15 research outputs found
Yoruba Proverbs, Names and Consciousness
No full textThis paper is an attempt to situate Yorùbá proverbs, names, role-expectations, aspirations
and consciousness towards building and contributing to the development of a national
consciousness. The paper proceeds with a critical exposition of the general nature of
Yorùbá proverbs, an exploration of the dialectical relationship between Yorùbá proverbs
and names, and argues that this relationship instantiates a descriptivist theory of reference
of names in the philosophy of language, with concluding particulars that critically
espouses the values and virtues embedded in selected Yorùbá proverbs and names
Moral Facts, Possible Moral Worlds and Naturalized Ethics
No full textGiven his commitment to the project of naturalizing every normative aspect of philosophy;
reducing its a priori content to some sort of empirical enterprise, Quine’s inroad into moral
philosophy is expected to set the stage for the project of naturalizing ethics. However, Quine
argues that ethics is methodologically infirmed. Hence, the hope of naturalizing ethics hits
the rock. This paper aims at advancing the project of naturalizing ethics by an attempt to
settle, in a way different from the postulations of Flanagan and White, foremost
commentators on Quinean ethics, Quine’s charge of methodological infirmity
Yoruba Proverbs, Names and Consciousness
No full textThis paper is an attempt to situate Yorùbá proverbs, names, role-expectations, aspirations
and consciousness towards building and contributing to the development of a national
consciousness. The paper proceeds with a critical exposition of the general nature of
Yorùbá proverbs, an exploration of the dialectical relationship between Yorùbá proverbs
and names, and argues that this relationship instantiates a descriptivist theory of reference
of names in the philosophy of language, with concluding particulars that critically
espouses the values and virtues embedded in selected Yorùbá proverbs and names
African Philosophy and the Method of Ordinary Language Philosophy
No full textOne of the vibrant topics of debate among African and non-African scholars in the 20th and 21st centuries centered on the existence of African philosophy. This debate has been described as unnecessary. What is necessary is, if African philosophy exists, we should show it, do it and write it rather than talking about it, or engaging in endless talks about it. A popular position on the debate is that what is expected to be shown, done and written is philosophy tailored along the stereotyped and paradigmatic sense peculiar to Western philosophy. Interestingly, a non-African scholar, Barry Hallen argues that using the method of ordinary language philosophy, African philosophy is philosophy per se, and should be recognised as such. The focus of this paper is to analyse what Hallen refers to as ordinary language philosophy and explain how it authenticates African philosophy as unique ‘species’ of philosophy, thus, putting an end to the controversy on the ontology of African philosophy
African Philosophy and the Method of Ordinary Language Philosophy
No full textOne of the vibrant topics of debate among African and non-African scholars in the 20th and 21st centuries centered on the existence of African philosophy. This debate has been described as unnecessary. What is necessary is, if African philosophy exists, we should show it, do it and write it rather than talking about it, or engaging in endless talks about it. A popular position on the debate is that what is expected to be shown, done and written is philosophy tailored along the stereotyped and paradigmatic sense peculiar to Western philosophy. Interestingly, a non-African scholar, Barry Hallen argues that using the method of ordinary language philosophy, African philosophy is philosophy per se, and should be recognised as such. The focus of this paper is to analyse what Hallen refers to as ordinary language philosophy and explain how it authenticates African philosophy as unique ‘species’ of philosophy, thus, putting an end to the controversy on the ontology of African philosophy
The Explanatory Gap Argument and Phenomenal States: A Defense of Physicalism
No full textThe explanatory gap argument has been presented to justify the dualist reconstruction of the mind/body problem as a hard problem of consciousness. It is argued that there are some distinctive properties of the mind, construed as phenomenal states or properties, which are not susceptible to any physicalist explanation. Hence, the distinction between the mind and the body is further widened. This paper critically explains the explanatory gap argument. It argues that the argument, contrary to its aim, fails to undermine physicalism because there is, in reality, no gap in the world. The paper submits that the gap that exists in the explanations of consciousness is a conception, about and not any feature, of consciousness (by extension, the mind). Hence, even if the explanatory gap is sustained, it proves no point against physicalism and the physicalists’ account of the nature of consciousness in the world
Neurofunctionalism, Neuroessentialism and the Explanatory Gap Argument
No full textMental states made the task of explaining the nature of the mind really difficult. The claim that they are ontologically separable from the brain states, which consists of neural entities, properties, interactions and processes in some particular regions of the brain, strengthens the dualist position that the physicalist denies. This paper examines the plausibility of neurofunctionalism and neuroessentialism as physicalist explanatory hypotheses to bridge the explanatory gap between mental states and brain states. If these hypotheses are sufficiently advanced, physicalism is further strengthened and threatens dualism. To achieve this, the first part of the paper restates the explanatory gap argument. The second develops neurofuctionalism and neuroessentialism as physicalist explanatory hypotheses. On the account of these hypotheses, the third part argues that the gap between mental state and brain state could be bridged. The conclusion reaffirms the plausibility of the physicalist hypotheses
Un análisis del discurso-estructural de proverbios Yorùbá en interacción
No full textThe subject of the proverb especially in the African context has been diversely explored by studies as Yankah (1989), Obeng (1996), Owomoyela (2005), and Fasiku (2006). This study, however, attempts a discourse and structural analysis of Yorùbá proverbs collected from oral interviews and native Yorùbá texts. First, based on a theory of the proverb as a discourse medium, the study reveals that proverbs are used to achieve different discourse acts and communicative goals by speakers. Native speakers use the proverb as a linguistic strategy of negotiating deep ideas and intentions. Second, the paper avers that the Yorùbá proverb is structurally characterized by some lexical and grammatical devices which help to reinforce its communicative intelligibility and textuality. Thus, it examines the Yorùbá proverb both functionally and formally and underscores that it is a culturally and linguistically rich significant part of the Yorùbá speech community.El tema del proverbio sobre todo en el contexto africano ha sido diversamente explorada por estudios como Yankah (1989), Obeng (1996), Owomoyela (2005), y Fasiku (2006). Este estudio, sin embargo, intenta un discurso y análisis estructural de los proverbios Yorùbá recogidos de entrevistas orales y textos Yorùbá nativas. En primer lugar, sobre la base de una teoría del proverbio como medio discurso, el estudio revela que los proverbios son utilizados para conseguir diferentes actos del discurso y los objetivos de comunicación de los oradores. Los hablantes nativos usan el proverbio como una estrategia lingüística de la negociación de las ideas profundas e intenciones. En segundo lugar, el documento afirma que el proverbio yoruba se caracteriza estructuralmente por algunos dispositivos léxicos y gramaticales que ayudan a reforzar su inteligibilidad comunicativa y textualidad. Por lo tanto, se examina el proverbio yoruba tanto funcional como formal y se pone de relieve que se trata de una parte rica culturalmente y lingüísticamente significativa de la comunidad de habla yoruba
