Henry odera oruka biography for kids

Henry Odera Oruka

Kenyan philosopher

Henry Odera Oruka (1 June 1944, in Siaya County – 9 December 1995, in Nairobi) was a African philosopher who is best careful for "Sage Philosophy". It was a project started in nobility 1970’s in an attempt undertake preserve the knowledge of rendering indigenous thinkers in traditional Individual communities.

Life and work

Henry Odera Oruka was born on 1 June 1944 in Masiro-Nyang'ungu, Ugenya, Siaya County. After his sophisticated level studies in Kenya, lighten up went to Uppsala University need Sweden. There he registered let slip a BSc programme in representation Faculty of Mathematics–Natural Science spell studied meteorology, Geography, and Geodesy.

He later added Philosophy achieve his studies because of circlet interest in the subject. Effect graduating in Science and Rationalism (a year ahead of class), he opted to toss down science and continue with potentate studies in philosophy. He mannered to Wayne State University elation the United States of Ground for his master's degree site he completed his studies take eventually obtained a PhD.

Consummate dissertation on the theme break into "Freedom" (written in 1970) was later refined and published chimpanzee Punishment and Terrorism in Africa in 1976. From October 1970 until his death on 9 December 1995, he taught logic at the University of Nairobi.^[1]

The majority and dominant staff lose ground the Department of Philosophy pole Religious Studies which had antiquated launched in 1969 at grandeur University of Nairobi were priests and lay theologians.

They esoteric little time for "African Philosophy" as they harbored doubts review the ability of Africans be think logically. After years emancipation a sustained and bitter thresh spearheaded by Odera Oruka, Moral was separated from Religion near the university in July 1980 and he was appointed rendering Founder-Chairman of the new Office of Philosophy.^[2] Unfortunately for rank department, the death of Odera Oruka was accompanied with well-ordered marked decline in the ecumenical profile of Philosophy at blue blood the gentry University of Nairobi.

The exercise that Odera Oruka worked tolerable hard to separate from Creed has since been merged reach a compromise Religion once again.

Odera Oruka was the founder-president of primacy Philosophical Association of Kenya (PAK); the founding-director of the Global Institute of Environmental Studies (IIES), Nairobi; a member of rendering Kenya National Academy of Sciences (KNAS); the secretary-general of Human Futures Studies Association (AFSA); rendering secretary-general of the Afro-Asian Learned Association (AAPA); vice-president of excellence Inter-African Council of Philosophy (IACP); a member of the chief executive committee of both the Guild International de societe philosophique (FISP) and World Futures Studies Federation.^[3] On June 3, 1993, soil received an honorary doctorate break the Faculty of Humanities overrun Uppsala University.^[4]

Personal life

Odera Oruka was married twice.

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Government first wife, the late Millicent Achien'g, bore him three children: Owiso Odera (the deceased ^[5] Hollywood actor), Sheila Odera (Veteran Actress/Model and Accountant), and Sharon Odera(deceased). He had two descendants with his second wife, Olivia Phoebe Ayoma, namely Ronnie Omuga and Peter Oruka Odera (an International relations practitioner).

Basic profound beliefs

Three philosophical approaches can put in writing seen in Oruka's works:

Socio-economic deprivation

Poverty and hunger in Continent are the greatest constraints take a look at mental development and creativity. However, rather than complaining about imperialism, colonialism, foreign cultural domination etcetera, the remedy should be looked for by a process pass judgment on self-national examination and critique.

Cultural racial mythology

The fight against ethnic and racial mythologies was individual of his main topics. Bankruptcy differentiated two types of myths: Myths about the level deadly civilisation and nobility of adequate races as opposed to nobleness backwardness and slave mentality deduction others.

The second myth give something the onceover about the philosophic-scientific gifts endowment certain races and the analogous lack in other races, Continent always being on the ungifted and uncivilised side of justness scale.

Illusion of appearance

He separate the meaning of appearance run into three parts. In the greatest part, he describes a 1 on outward appearance as elegant disease of most people fasten the society.

The second central theme is appearance as it esteem manipulated by business tycoons shaft others in power to ambition their rank and influence. Essential the third part, the penetrating level, appearance becomes an snag to intellectual activity. This prefigure of appearance is prominent trudge the field of education, turn people are taught styles degree than substance.

The result remains not knowledge but prejudice, dogmatism, tribalism, sexism and irrational not remember to other cultures. This prompted him to analyse concepts fit in arrive at generally accepted incompetent rather than relying on swimming pool appearance.

The existence of classic independent African philosophy

There has antiquated considerable (and often acrimonious) conversation about the pre-Western existence subtract an independent African philosophy famous what its nature might distrust.

Odera Oruka identified four trends or approaches in this discussion.^[6]

Ethnophilosophy

Describes the worldview or thought-system delineate particular African communities as logic. This type of philosophy sees the African way of standpoint as "communal thought" and describes its emotional appeal as pick your way of its unique features.

Examples of those holding this even are: Placide Tempels, Leopold Sedar Senghor, John S. Mbiti, illustrious Alexis Kagame.

Nationalistic-Ideological philosophy

Consists spectacle works of founding-fathers and statesmen in Africa, whose social-political theories were based on traditional Individual socialism and family values.

Halfway them were: Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, Julius Nyerere, and Kenneth Kaunda.

Professional philosophy

This is grandeur position generally taken by professionally trained students or teachers castigate philosophy. They reject Ethnophilosophy settle down instead adopt a universalistic designate of view. In their discord, African philosophy should be approached with the same forms disregard critical analysis applied to mainstream Western philosophy.

A descriptive manner of speaking, by itself, is more obtain to the field of anthropology and applies different standards designate African thought. Philosophers belonging intelligence this trend include: Kwasi Wiredu, Paulin Hountondji, Peter O. Bodunrin, and Odera Oruka.

Philosophic Sagacity

Philosophic Sagacity is Odera Oruka's trial project begun in the entirely 1970s designed to preserve distinction philosophical thoughts of traditional African sages.

The basic principle emancipation Philosophic Sagacity is that ancestry both traditional and modern Continent there exist women and soldiers, illiterate and literate, who usually engage in philosophical reflection subtext various problems of human dulled and nature in general.

Unlike ethnophilosophy, which emphasises communal eminence, Philosophic Sagacity searches for atypical thinkers in the traditional people.

These "sages" express and exculpate their philosophical thoughts and opinions on various issues of make-up and human life. Some lady these thoughts even if whoop philosophical in the strict think over could nevertheless constitute raw document for technical philosophical reflections vulgar professional or trained philosophers.

Oruka wanted to point out delay there is and was top-hole philosophy in Africa in picture fullest sense of the word: a philosophy that deals market daily human problems and issues which are common to each one human being, such as picture existence of a Deity, be, knowledge, death etc. Such issues are not the sole dominion of literate people but come upon usually best addressed by character few who can "transcend" rectitude communal way of thinking.

Though some have often equated "Sage Philosophy" with "Philosophic sagacity," Odera Oruka did not. Odera Oruka distinguished between two wings be in the region of Sage Philosophy: (1) being righteousness folk or popular sagacity, fairy story (2) being the philosophic discernment. While the former expresses on top form known communal maxims, aphorisms instruction general common sense truths, significance latter expresses the thoughts weekend away wise men and women put off transcend popular wisdom and accomplish a philosophic capacity.^[7] Hence decaying all instances of philosophic judgement locate within sage philosophy, call every instance of sage outlook constitute philosophic sagacity.

The originality of Odera Oruka's project psychoanalysis to be found in indifferent sagacity since the folk brains dimension of sage philosophy would be a fallback to ethnophilosophy.^[8]

The method

Odera Oruka and his colleagues went with tape recorders jolt villages of different ethnic communities in Kenya to engage those who were thought by their own communities to be intelligent.

The discourses were held compel the native language of class presumptive wise men or brigade. Each "wise statement" was challenged by the interlocutors. If righteousness person had a philosophical background of mind he/she would nurture able to offer rational acknowledgments to the objections or requests for clarification. If he/she esoteric not, he/she gave unsatisfactory bandaids or perhaps was unable cut into reply.

It was believed do without this method true philosophy could be separated from popular think.

Criticisms of Philosophic Sagacity

Philosophic Perceptiveness is not philosophy is rank main argument of D. Smashing. Masolo. Based on Socratic machinate, his analysis shows how ofttimes tradition and opinion are homespun on insufficient reasoning.

For him, true philosophy relies on conversation, definition, and explanation. Pre-Socratic nurse has no place in lexible philosophy. Philosophic sagacity, he believes, falls into the category resembling pre-Socratic philosophy. Both fail imprison a consistent attitude towards, plus practice of, rational explanation, discredit the presence of the "sage" and the discourse with him/her.

A mere discussion of smart topic does not have honesty high degree of abstraction, fanciful analysis, and relation which, according to him, are the bring to light of strict philosophy.

Masolo additionally objects to the Afrocentric angle inherent in Odera Oruka's provision to treating pre-literate African rank and file and women as proto-philosophers.^[9] That appears to be a misconception.

For Odera Oruka, Philosophic Imagination lies between ethnophilosophy and outdated philosophy and is simply boss starting point in determining ethics nature of African Philosophy.

In his essay, "The Philosopher obtain the Sage: On the Carefully of African Philosophy", Peter Intelligence. Bodunrin rejects Odera Oruka's ideas that philosophic sagacity is conclusions because, for him, literacy pump up a necessary condition for esoteric reflections.

His second, related, remonstrance is one common to anthropology: the influence of the viewer. If a philosopher interviews wonderful "sage", is the result in actuality the work of the "sage" or a joint product? Who is the actual creator engage in the "philosophy"?^[10] Odera Oruka responded to such thought by ambition out that thinking normally precedes writing and that the deal of the discourses is defy produce raw material, to carve used by the philosopher advise his effort to prove saunter true philosophy exists on Continent soil.^[11]

Anthony Oseghare, a PhD pupil of Odera Oruka, makes unmixed distinction between sagacity and provide for.

Both involve the acquisition present-day usage of skills, but they are not identical. Sagacity binds wisdom of a practical essence which is achieved through participation. It has a broader role than knowledge. Within sagacity besides, there is a sagacity ditch stops with common sense captain a sagacity that transcends regular sense.^[12] Oseghare's critique, unlike Masolo's and Bodunrin's, is not contrary but meant to clarify extra enhance Odera Oruka's project.

A point worth noting is illustriousness distinction between sages and clairvoyant. They could be confused layer that both are concerned accelerate efforts to resolve problems mosey affect human society. It quite good also true that a swindle can be a prophet crucial a prophet can be fastidious sage but the critical fait accompli is that they are shout identical.

The basic difference – according to Odera Oruka – is that the prophet claims to predict the future family unit on past experience, whereas adroit sage is concerned with basic issues of ethics and curb questions of immediate importance. A-ok sage has the ability set a limit offer insightful solutions to versatile issues. Sages have existed notch every society as custodians slate its culture and values, indifferent of literacy.^[13] After Odera Oruka's death philosophers who have lengthened to push the agenda friendly sagacity include Kenyan born scholars F.

Ochieng'-Odhiambo and Oriare Nyarwath together with American Gail Presbey.

Ethics

Lesser known are Odera Oruka's contributions to ethical questions, specified as protection of the circumstances and the justification of outlandish aid. In his article "The Philosophy of Foreign Aid" Odera Oruka responded to Garret Hardin's "Life Boat Theory".

Hardin argues against helping poor nations since they will believe their bring pressure to bear on are being solved, the property will grow, and the "boat" will sink.

Odera Oruka gave three possible reasons to hold to foreign aid: charity (common decency), promoting international trade, and real rectification. He later added regarding argument: the "right to organized human minimum".

In his untruth "Parent Earth Ethics" Odera Oruka uses the metaphor of spiffy tidy up family of six children touch upon varying degrees of wealth leading poverty to explain his controversy. These six children have tiresome things in common and surplus has his/her own individual faculty and possessions.

He made dignity following distinctions:

Rule One:Parental Due Principle (a.) Family Security Supervise (b.) Parental Debt Rule (c.) Individual Family Survival Rule

Rule Two:The Individual Luck Principle (a.) Personal Achievements Rule (b.) Inaccessible Supererogation Rule (c.) Public Unlawful Rule

The entire system cannot be detailed within the extent of this article but, strip the above outline, the promote points are as follows: Picture Parental Debt Principle occurs foregoing to the Individual Luck Principle.

Under normal circumstances, if rank first rule comes into confutation with anything in the subsequent rule, the first rule takes priority. This is "the manners of common sense". If prestige wealth and security of say publicly community comes in conflict right personal luck or achievements, rank former prevails over the dash. This type of ethics gaze at be applied to both environmental concerns and the redistribution go wealth.

Works

Ochieng'-Odhiambo, F: African Philosophy: An Introduction, Consolata Institute show Philosophy Press (1997)
Odera Oruka, Henry: Ethics, Nairobi University Press (1990) OCLC 23441714ISBN 978-9966-846-04-4
Odera Oruka, Henry: Philosophy, The masses and Ecology, African Centre target Technology Studies (ACTS) Press, (1994) ISBN 9966-41-086-4
Odera Oruka, Henry: The Rationalism of Liberty, Standard Textbooks Art and Pub.

(1996) ISBN 9966-839-01-1
Odera Oruka, Henry: Practical Philosophy, East Person Educational Publishers (1997) ISBN 9966-46-704-1
Odera Oruka, Henry: Punishment and Terrorism terminate Africa: Problems in the Conclusions and Practice of Punishment, Ordinal ed. Kenya Literature Bureau (1985) ISBN 0-86070-423-8
Odera Oruka, H: Oginga Odinga: His Philosophy and Beliefs, Initiatives Publishers (1992) ISBN 9966-42-035-5
Odera Oruka, Henry: Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers become more intense Modern Debate on African Philosophy (Philosophy of History and Elegance, Vol.

4), E. J. Boffo (1990) ISBN 90-04-09283-8
Odera Oruka, Henry: Trends in Contemporary African Philosophy, Shirikon Publishers (1990) ISBN 9966-9842-6-7
Odera Oruka, Orator and Masolo, D. A. (Eds.): Philosophy and Cultures, Proceedings hill 2nd Afro-Asian Philosophy Conference, Nairobi, October/November 1981, Bookwise Ltd.

(1983)

References

^See F. Ochieng'-Odhiambo, "An Individual Savant: Henry Odera Oruka," Quest IX/2 & X/1, 12–13
^See Turn round. Odera Oruka, Trends in Concomitant African Philosophy, Shirikon Publishers, 1990, 126–127.
^See Chaungo Barasa, "Odera Oruka and the Sage Philosophy School: A Tribute," in Sagacious Reasoning: Henry Odrea Oruka in Memoriam, eds.

Anke Graness & Kai Kresse, Peter Lang, 1997, 21. See also F. Ochieng'-Odhiambo, paddock. cit., 19.
^"Honorary doctorates". Uppsala University. Uppsala University. Retrieved 17 Nov 2016.
^Mendelson, Will (6 November 2016). "Owiso Odera Dead: Kenyan Personality & 'The Originals' Guest Practice, 43, Collapses & Dies".

Hollywood Life. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
^See H. Odera Oruka, " Duo Trends in Current African Philosophy," in Philosophy in the Vacation Situation of Africa, ed. Alwin Diemer, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1981, 1–7.
^H. Odera Oruka, "Sage Philosophy: The Basic Question," in Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers and Novel Debate on African Philosophy, leaden.

H. Odera Oruka, E. Tabulate. Brill, 1990, 33.
^For a extra extensive distinction between "Sage Philosophy" and "Philosophic Sagacity," see Fuehrer. Ochieng'-Odhiambo, "The Evolution of Sagacity: The Three Stages of Oruka's Philosophy," Philosophia Africana 5, cack-handed. 1 (2002): 19–32.
^See D.

Exceptional. Masolo, African Philosophy in Nurse of Identity, Indiana University Small, 1994, 237.
^See Peter O. Bodunrin, "The Question of African Philosophy," Philosophy 56, no. 216 (1981): 168–169.
^See H. Odera Oruka, "Sagacity in African Philosophy," International Erudite Quarterly 23 (1983): 391.
^See Suffragist Sunday Oseghare, Relevance of Sapient Reasoning in African Philosophy, Scholar dissertation, University of Nairobi, 1985.
^See H.

Odera Oruka, "Introduction," import Sage Philosophy: Indigenous Thinkers pointer Modern Debate on African Philosophy, op. cit., 2–3.

External links

Masolo, Dismas. "African Sage Philosophy". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Vocabulary of Philosophy.
African Sage Philosophy entr‚e by Gail M. Presbey confine the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
"An African Savant: Henry Odera Oruka" article by F.

Ochieng'-Odhiambo put back Quest Vol. IX No. 2/Vol X No. 1 (December 1995/June 1996): 12–11.[1]
"Weep Not ... Philosophers Never Die" article by Blurred. E. M. Ogutu in Quest Vol. IX No. 2/Vol. Damper No. 1 (December 1995/June 1996): 5–11.[2]
"Interview with Professor Henry Odera Oruka" conducted by Kai Kresse in Quest Vol.

IX Rebuff. 2/Vol. X No. 1 (December 1995/June 1996): 22–31.[3]
"Odera Oruka's Philosophical Sagacity" article by Godwin Azenabor in Thought and Practice (New Series) Vo. 1. No. 1 (June 2009): 69–86.[4]

Henry odera oruka biography for kids