Where are all the black philosophers?

So, I recently finished watching ‘The Good Place’ on Netflix, a light-hearted comedy which incorporates Philosophy in an accessible way. It covered topics such as the trolley problem, virtue ethics, and deontological ethics (rules-based ethics). Typically, Philosophy gets a bad reputation in and outside of academia. The study of philosophy is dominated by white European males and is known for being inaccessible to the masses.

However, as a PPE graduate and self-claimed philosophical enthusiast, I really enjoyed ‘The Good Place’s’ chilled take on Philosophy. So I’ve been inspired to revisit some of my favourite philosophical principles over the years.

My favourite philosophical principles

“Excellence is not an act, it is a habit” – Aristotle

Aristotle technically did not say this, but this is a good summary of his virtue ethics. The word virtue derives from the Greek word for excellence, ‘arete’. Aristotle believed that the fundamental human goal was ‘eudaimonia’, that is, overall happiness and human wellbeing. If you can somehow access this post from the dead, Aristotle, please send your girl a couple of pointers on how to achieve this.

For Aristotle, developing virtue is about continuous practice and development, so that being virtuous becomes a habit. For me, the key takeaway is that character development is important. All too often society focuses on what someone has done, but their character is equally important.

“You are free, therefore choose – that is to say, invent” – Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartre’s existentialism was one of the philosophical theories I enjoyed studying the most. Sartre explicitly stated that we are “condemned to be free”. The weight of this freedom could lead us to into despair, but an existentialist crisis is not for me. I’m too busy trying to make a life for myself and securing the bag (Sartre would be proud).

 I take existentialism to be optimistic, as for me, the ability to write my own purpose and make choices can only be positive. Existentialism is a doctrine of action, and it is only through self-deception, that it is mistaken for a doctrine of despair.

For Sartre, it would be inauthentic to live in denial of our freedom. Obviously, there are elements of life that may constrain the choices we make, however, I agree that not making a choice is still a choice, as is reacting to a set of circumstances. For me, the takeaway here is that we should be present in our decision-making.

“The simplest explanation is most likely the right one” – William of Ockham 

Occam’s razor is a principle that prioritises simplicity. I’m a chronic overthinker and I honestly rebuke this trait from my life.

The concept that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one is therefore quite appealing. For example, if a man is moving mad, the simple explanation is that he probably is not right for you, so move on sis.

I know I’m not applying the principle in the way that it was originally intended. But I think it works well, don’t you?

But wait, what’s missing?

Looking at the above list, one thing stands out to me. All the philosophers mentioned are white European males. So this begs the question: where are all the black philosophers?

Does Philosophy exist in Africa?

In short form, yes it does. However, in typical academic fashion, whether historic African philosophy is “real” Philosophy is a debate itself. Philosophy is typically known to be a text-based tradition with beginnings in Greece with philosophers such as Plato and Socrates. So how does Africa’s oral heritage fit into the traditional discipline of European Philosophy?

However, for me, as a non-academic, Philosophy goes beyond debating definitions. I care little for the debate about what counts as Philosophy. Therefore, I will assume as fact that Philosophy does not require a written history (a.k.a. ethnophilosophy for the other Philosophy nerds). Rather, for me, Philosophy ultimately comes down to the question of how to understand the world around us and live a good life.

Introducing my 2020 Philosophy-themed Black History Month series

So, for this year’s Black History Month, I wanted to look into Philosophy specifically related to the African continent. Each week in October, I will release a new African Philosophy-inspired blog post. I plan to cover topics such as pan-Africanism, feminism, Ubuntu Philosophy and more.

I’m no Michael Schur, but Holy Mother Forking Shirtballs (if you know, you know).

Stay tuned.