Alterity is a Negative Concept of the Same
Philosophical anthropology is a tradition that is as old as philosophy itself, so much so that it might be said to be indistinguishable from philosophy itself. Philosophical anthropology, extending as it does from Socrates to Sartre, best describes the work of V.Y. Mudimbe. Anthropology, broadly con...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
2016-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy |
| Online Access: | http://jffp.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jffp/article/view/755 |
| _version_ | 1828173759986532352 |
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| author | Grant Farred |
| author_facet | Grant Farred |
| author_sort | Grant Farred |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Philosophical anthropology is a tradition that is as old as philosophy itself, so much so that it might be said to be indistinguishable from philosophy itself. Philosophical anthropology, extending as it does from Socrates to Sartre, best describes the work of V.Y. Mudimbe. Anthropology, broadly conceived as the science that studies human origins, the material and cultural development of humanity (philosophical anthropology concerns itself with human nature, particularly what it is that distinguishes human beings from other creatures and how philosophy allows human beings to understand themselves), is always Mudimbe’s first line of philosophical inquiry. It is certainly Mudimbe’s interest in anthropology that allows him to conduct his investigations into Africa, its modes of thinking, and colonialism and its continuing effects on the continent. Writing on the latter issue in The Invention of Africa, Mudimbe, with his customary deftness of mind, argues that colonialism and its aftermath cannot by itself account for the continent’s extant condition: “The colonizing structure, even in its most extreme manifestations . . . might not be the only explanation for Africa’s present-day marginality. Perhaps this marginality could, more essentially, be understood from the perspective of wider hypotheses about the classification of beings and societies.”[ Making sense of Africa, in Mudimbe’s terms, must begin with a hypothesization that explicates how “beings and societies” come to be classified, the anthropological undertaking par excellence, which also requires a study of the forces that construct, implement and maintain these classifications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:01:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a910878d781465ab42664aa6305fe6f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2155-1162 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:01:57Z |
| publishDate | 2016-10-01 |
| publisher | University Library System, University of Pittsburgh |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a910878d781465ab42664aa6305fe6f2022-12-22T03:48:42ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghJournal of French and Francophone Philosophy2155-11622016-10-0124192410.5195/jffp.2016.755599Alterity is a Negative Concept of the SameGrant Farred0Cornell UniversityPhilosophical anthropology is a tradition that is as old as philosophy itself, so much so that it might be said to be indistinguishable from philosophy itself. Philosophical anthropology, extending as it does from Socrates to Sartre, best describes the work of V.Y. Mudimbe. Anthropology, broadly conceived as the science that studies human origins, the material and cultural development of humanity (philosophical anthropology concerns itself with human nature, particularly what it is that distinguishes human beings from other creatures and how philosophy allows human beings to understand themselves), is always Mudimbe’s first line of philosophical inquiry. It is certainly Mudimbe’s interest in anthropology that allows him to conduct his investigations into Africa, its modes of thinking, and colonialism and its continuing effects on the continent. Writing on the latter issue in The Invention of Africa, Mudimbe, with his customary deftness of mind, argues that colonialism and its aftermath cannot by itself account for the continent’s extant condition: “The colonizing structure, even in its most extreme manifestations . . . might not be the only explanation for Africa’s present-day marginality. Perhaps this marginality could, more essentially, be understood from the perspective of wider hypotheses about the classification of beings and societies.”[ Making sense of Africa, in Mudimbe’s terms, must begin with a hypothesization that explicates how “beings and societies” come to be classified, the anthropological undertaking par excellence, which also requires a study of the forces that construct, implement and maintain these classifications.http://jffp.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jffp/article/view/755 |
| spellingShingle | Grant Farred Alterity is a Negative Concept of the Same Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy |
| title | Alterity is a Negative Concept of the Same |
| title_full | Alterity is a Negative Concept of the Same |
| title_fullStr | Alterity is a Negative Concept of the Same |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alterity is a Negative Concept of the Same |
| title_short | Alterity is a Negative Concept of the Same |
| title_sort | alterity is a negative concept of the same |
| url | http://jffp.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jffp/article/view/755 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT grantfarred alterityisanegativeconceptofthesame |