Assesses the direction and impact of African philosophy as well as its future role.

This diverse book presents a lively view of how philosophical questions can be applied to interpretations of culture and reveals the multifaceted nature of philosophical discourse in the multiple and variable settings that exist in contemporary Africa.

Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction: African Philosophy as Cultural Inquiry
Ivan Karp and D. A. Masolo Part 1: Power, Personhood, and Agency Introduction to Part 1
Ivan Karp and D. A. Masolo 1. "Tok Af, Lef Af": A Political Economy of Temne Techniques of Secrecy and Self
Rosalind Shaw 2. Islam Among the Humours: Destiny and Agency Among the Swahili
David Parkin 3. Some African Conceptions of Person: A Critique
Didier N. Kaphagawani Part 2: Knowledge and Discourse Introduction to Part 2
Ivan Karp and D. A. Masolo 4. The Play of Deconstruction in the Speech of Africa: The Role of "Pakruok" and "Ngero" in Telling Culture in Dholuo
Peter S. O. Amuka 5. Personhood and Art: Social Change and Commentary Among the Acoli
J. P. Odoch Pido 6. Forging Unions and Negotiating Ambivalence: Personhood and Complex Agency in Okiek Marriage Arrangement
Corinne A. Kratz Part 3: African Discourses on Development Introduction to Part 3
Ivan Karp and D. A. Masolo 7. Our Problem of Knowledge: Brief Reflections on Knowledge and Development in Africa
Kwasi Wiredu 8. The Topic of Change
F. Eboussi-Boulaga 9. Cheri Samba's Postcolonial Reinvention of Modernity
Bogumil Jewsiewicki 10. Luo Perspectives on Knowledge and Development: Samuel G. Ayany and Paul Mbuya
E. S. Atieno-Odhiambo Contributors Index