The Philosophical Epistemologies of Asante Proverbs in Ghana’s Biodiversity Conservation
Creators: name: DICKSON ADOM
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 50202 Conservation and Biodiversity
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Philosophy
subject: FOS: Philosophy, ethics and religion
subject: FOS: Philosophy, ethics and religion

description: One of the vibrant ancient vehicles for instructing indigenous Asantes on their cultural values and the accepted<br>behavioural patterns is proverbs. Asante proverbs are artistic expressions or products of the wisdom of the<br>ancestors passed on from one generation to the other orally by the old indigenes in various local communities in<br>the Ashanti region of Ghana. They were created from personal experiences, observations and information of the<br>Asante forebears about natural phenomena. These wise maxims are embedded with<br>rich and proactive values that are indispensable in human efforts to salvage our problems such as biodiversity<br>depletion. The study was therefore conducted in three localities in the Ashanti region of Ghana where most of<br>the biosphere areas and resources have been conserved using the ecological wisdom in the proverbs propounded<br>by the Asante forebears. These areas are Kumawu, Akropong and Asante Bekwai where there are high taxas of<br>the bio-resources in the areas conserved in their pristine forms using the Asante proverbs. It was realized that the<br>wise maxims by the Asante forebears greatly regulated and impacted positively on the moral behaviours of the<br>indigenes towards the biodiversity resources in their environments. The researcher purposively sampled the<br>traditional authorities, traditional priests and priestesses, spokespersons in the traditional courts and elders who<br>are the direct custodians of the traditional epistemologies and are very instrumental in its delivery as well as its<br>interpretations. Also, the old indigenes and some youths were also randomly selected and interviewed.<br>Descriptive and narrative research methods under the qualitative research approach were adopted for the study to<br>vividly portray the significant roles these wise sayings play in Ghana’s biodiversity. Direct observation and<br>interviews (Focus Group Discussions and Personal) were the main instruments for soliciting for the data for the<br>research. The interpretivist philosophical paradigm was implemented to help the researchers understand the<br>philosophical underpinnings behind these proverbs to ascertain their conservational values to Ghana’s<br>biodiversity. The paper unveils the philosophical epistemologies behind twenty six (26) Asante proverbs and<br>their ecological importance to biodiversity conservation in Ghana. The findings of the study revealed the weight<br>and quintessential role that proverbs play in biodiversity conservation and the need for their revival, preservation<br>and more importantly, their incorporation into modern biodiversity conservation strategies and policies to be<br>implemented in Ghana. This would aid in conserving the biodiversity resources that are wantonly destroyed<br>today in Ghana as a result of negative behavioural patterns.