The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195334736 ISBN 13: 9780195334739

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2010

Synopsis

From St. Augustine and early Ethiopian philosophers to the anti-colonialist movements of Pan-Africanism and Negritude, this encyclopedia offers a comprehensive view of African thought, covering the intellectual tradition both on the continent in its entirety and throughout the African Diaspora in the Americas and in Europe. The term "African thought" has been interpreted in the broadest sense to embrace all those forms of discourse - philosophy, political thought, religion, literature, important social movements - that contribute to the formulation of a distinctive vision of the world determined by or derived from the African experience. The Encyclopedia is a large-scale work of 350 entries covering major topics involved in the development of African Thought including historical figures and important social movements, producing a collection that is an essential resource for teaching, an invaluable companion to independent research, and a solid guide for further study.

About this title

About the Author:

F. Abiola Irele and Biodun Jeyifo are currently teaching in the African and African-American Studies department at Harvard University. Irele's The African Experience in Literature and Ideology is a fundamental text in the field. Biodun Jeyifo is a former director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* The editors of this outstanding reference resource are in Harvard’s Department of African and African American Studies. They have brought together scholars from many universities, mainly in Africa and the U.S., to provide 360 clearly and accurately written entries and subentries. The work aims at an understanding of the intellectual traditions and civilizations of sub-Saharan Africa for the general reader, as well as for the specialist, but with a minimum of technical language. It provides insights into the thinking, writings, and accomplishments of a wide compass of people, as well as terms, concepts, cultural phenomena, movements, and events that are too little known in the West. The preface includes a brief review of earlier resources. The alphabetically arranged entries—such as those on the life and thought of Nigerian novelist and critic Chinua Achebe, the belief system of the Akan people of Ghana, the contributions of white human-rights activist Albie Sachs to South African law, the influence of Africa on Haitian thought, and the concept of Négritude—convey their subjects fully. The entry on Independence movements expresses the impacts of the colonial powers and the differences between and within the newly independent nations. Cross-references and exceptionally useful and current bibliographies, mainly in English, further understanding. Entries are current, such as in the biography of Bishop Tutu, which mentions his participation in the Africa for Women’s Rights campaign in 2009. There are a few black-and-white illustrations, a topical outline of entries, and a list of contributors. The index is accurate. Although much of the information can be located piecemeal, this outstanding resource brings together a broadened, comprehensive understanding of a major part of the globe for large public and academic libraries. --Arthur Meyers

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0195334736
• ISBN 13: 9780195334739
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1024
• Editor: Irele F. Abiola, Jeyifo Biodun