I want to start this piece by stating emphatically that if lack of critical thinking or inability to apply one’s common sense to issues is what makes one an African, then I am not an African. I say this - and I really mean it. That I hereby renounce my African identity if it means that I should not exercise my critical intelligence or apply reason and science in all areas of human endeavor. If being an African means I should suspend and shut down my thinking faculty and blindly accept whatever any person or prophet says or preaches, then, I say, count me out. Don’t count me as an African. I am making this assertion because very often blind faith, dogma and fetishism are identified with African mentality.

Whenever I try to apply logic, critical reasoning and scientific temper to issues during public debates, I am often accused of not thinking like an African. I am always told that I think like a white man or that I have a western mentality. As if critical thinking or the scientific outlook is for westerners alone or that critical thinking can only be exercised by people from a particular race or region. No, this is not the case.
Surprisingly, nobody has ever stepped forward to tell me how an ‘African’ thinks. For me it is either this ‘African mode of thought’ is one which nobody knows about or is one that does not exist or qualify to be called a thinking pattern. Nobody has tried to let me know if Africans think at all. Because this misguided view that one is unAfrican or western in outlook is often employed to block or suppress critical reasoning or inquiry particularly when it is used to challenge traditions, positions and opinions informed by blind faith or dogma.

While holding on to beliefs and outlooks informed by superstition and primordial thinking is often glorified as African. Even in this 21st century, reason and science are still perceived as western, and not African values. I have yet to understand how we came about this mistaken idea. Hence, it is often portrayed as if the African does not reason and dare not reason or that the African does not think or cannot think critically. It seems thinking like an African means suspension of thought, logic or common sense. Thinking like an African means not thinking at all- thoughtlessness or thinking in spiritual, occult or magical ways.

For instance, whenever I try to challenge or question the irrational and absurd claims of witchcraft, juju and charms, and other ritualistic and religious nonsense that dominate the mental space of Africans, I am often reminded that my mentality is western. And you know what, whenever in the course of a public debate, somebody alleges that a position is western, it means that it is unacceptable though it may be reasonable or may have a superior argument. Is that not unfortunate?

Whenever I try to fault or expose the absurdity of witchcraft accusations or the persecution of alleged witches or wizards, many people often urge me to set aside this my oyibo(white man’s) mentality. As if critical thinking is the exclusive cultural preserve of white people while mystical thinking is for blacks and for Africans. Personally, I am aware that the white race and the western world have recorded significant achievements in the areas of science and technology, in rational and critical discourses. They also have their own share of dark age nonsense, dogmas and superstitions.
But that does not make the values of science, reason and critical thinking western or white. The values of science and reason constitute part of human heritage, which all human beings can lay claim to, exercise, access, express, celebrate, cultivate and nurture. The progress which the western world has recorded as a result of their institutionalization of reason and science is one which any society can realize and supercede if it wants. Africans should stop hiding behind this misrepresentation that reason and science are unAfrican western values. Africans should embrace the enlightening matrices of critical mindedness and work to dispel the dark age and barbaric mentality that loom large on the continent.
Those who are propagating this erroneous idea that critical thinking is alien to African identity and mentality are doing the African race and civilization a great disservice. They are frustrating the take off of African enlightenment, emancipation and emergence. There is no sound mind who would fault this logic. The syllogism that says-

All human beings can think critically. All Africans are human beings. Therefore all Africans can think critically.
So Africans should rise up to the challenge of critical evaluation of issues. Because lack of critical thinking is at the root of most problems that plague the continent. Africans should strive and make critical inquiry part of African culture, identity and civilization. I am also appealing to all all lovers of science, reason and critical thought around the globe to help Africans realize this intellectual breakthrough.

This would hold much more weight, if you could express it all natively.

africans do typically think differently from westerners. I don't think that either way of thought is right or wrong or better critical thinking .it's just a different world view
the key word here is "worldview"

read this for a better understanding of what I mean:
http://www.netplaces.com/philosophy-book/the-forgotten-philosophers/african-philosophy.htm
just the first 2 paragraphs explains the idea well enough.

to be sympathetic with you though, I also feel frustrated by your concerns sometimes.and at other times, i feel frustrated by western way of thinking.
I think that a good balance is the best.


Even Einstein (who most would consider a western genius) quotes:

"the only real valuable thing is intuition"
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind

this shows that life is not all about facts, data and detail! sometimes you have to look at the big picture.

Very well written topic.

I'll leave a better comment later.

Nice to hear points of views from those that have commented so far on this most crucial issue that continues to plague us everyday.

Well written, mate. Do l have your permission to propagate your message across other forums in your credit?

Mr--Why:

I want to start this piece by stating emphatically that if lack of critical thinking or inability to apply one’s common sense to issues is what makes one an African, then I am not an African. I say this - and I really mean it. That I hereby renounce my African identity if it means that I should not exercise my critical intelligence or apply reason and science in all areas of human endeavor. If being an African means I should suspend and shut down my thinking faculty and blindly accept whatever any person or prophet says or preaches, then, I say, count me out. Don’t count me as an African. I am making this assertion because very often blind faith, dogma and fetishism are identified with African mentality.

Whenever I try to apply logic, critical reasoning and scientific temper to issues during public debates, I am often accused of not thinking like an African. I am always told that I think like a white man or that I have a western mentality. As if critical thinking or the scientific outlook is for westerners alone or that critical thinking can only be exercised by people from a particular race or region. No, this is not the case.
Surprisingly, nobody has ever stepped forward to tell me how an ‘African’ thinks. For me it is either this ‘African mode of thought’ is one which nobody knows about or is one that does not exist or qualify to be called a thinking pattern. Nobody has tried to let me know if Africans think at all. Because this misguided view that one is unAfrican or western in outlook is often employed to block or suppress critical reasoning or inquiry particularly when it is used to challenge traditions, positions and opinions informed by blind faith or dogma.

While holding on to beliefs and outlooks informed by superstition and primordial thinking is often glorified as African. Even in this 21st century, reason and science are still perceived as western, and not African values. I have yet to understand how we came about this mistaken idea. Hence, it is often portrayed as if the African does not reason and dare not reason or that the African does not think or cannot think critically. It seems thinking like an African means suspension of thought, logic or common sense. Thinking like an African means not thinking at all- thoughtlessness or thinking in spiritual, occult or magical ways.

For instance, whenever I try to challenge or question the irrational and absurd claims of witchcraft, juju and charms, and other ritualistic and religious nonsense that dominate the mental space of Africans, I am often reminded that my mentality is western. And you know what, whenever in the course of a public debate, somebody alleges that a position is western, it means that it is unacceptable though it may be reasonable or may have a superior argument. Is that not unfortunate?

Whenever I try to fault or expose the absurdity of witchcraft accusations or the persecution of alleged witches or wizards, many people often urge me to set aside this my oyibo(white man’s) mentality. As if critical thinking is the exclusive cultural preserve of white people while mystical thinking is for blacks and for Africans. Personally, I am aware that the white race and the western world have recorded significant achievements in the areas of science and technology, in rational and critical discourses. They also have their own share of dark age nonsense, dogmas and superstitions.
But that does not make the values of science, reason and critical thinking western or white. The values of science and reason constitute part of human heritage, which all human beings can lay claim to, exercise, access, express, celebrate, cultivate and nurture. The progress which the western world has recorded as a result of their institutionalization of reason and science is one which any society can realize and supercede if it wants. Africans should stop hiding behind this misrepresentation that reason and science are unAfrican western values. Africans should embrace the enlightening matrices of critical mindedness and work to dispel the dark age and barbaric mentality that loom large on the continent.
Those who are propagating this erroneous idea that critical thinking is alien to African identity and mentality are doing the African race and civilization a great disservice. They are frustrating the take off of African enlightenment, emancipation and emergence. There is no sound mind who would fault this logic. The syllogism that says-

All human beings can think critically. All Africans are human beings. Therefore all Africans can think critically.
So Africans should rise up to the challenge of critical evaluation of issues. Because lack of critical thinking is at the root of most problems that plague the continent. Africans should strive and make critical inquiry part of African culture, identity and civilization. I am also appealing to all all lovers of science, reason and critical thought around the globe to help Africans realize this intellectual breakthrough.

Sir or Madam, you are very much entitled to your opinions regardless how goofy they appear. After all, opinion is a terrible thing to have and yet everybody has one.

If you want to impugn the character of Africans, you are free to do so but do not hide under auspices of “critical thinking” to do so. I do not know the type of crowd you keep but reading this junk you posted on this forum, there is much to be desired. Please do not dwell on the suggestions of airheads you keep as friends to arrogate a grade of critical thinker to yourself. Reading from the above post, I concluded you do not understand the concepts of the phrase-critical thinking.

A woefully failure to understand the certain aspects of African culture and tradition does not warrant you to fault Africans on the pedigree of critical thinking. Besides within the canopy of critical thinking, it is understood that nobody acts purely objectively and rationally all the time.

In fact, your post is a misguided self-aggrandizement loaded with misconceived aspect of the subject matter such as to recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view.

nice response dede1
the irony is that his lengthy article itself lacks much critical thinking
I am also assuming that the OP copied and pasted the article from somewhere.

anyway, @OP, here is the text from the link I posted. it would do you good to take a look at it:

African Philosophy by James Mannion
The African philosophy, in very general terms, involves a deep connection with nature and an understanding and respect for the inexorable cycle of life. Man is part of the Big Picture that is Nature and the cosmos. [b]Man does not live by reason alone in the African worldview. Intuition and imagination are regarded as valid, and logic is not stressed as the path to wisdom. [/b]Emotion plays a more important role.

Western philosophy has engaged in much debate about the existence of God. Ontological arguments, inductive and deductive reasoning, and proofs about the Immovable Mover do not figure into African philosophy.

The fact that there is a “Force” is a given, as well as the fact that there is a spirit world that coexists with the realm of physical reality. The typical African philosophy maintains that there is an order to the cosmos. The higher powers (gods) are at the top of the hierarchy, followed by man, animals, and inanimate natural objects.

Mr--Why, permit me to ask, do you speak your people's language?

@Dede1

You can raise legitimate questions about the article without resorting to name calling. That attitude alone on your part, shows how your emotions overcame your reasoning. The article was not written to downgrade fellow Africans mind and critical thinking ability. Rather it was trying to point out how the West view us in general and to address it and prove them wrong that critical thinking is not a western thing but universal in everyone.

It is quite unfortunate that you did not read and understand the article very well before commenting. Please try to have control over your emotions before jumping into discussions like this.

^ I think you should put a disclaimer in your first post to let us know that you are not the author/ do not share the perspective of the author.
that will remove the confusion.

Mr--Why:

@Dede1

You can raise legitimate questions about the article without resorting to name calling. That attitude alone on your part, shows how your emotions overcame your reasoning. The article was not written to downgrade fellow Africans mind and critical thinking ability. Rather it was trying to point out how the West view us in general and to address it and prove them wrong that critical thinking is not a western thing but universal in everyone.

It is quite unfortunate that you did not read and understand the article very well before commenting. Please try to have control over your emotions before jumping into discussions like this.

Emotions or not, I do not need to read the essay which lacked lexical structure twice to fathom the author is deficient on the matter of critical thinking.

The author’s claims and the submitted examples are very bogus at best. Yet the people whom the author claimed to have patent on critical thinking have succumbed to hypothesis devoid of the concept of critical thinking.

Science does not hold monopoly on the subject matter as the author would want us to believe. It appears the author was speaking with two sides of his or her mouth and clearly should not join Africa with such naïve intuitive display

NEGRITUDE, A DEFENSIVE TOOL FOR AFRICAN IDENTITY: LEOPOLD SEDAR SENGHOR’S PRESPECTIVE
http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/philosophy/negritude-defensive-tool-african-identity-leopold-sedar-senghors-prespective/