The core questions are as African as they are universal. Unlike religion that constructs beliefs on faith, philosophy systematically raises its questions about life, death, the self, knowledge, the soul, the good, the beautiful, society, etc. Philosophical inquiry suggests serious, rigorous, reflective thinking. Argumentation, as in Socrates' practices or in a good debate, has stated themes, issues to be rationally questioned, examined, scrutinized, analyzed and synthesized to understand better - along with the objections to one's preferred conclusions. Whether in Africa or elsewhere, philosophers not only live to find truth - they die for it.
Philosophy seeks truth and knowledge according to the light of reason alone.
Because of this, philosophers suffer persecution and death, even today. He, too, publicly characterized Nigeria's Sani Abacha military dictatorship as an unjust form of government, based neither on reason nor on truth but rather on a monopoly and application of force and violence. The problem with philosophers is not that they cannot keep quiet or keep their thoughts to themselves. Most of them do. The trouble is that even the quiet ones cannot escape the social consequences of their thinking.