scientists can discuss a range of, if not all, scientific theories using a shared nomenclature that allows direct comparison of theories to determine which theory is more valid or useful. In the sequel, using the analytic method, this paper argues for the counterclaim called incommensurability of scientific theories which has become one of the most controversial theses to emerge in the philosophy of science, leading to the rejection of a fixed scientific method and thus, proposing a post-positivist or historical philosophy of science. Though there are different theses of incommensurability, the
paper argues for methodological incommensurability given the absence of common standards of theory appraisal. It further illustrates this point with reference to Kuhnâ€™s paradigm shift. It concludes that if truly scientific theories are in large part
methodologically incommensurable then the objectivity of scientific theories and science, in general, is a myth.

HEGELâ€™S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY ANDREPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

Eugene Anowai — 2020-09-24

Hegelâ€™s political philosophy can simply otherwise be seen as his theory of the State. In it, he assigns a supreme power to the State (that is, the government). TheState as the universal will of the Absolute Spirit assumes an unquestionable standing because the Absolute cannot be wrong in its decisions taken through the political leaders who are mere stooges in its hands. The political leaders cannot be wrong because they act according to the wills of the Absolute Spirit. This situation can well be seen evident in Nigeriaâ€™s political clime, whereby the elected leaders of the people who are supposed to represent the will and aspirations of the people choose to govern with the mindset that they, without consultation, know all the best for the people. They make and execute laws under the misguided and ill-conceived notion that they are supreme over their subjects. Worse still, they corruptly enrich themselves to the detriment of their subjects, for, after all, in the theory of Hegel, they (the government) are embodiment of the Absolute Spirit. This paper takes a look at the defects in Hegelâ€™s theory of the state which the representatives of a country like Nigeria might have taken as their model in pushing through their anti-electoratesâ€™ style of living and leadership.

EPISTEMIC APPRECIATION OF BELONGINGNESS AS A DEFINITIVE PRINCIPLE IN AFRICAN COMMUNALISM

Jude Ifeanyi Onebunne — 2020-09-24

The thematic theory of communalism is an ideal pertinent cultural value that has been practiced among Black Africans from the moment they are grouped into communities. African communalism showing the existential life of traditional African is founded on the assumption and belief that all human beings are members of one human family. African communalism in time-oriented since it transcends those that practice it and it is man-oriented based on its place in the culture of the people. With the method of critical evaluation and observation, this paper proves that without belongingness, other principles of African communalism are baseless and foundationless, hence, belongingness is definitive.

PHILOSOPHY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Gregory Emeka Chinwuba — 2020-09-24

Patterns and contents of development are products of philosophical thoughts. As such, human development and achievements are generally products of philosophy. But is Nigeria sustainably developing? To what extent is there a link between philosophy and sustainable development in Nigeria? These are the fundamental questions this paper analytically sets to answer, as it examines the critical link between philosophy and sustainable development in general. The study finds that Nigeria has recorded a series of epileptic development which are presently unsustainable. These are so because such development stems from negligence of philosophical thoughts in governance, policy-making, and implementation. This paper however unveils the philosophical foundation of sustainable development and proffers axiological panacea to the Nigerian predicament. The study then concludes that philosophy is central in human existence, and undermining this essential discipline has a dire consequence on the sustainable development of the human person and society.

LEADERSHIP AND TOLERANCE: TOWARDS PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE

Raphael Ifejioku — 2020-09-24

It is common knowledge that society is more prosperous during the time of peace and non-violence. These elements lead to the rapid developmental growth of any given society. To this end, peace and non-violence become desirable. In fact, lovers of peace preach non-violence; nothing could be more desirable. It is important, however, to ask: how can peace be attained? How do we maintain peace and non-violence? Can leadership bring about peace and non-violence? What about tolerance? These questions lead us to the problem this study seeks to address: can leadership and tolerance lead to peace and non-violence in society? Nations have been torn apart in some parts of the world due to poor leadership amongst other factors? Some leaders have gone to war just to massage their ego rather than broker peace and pursue non-violence. Some leaders too cannot accommodate dissident voices. This brings about the chaos in society and raises tensions. Thus, the opposition can be cramped down and freedom, guaranteed by the constitution, is threatened. The practice of tolerance becomes important in this regard. This study adopts the analytic method. Thus, conceptual analysis of the words leadership, tolerance, peace, and non-violence would be carried out with a view to evaluating the problems concerned with leadership and tolerance from a social-political dimension. The study argues that tolerance and leadership cannot be devoid if peace and non-violence must be attained and maintained. The paper concludes that to keep the peace and non-violence leadership must embrace tolerance; leaders, as well as followers, are to have the virtue of tolerance to resolving crises and all forms of aggression.

CHALLENGES OF DEFORESTATION IN NIGERIA: AN ETHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Oluwaseun Adeola Anifowose — 2020-09-24

This paper is centered on the ethical perspective of the challenges of deforestation in Nigeria. There is no doubt that Africa as a continent is endowed with many natural resources more specifically forests since this is the focus of this paper. It points out the various danger posed by continuous deforestation in Nigeria denying us of benefits like economic gain, medicinal, and environmental benefits. All these we have lost and still losing gradually leaving us with the danger of erosion, flooding, and desertification. Considering the aforementioned effects of deforestation, this paper, therefore, argues that the government needs to put in place regulations that would check the indiscriminate felling of trees in order to reduce the rate of deforestation. This paper however concludes by suggesting that afforestation should be encouraged in Nigeria; this is to reduce the possibility of the danger posed by deforestation.

FREEDOM AND WILL POWER IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF KARL JASPER: IMPLICATIONS ON CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA

Jude Ifeanyi Onebunne — 2020-09-24

Freedom is the absence of coercion and constraints and will power is the ability of human beings to make choices without external influences. The philosophy of Karl Jaspersâ€™ clearly illustrates the position of man in making choices and exercising basic human rights and freedom without fear of reprimand. Using the method of critical analysis, this paper finds out the philosophical undertones present in Karl Jaspersâ€™ notion of freedom and self-will as it can be applied and evident in our contemporary Nigerian society.

THE ROLE OF CHI IN SELF-ACTUALIZATION IN TRADITIONAL IGBO COSMOLOGY

Marcel I.S. Onyibor — 2020-09-24

The need for a critical examination of the role of chi,the guardian/ personal god in Igbotraditional religion believed to be responsible for the successor failure of a person in life is very important. This is because central to this belief is the question of choice of one's destiny, which is a subject of debate among Igbo scholars as there emerge different but interrelated interpretations of this phenomenon. While some scholars argue that the choice of destiny was made by the individual in co conjunction with his/her chi before birth, after which the child suffers total amnesia after birth with regard to the destiny package earlier chosen. Others are of the opinion that chi whom Chinaeke/Chukwu the Igbo Supreme Being created with the individual was assigned the role of dispenser and guardian of destiny already allotted by the Creator. Hence, the chi the personâ€™s guardian spirit takes over to direct and guard the individual to live and act in accordance with his/her chosen destiny; which if altered could have severe consequences. The above belief generates some questions when critically viewed from the Igbocosmological and ontological background namely: If the individual's life lot is totally dependent on his/her chi and the destiny package earlier is chosen, does it mean that the individual has no role to play in the accomplishment of this destiny? What is the implication of this belief in the individualâ€™s journey in life especially in relation to self-actualization, bearing in mind that the same culture encourages hard work and sets no limit to individual achievement in life. This paper will thematically, through conceptual analysis, evaluate the Igbo conceptual understanding and meaning embedded in chi and related function of being the guardian and dispenser of destiny package, as well as how it influences identity construction and self-actualization in the Igbo world.

LETTING DIE: A MORAL DEFENSE

Oluwaseun Adeola Anifowose — 2020-09-24

This paper draws a distinction between letting die and active euthanasia. It points out that there is a moral difference between letting die and active euthanasia which strictly intends to cause the death of the person. The difference between letting die and active euthanasia lies in the intention though intention in both cases can be said to be ambiguous. The ambiguity calls for the idea of right intention which marks the differences between the two concepts. This paper, therefore, concludes that letting die is not killing and it does not encounter the same moral problem with killing in order words it cannot be said to be on the same moral par with killing.

A CRITIQUE OF W.V.O. QUINEâ€™S NATURALIZED EPISTEMOLOGY

Esther O. Ogbu — 2020-09-24

This paper is critical scrutiny of Quineâ€™s naturalized epistemology in order to determine whether it is a viable epistemological theory. They dissect Quineâ€™s naturalized epistemology with the philosophical tools of critical analysis and in the process discover that Quineâ€™s naturalized epistemology reduces epistemology to a purely descriptive science, a mere chapter of psychology. Owing to this reduction, the paper argues that Quineâ€™s naturalized epistemology purges epistemology of its distinctive feature as a normative science that is fundamentally concerned with the justification of human knowledge. And as a result of this, Quineâ€™s naturalized epistemology lacks an epistemological status. In addition to this, the paper maintains that Quineâ€™s attempt to reduce epistemology to psychology was not a successful project. This is evident in the fact that the major claim of Quine that â€œepistemology is a chapter in psychologicalâ€ is not a psychological construct but a philosophical construct that cannot be derived from through the use of the descriptive and experimental methods of the empirical sciences. Base on this, the paper concludes that Quineâ€™s naturalized epistemology cannot be a viable replacement of traditional epistemology.

IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTELLIGENT? QUESTIONING THE STATUS OF THE INVENTED VIS-Ã€-VIS THE INVENTOR

Henry Ovwigho Ukavwe — 2020-09-24

This paper presents an intriguing debate on artificial intelligence and the human person. Science has grown into an unpredictable parlance to the extent that its breakthroughs now re-make creation to reflect manâ€™s desires. This has led, for example, to the attempt to create machines that could work like more competent persons, such that these machines could be equated with human persons or considered as the human counterpart. By implication, the project of artificial intelligence seeks but one thing, that is, to make a â€˜prototype manâ€™ or an â€˜artificial manâ€™. For, to grant the concept of artificial intelligence is to affirm, without any prejudice, the concept of artificial man. For this reason, this paper argues that there is nothing like artificial intelligence because it is too much of an exaggeration to think of machines that can do things men can do. It maintains that intelligence cannot be assigned to machines and machines do not possess intelligence. Rather, machines merely perform intelligent acts not as an ontological attribute but as an installed programme; hence machines are not intelligent in themselves. It concludes that intelligence is authentic and ontological to the human person.

HERDERS-FARMERS CONFLICT IN NIGERIA: APPLYING MARTIN BUBERâ€™S DIALOGIC APPROACH

Uchenna Azubuike Ezeogu — 2020-09-24

Herders-Farmers conflict in Nigeria happens to be one of the major challenges that have threatened the security and unity of Nigeria. This conflict has persisted unresolved for years. It has even taken an ethno-religious dimension. This dimension of the conflict has created an impasse with respect to the conflict resolution. Sequels to this, the following questions are raised: Why farmers-herders conflicts? Or, what is the fundamental cause of herders-farmersâ€™ conflict in Nigeria? What are the propelling causes of farmers-herders conflicts in Nigeria? Are these conflicts politically or religiously motivated? Consequent to the above, this research adopted Martin Buberâ€™s dialogic approach as a panacea to the malady. The concept of dialogic according to Buber is a philosophy of interpersonal relationship which he calls â€œI-Thouâ€ (Ich-Du) relationship. Buber argued that I-Thou relation is a relationship of genuine dialogue, active listening, active responses, responsibility, reciprocity and inclusiveness. It is also a relationship for open-minded persons for the sake of peaceful coexistence. Accordingly, his concept of I-Thou relation saw human person as an end in itself and not as a means to an end through genuine dialogue and concrete encounter. In fact, Buber maintained that the concept of dialogic is a relational phenomenon thus it is a subject-to-subject relation. Using the philosophical tools of analysis and hermeneutics, this research hence concludes that Buberâ€™s dialogic presents a leeway towards addressing herders-farmers crisis in Nigeria.

A CRITICAL RE-EVALUATIONOF NIGERIAN NOTION OF VALUE

Anayochukwu Kingsley Ugwu — 2020-09-24

What we want to stress here is that for the Nigerian, indeed African by extension yesteryears, anything that is seen valuable and morally worthy must be found on the principles of communalism and guided in the real exercise of humanism. It must be directed and aware of the sanctity cum value of life and welfare of the people. But unfortunately today, this conception of value has drastically changed as value is now all about the acquisition of money cum wealth and possession of power by all means. The instinct for materialism, power for selfish interests characterized by a disregard for life, and human welfare has suppressed the instinct for worthy values. Lives and human welfare are today seen as means to ends and no more ends itself. Why must value for the Nigerian (and African) today be all about the ideology of â€œany way na wayâ€ provided the individual is heard financially and becomes politically famous? However, while we do not despise the necessity of money cum wealth and political powers when justly got and positively applied, we are just trying to reawaken our moral consciousness, raise certain moral critical questions vis-Ã -vis what we see as trending values today, and at once, proposing a new way of conceiving worthy values where our human nature of material consciousness and our moral consciousness will harmoniously exist. We will apply comparative cum evaluative methods in addressing the issue.

A CRITIQUE OF THE CONCEPT OF FORCE IN MODERN SCIENCE

Emmanuel Iniobong Archibong — 2020-09-24

Force, the paper contends has a material and immaterial dimension bringing about the experience of motion, change of state, and direction of an object. While IsaacNewton systematized the concept of force using mathematical postulates in his three laws of motion and the scientific method of observation and experimentation, it didnâ€™t erode the metaphysical underpinnings of the concept. The first, second and third laws of motion provide an ontological truth though with the fact of force being descriptive without stating what force is in itself. The paper interrogates the material and factual claims of force as being scientific from its ontological derivatives such as: motion, velocity, acceleration, mass, distance, change, gravitation, relativity, and space-time arguing that force does not strictly adhere to the scientific method of observation and experimentation. The paper further extrapolated the meaning of force and examines some metaphysical themes from the determination of the material status of the concept. The paper employed the method of criticism in tackling the problem that force has an ambivalent nature of the material and immaterial with one serving as the missing link of the other. Furthermore, except perhaps for linguistic convenience, force doesnâ€™t really tell what it is in itself as a concept in modern science. Thus the findings of the paper reveal that the categories of the mind can delineate the immaterial from the material in a complementary manner thereby making force the object of both materials (scientific) and immaterial (metaphysical) investigation with varied implications for manâ€™s social existential experience when pushed to one extreme.