Browsing by Author "Majeed, H.M."

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Akan Religious Ontology and Environmental Sustainability in Ghana
(Brill, 2022) Golo, B.K.; Majeed, H.M.; Myles, N.O.
In this paper, using ethnographic field data from three indigenous Akan communities, we show that Akan religious ontology about the natural world provides a formidable resource and framework for managing the environmentally destructive tendencies of the human being. We further prove that while these ontologies about the natural world emerge from the intense religiosity of the Akan and the metaphysical worldview of the indigenous Akan, they contain strong environmental ethical norms and values worth resourcing for environmental sustainability in Ghana. We, consequently, argue that significant attention ought to be paid to these religious ontologies—beliefs, norms and practices—of the indigenous Akan, as an effective means of achieving environmental sustainability. We, therefore, propose the resourcing and adoption of indigenous religious ontologies on the natural world that have the potential of informing and enhancing environmental policies and initiatives towards environmental sustainability in Ghana.
An Analysis of Kwame Gyekye’s Conception of ‘Sunsum’ in Akan Philosophy
(Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, 2017) Majeed, H.M.
The concept of sunsum has been a subject of disagreement among Akan philosophers. Gyekye criticizes the views of Akan writers such as Kofi Busia, Joseph Danquah and Kwasi Wiredu despite his acceptance of their position that sunsum is the basis of an individual’s personality. This paper examines Gyekye’s critique of these authors (especially Busia) and shows how Gyekye’s arguments are not only sometimes inaccurate, but also how they do generate a major problem of attribution that hampers a good understanding of his thesis.
A critique of the concept of quasi-physicalism in Akan philosophy
(African Studies Quarterly, 2013-11) Majeed, H.M.
One important feature of recent African philosophical works is the attempt by writers to interpret some key concepts from within the context of specific African cultures. The interpretations of such writers, however, particularly in connection with Akan thought, have not been without problems. One such concept is the concept of a person. From the largely general position that a completely physical conception of the person is inconsistent with Akan cultural beliefs, the precise characterization of the non-physical constituent of the human being has been a source of great controversy. An expression that has of recent times been put forward as descriptive of that constituent is the "quasi-physical." The notion of quasi-physicalism is the brainchild of an Akan philosopher, Kwasi Wiredu, and is strongly held also by Safro Kwame, another Akan philosopher. This article attempts an explanation of the notion and argues that it is conceptually flawed in diverse ways, and as such philosophically indefensible. © University of Florida Board of Trustees, a public corporation of the State of Florida.
Moderate Communitarianism and the Idea of Political Morality in African Democratic Practice
(Diametros, 2018-09-30) Majeed, H.M.
This paper explores how moderate communitarianism could bring about a greater sense of political morality in the practice of democracy in contemporary Africa. Moderate communitarianism is a thesis traceable to Kwame Gyekye, the Akan philosopher. This thesis is a moderation of the infl uence of the community in the Akan, an African social structure. In ensuring good political morality in the Akan, and therefore the African community, Gyekye proposes moral revolution over the enforcement of the law. I perform two main tasks in this article: (i) I reinforce the view that in a democratic framework (such as the framework within which many African states now fi nd themselves), moderate communitarianism offers lessons on political morality, and (ii) I challenge the notion that moral revolution has greater prospects for bringing about political morality than law enforcement
Rationality, Supernaturalism, and Humanism: Traditional Akan Thought Questions Some Western Claims
(2013-12-09) Majeed, H.M.
This article takes a critical look at rationality and supernaturalism within the context of humanism. The prevalent philosophical view of a person (especially in the West, since Aristotle) is that he is a rational being. On the basis of this attribute, humans are deemed to understand, know and explain their experiences through the activity of reason—and reason alone. So, anything that cannot be given a “rational” explanation, such as supernaturalism, becomes suspect for the Western thinker. For this reason, also, supernaturalism is often considered as non-humanistic. However, this article reveals how differently traditional Akan thought approaches the question of humanism. It shows the important contribution supernaturalism (prevalent in traditional African thought—and regarded as rational) can make toward a more comprehensive knowledge and understanding of a person, the world he lives in and of his well-being. It argues, consequently, that humanism can accommodate supernaturalism.
Supernaturalism and the Philosophical Character of the Traditional African Thinker
(Legon Journal of the Humanities, University of Ghana, 2012) Majeed, H.M.
Owing to the prevalence of belief in spiritual beings and in the reality of some non-physical events in traditional cultures like those of Africa, the orientation of the people is typically regarded as supernaturalistic. But while some anthropologists and philosophers see belief in the supernatural as irrational, others argue in ways that seem to suggest that supernaturalism limits the rational capacity of the African thinker. This paper rejects the positions held by these scholars and, using Akan traditional wisdom, argues for the possibility of extricating rationality from the domain of cultures – making rationality a matter of conceptual, noncultural objectivity.