Combats pour le sens
Subtitle: un itinéraire africain
By: Paulin J. Hountondji
Publisher: Langaa Research & Publishing CIG; Distributed in N. America by African Books Collective
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Mankon, Bamenda, Cameroon; [Oxford, England]
Language: fre
Number of pages: 267
ISBN-13: 9789956728176
Subjects: African Philosophy
Description: The Struggle for Meaning is a landmark publication by one of African philosophy's leading figures, Paulin J. Hountondji, best known for his critique of ethno-philosophy in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In this volume, he responds with autobiographical and philosophical reflection to the dialogue and controversy he has provoked. He discusses the ideas, rooted in the work of such thinkers as Husserl and Hountondji's former teachers Derrida, Althusser, and Ricoeur, that helped shape his critique. Applying his philosophical ideas to the critical issues of democracy, culture, and development in Africa today, he addresses three crucial topics: the nexus between scientific extraversion and economic dependence; the nature of endogenous traditions of thought and their relationship with modern science; and the implications' for political pluralism and democracyóof the emergence of 'philosophies of subject' in Africa. While the book's immediate concern is with Africa, the densely theoretical nature of its analyses, and its bearing on current postmodern theories of the 'other,' will make this timely and elegant translation of great interest to many disciplines, especially ethnic, gender, and multicultural studies.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 238-267).