Notes on the Publication of the First Dictionary of African Philosophy: Afterword
by
Abstract
This paper reproduces, in full, the Afterword by Executive Editor, Madalin Onu, to mark the publication of the Dictionary of African Philosophy (DAF), the first dedicated dictionary in the field. It reflects on the significance of this milestone—an authentic and pioneering work authored by African scholars, with contributions from over 85 academics from Nigeria and across the continent.
The Afterword includes notes from the editing of the manuscript and discusses key themes such as: existence and identity in African philosophy; the Cartesian ego vs the collective “I”; African philosophy as a philosophy of relational existence and interconnectedness; Ubuntu and dialectics in African philosophy and the relation to the European ideas of spirit and community, especially Herder’s Humanität (humanity) and Hegel’s concept of Geist (Spirit); African socialism: Nkrumah, Nyerere, Senghor, and their contributions to African communitarianism and Négritude; what is dialectical materialism?; dialectical materialism and theism in African philosophy; political science, social science, and the intersection of African philosophy with socialism and democracy; the significance of African philosophy in promoting multiculturalism, respect for diverse cultures, global epistemologies, identity, freedom, and human rights.
DAF = Dukor, Maduabuchi F. (ed.). 2025. Dictionary of African Philosophy. London Academic Publishing.
Keywords
Shakira Waka Waka Descartes Leibniz aesthetics metaphysics rationalism Enlightenment idealism existentialism ethnophilosophy Kant Hegel Marx Lenin Slavoj Zizek K. Nkrumah J. Nyerere L. Sédar Senghor J.S. Mbiti K. Gyekye H.O. Oruka M. Dukor communalism communitarianism interconnectedness Négritude tradition culture hermeneutics fusion philosophy kola nut Ubuntu speculative logic reconciliation
Published in
Licensing Information
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non–Commercial No Derivatives License which permits noncommercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of the Publisher must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
