PLS 1502 Examination Preparations June 2020

Multiple Questions and Answers consolidated by Malesela Leso

NOT FOR SALE

1. Please identify the more correct statement: When writing a philosophical essay, you
should

1 organize your essay in points form without discussing or arguing the points.

2 argue for or against a particular position.

3 use information without acknowledging its source.

4 Write your essay in one long paragraph.

2. Please match Column A with Column B.

Column A Column B
1. Introduction of an essay a. This is my main argument/s and comprises of
logically arranged paragraphs.

2. Body of an essay b. This is the roadmap of my essay, where I

explain what I am going to discuss in the essay.

3. Conclusion of an essay c. All the sources consulted in the writing of an

essay.

4. Reference list of the essay d. This is the section of the essay where I briefly
explain what I did in the entire essay.

1. 1 matches with b; 2 with c; 3 with d; and 4 with a.

2. 1 matches with a; 2 with b; 3 with c; and 4 with d.

3. 1 matches with c; 2 with d; 3 with a; and 4 with b.

4. 1 matches with b; 2 with a; 3 with d; and 4 with c.

3. How long should an essay be that you write for PLS1502 – Introduction to African
Philosophy?

1 350 words

2 1000 words

3 750 words

4 500 words

4. Choose the appropriate words for an essay.

1 An Introduction explains what has been done in the essay.

2 The body of an essay must comprise of logically related paragraphs.

3 In-text references are not important in the body of an essay.

4 A list of references at the end of an essay is works that must still be consulted in the writing
of an essay.

5. Why is it important that students include in-text citations and a refence list with
their assignments?

1 To acknowledge the thoughts or insights “borrowed” from other authors

2 To lose the appropriate credit to the knowledge that you have created

3 To lay oneself open to lawsuits so the authors can see who copied them

4 To give away the brevity of your own ideas as they are not your own

6. What does the provision of the author’s details when referencing in your assignment
do for your paper?

1 Students will be able to indiscriminately string together quotes and ideas

2 It allows students to replicate the ideas of others and use them as their own

3 They allow students to depend on the ideas in order to back their own case

4 It will lower the standard of the students work instead of raising brevity
7. Which of the following statements about an academic essay is the most inaccurate?

1 The introduction should provide a preview of the essay.

2 Your body should comprise of well-reasoned argument.

3 Your essay should comprise interrelated paragraphs.

4 You should use the Oxford method of referencing

8. Which statement explains the way in which to correctly refer in your paper?

1 Only source your ideas in the main body of your text

2 You only need to provide citations at the end of your paper in a bibliography

3 There is no need to include page numbers and brackets when citing

4 Include the source information like the surname and the publishing date

9. Complete the following sentence.

When writing an essay for PLS1502 – Introduction to African Philosophy, the -

_______________ should be used.

1 Oxford Method of Referencing

2 Harvard Method of Referencing

3 Chicago Method of Referencing

4 American Psychological Association Method of Referencing

10. Complete this sentence

Plagiarism is when you…

1 ... use someone else’s ideas as if they were your own, and not providing adequate
referencing.

2 …only provide a reference list at the end of your essay to indicate which sources you have
consulted.

3 … rewrite your essay to improve the quality thereof before submission.

4 … use someone else’s ideas but provide an adequate in text citation and reference list to
give credit to them.
11. Which of the following statements does not reflect the character of a paragraph in
an academic essay?

1 Ideally a paragraph should deal with one point.

2 A paragraph should have more than one point.

3 Paragraphs need to be logically constructed.

4 Paragraphs should together form one logical and consistent argument.

12. Which of the following statements about the conclusion of an academic essay is the
most inaccurate?

1 You should not introduce new information in your conclusion.

2 You need not provide an overview of what you have done.

3 You need to indicate why the topic is an important one.

4 Your essay must always bear a conclusion.

13. What does it mean to respond to the topic posed?

1 You should let the creative process dictate the way to construct the essay

2 You should include irrelevant information to reach the word limit.

3 You should just provide a summary of the reading, without heeding the topic.

4 You should read the question carefully, and make sure your essay adequately
responds to it.

14. What is the primary requirement of writing a philosophical essay?

1 To simply summarise the study guide and the prescribed reading.

2 Not to care about in-text references.

3 To argue for or against a particular position.

4 To copy information from the internet and make it your own.

15. The following is an ideal structure that an academic essay follow?

1 A body, a conclusion, and a reference list

2 A conclusion, and a reference list.

3 An introduction, a reference list, and a body.

4 An introduction, body, conclusion and reference list

16. Which of the following elements are not essential to an introduction?

1 A plan of the essay

2 A thesis statement.

3 A list of sources consulted.

4 Providing a context to the question.

17. Which of the following best describes the content of the introduction in the paper?

1 Demonstrate the relationship between subsections and themes

2 Account for why a theoretical approach is strong or weak by substantiating it

3 Include the context to the problem being discussed and the main argument

4 List all the source material within the text including the Author’s surname

18. Fill in the missing word(s)/phrase(s).

A ______________ explains the claim that you are defending in the paper.

1 Harvard method

2 Reference list

3 Conclusion

4 Thesis statement
19. What does plagiarism mean?

1 It is when you add an in-text citation when you present someone else’s information.

2 It is providing a list of sources at the end of your essay stipulating the sources consulted.

3 It is using someone’s ideas as if they were your own, and not providing adequate
referencing.

4 It is the process that one goes through when planning a philosophical essay and doing
research.

20. Identify an inaccurate statement about an academic essay

1 You should use the Harvard method of referencing.

2 An Introduction serves to provide a roadmap of the essay.

3 An essay must comprise of bullet points.

4 Your body needs to comprise of well written, logically constructed paragraphs.

21. Which of the following statements about the conclusion of an academic essay is not
accurate?

1 You need to have a nice quote to finish off your essay.

2 You need to provide an overview of what you have done.

3 You need to indicate what you have done in your essay.

4 You should not introduce new information in your conclusion.

22. Which method of referencing is employed by the Discipline of Philosophy at Unisa?

1 Oxford Method of Referencing

2 Harvard Method of Referencing

3 Chicago Method of Referencing

4 Cambridge method of Referencing

23. In which tutorial letter can you find more information about referencing in the essay
that you will write for PLS1502 – Introduction to African Philosophy?

1 Tutorial Letter 201

2 Tutorial Letter 301

3 Tutorial Letter 101

4 Tutorial Letter 202

24. Which of the following statements best reflects the character of a paragraph in an
academic essay?

1 Every paragraph should deal with one point.

2 Paragraphs should not follow on one another.

3 Paragraphs need not be logically constructed.

4 A paragraph should have more than one point.

25. Choose the correct answer. The correct name for this module is?

1 African Philosophy

2 Australasian philosophy

3 Introduction to African philosophy

4 Introduction to Western philosophy

26. Why is African philosophy offered at Unisa?

1 So that students embark on the philosophical study arising from the Africa experience

2 So that students can be shown that African philosophy does not exist

3 So that students can be taught about scientific method

4 None of the above

27. Which is the worst reason to register for the module ‘Introduction to African
Philosophy’?

1 As a foreigner I am eager to learn the philosophies coming from the African continent

2 My experience as an African automatically qualifies me as a competent philosopher

3 My Ghanaian parents encouraged me to do so

4 Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology offers it as a course

28. The Department that offers this module at Unisa is?

1 Law Department

2 Theological Ethics Department

3 Philosophy Department

4 Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology Department

29. This module is offered at Unisa:

1 Yearly

2 Semesterly

3 Biannually

4 None of the above

30. In this module the term ‘Africa’ is deconstructed because it describes:

1 Climatic conditions of the continent

2 The landscape of the African continent

3 The cultural life of the people of the continent

4 The mineral resources of the people of the continent

31. Why should the term “Africa” be problematized despite its popularity in everyday
usage?

1 The disputes that surround its use ultimately pertain to natural and historical justice

2 The disputes are simply the matters arising from debates of academic curiosity

3 The meaning of the term has led to the confusion caused by academic debates

4 The debates come as a result of differences in thinking between Western’s and African
people’s ways of thinking

32. The origin of the term “Africa” within this module is said to have come from which
of the following

1 The historical and cultural life of the people of the continent

2 Africans themselves

3 Greek and Roman experiences of ‘Northern Africa’ and its climatic conditions

4 None of the above

33. In this module we argue that the controversy of the term ‘Africa’ from the fact that:

1 Africans were colonized by non-Africans

2 Africans do not like the term

3 The term is not home-grown, but is an imposition from outside

4 The term itself is complex

34. In the Study guide it is stated that the question, ‘Can there be an African
philosophy?’ is an ontological, rather than an empirical question. This statement
implies that:

1 The questioner is affirming the existence of African philosophy

2 The questioner doubts if Africans in their being have a rational capacity to do

philosophy

3 The questioner prefers the study of Ontology to African philosophy

4 The questioner is proposing the destruction of African philosophy

35. The two African philosophers in this module who argue that the question of whether
African philosophy exists or not, is an ontological rather than an empirical question,
are:

1 Gyekye and Bewaji

2 Biakolo and Oruka

3 Ramose and Imbo

4 None of the above

36. How many factors does Osuagwu identify for consideration in the definition of an
African philosopher?

1 Six

2 Five

3 Two

4 Four

37. Prof Ali Mazrui distinguishes between ‘Africans of the blood’ and ‘Africans of the
soil’. He then defines the former group in terms of:

1 Educational categories

2 Racial and genealogical terms

3 Geographical terms

4 None of the above

38. In the newspaper article in the Daily Monitor (2009), Mazrui distinguishes between
which two types of Africans?

1 African of the Blood and Africans of the soil

2 Ethno-African and Spatio-temporal African

3 Francophone African and Anglophone African

4 Africans who are Literate and Those who are illiterate

39. The following describes the etymologically of the term ‘philosophy’

1 The love of wisdom

2 The love of practical ideas

3 The love of education

4 The love of money

40. In his explication of the term, ‘African philosophy,’ Osuagwu considers the adjective
‘African’ as

1 The spoiler of the dignified subject of philosophy

2 The localising or particularising factor of philosophy.

3 The critical factor of all philosophies

4 None of the above

41. The term ‘African’ in African philosophy refers to:

1 African Philosophy as a Universal practice

2 The experiences of people and their knowledge

3 It doesn’t actually mean anything within the discipline

4 The reasoning style involved in its academic practice

42. The term ‘philosophy’ in African philosophy refers to:

1 The practice of African Philosophy

2 The history of African Philosophy

3 The geography of African Philosophy

4 The particularity of African Philosophy

43. Fill in the corresponding missing words in the following statement

The a) --------------- of African philosophy refers to the b) ………………. of philosophy

that distinguish it from Western, Indian or Chinese philosophies

1 A) Philosophicality; B) Love

2 A) Ethnicity; B) Uniqueness

3 A) Africanity; B) Specificity

4 A) Discourse; B) Idea

44. Which term does not best define the AFRICANITY of African philosophy?

1 Techno-African

2 Ethno-African

3 Geo-temporal African

4 Meridian-African

45. Which statement best describe Post-colonial African philosophy?

1 Post-colonial African philosophy is based on the knowledge of the truth of and the
truth about Africa as is experienced by Africans

2 Post-colonial African philosophy relates to the acceptance of the distorted and unreal
images of Africans during colonialization by colonizers

3 Post-colonial African philosophy affirms the necessity of Africans to be spoken for and to
have non-Africans constructing their identity

4 The belief that between African and Western Philosophies has been limited to Africa’s
historical experience since colonialization
46. What is the best way to approach the question “What is African Philosophy”?

1 Distinguish between African and European people’s ability to think

2 Agree with the view that Europeans should dominate philosophical thought and other types
do no matter

3 Uncover the assumptions held about Africa in order to understand how they affect
our understandings

4 Focus on an African people and exclude the examination of their colonial history

47. When should we question the standard of “objectivity” in writers who examine
“African” histories and her cultures?

1 When such writings recognize the complexity in peoples in the region of the African
continent

2 When they result in the disfigurement and distortion of the image and identity of the
indigenous people of Africa

3 When the discussions around philosophy acknowledges the rationality of those produce its
works

4 When the writings of those from the West question the ways in which Africans are
portrayed in history

48. Which of the following statements does not define communitarianism?

1 Community life is not optional for any individual

2 The human person must not live in isolation from other persons

3 The human person is an individualist and must always be independent of others

4 The human person is naturally oriented toward other persons

49. According to Imbo different philosophies such as African, Western, Chinese and
Indian arise because of:

1 Different climatic condition in different parts of the world

2 Different IQ’s among different people

3 Different educational backgrounds among people

4 Different experiences of the world by different people

50. One of the challenges of mainstream philosophy levelled by post-Modernism is for
its assumption that:

1 African philosophy exists

2 there is one reality that is accessible to any impartial observer

3 Western philosophy does not exist

4 None of the above

51. Post-modernism, as perceived by Imbo represents:

1 A voice calling rather for an inclusive approach that allows the different experiences
of humanity to construct complementary narratives

2 A vague philosophy which criticises everything

3 Bold stances against African philosophy

4 A narrow thinking on philosophy

52. According to Imbo, the question “What is African philosophy” is a complex question
because:

1 We have to consider what counts as philosophy in the strictest sense

2 We have to consider who is making the definition and for what audience

3 We must take into considerations one’s ideological commitments

4 All of the above

53. One of the contributions of Post-Modernism to African Philosophy is:

1 The belief that African philosophy is better than every philosophy in the world

2 The idea that there is no one school of philosophy that can capture the truth once and
for all

3 The idea that all philosophies must fall in favour of party-politics

4 None of the above

54. According to Paulin Hountondji and Tsenay Serequeberhan, the affirmation of
African philosophy requires the existence of:

1 Written text alone

2 Oral tradition alone

3 Both oral and literary tradition

4 None of the above

55. Biakolo’s ‘Categories of cross-cultural cognition’ are about:

1 Cultural exchange between Westerners and Africans

2 The categorical imperatives of African culture

3 How the Western world thought about the ‘Other’ in general and the ‘African’ in
particular

4 Cultural philosophy of some African countries

56. Which statement best describes the arguments made by Biakolo in the essay,
‘Categories of cross-cultural cognition and the African condition’ 2002:

1 The Western-cross-cultural paradigm provides key insights into African past and present

2 It is misjudgement that Africans can be characterized as pre-logical, perceptual or

religious in their being

3 That such Western centric beliefs in categories such as logical and prelogical can help us
understand the African way of reasoning

4 Biakolo submits that the ideas of Levy-Bruhl and his explanation of savage and civilized
help us understand complex African identities
57. Which statement best describes the key arguments in the paper, ‘Categories of
cross-cultural cognition and the African condition’ by E Biakolo 2002:

1 To list the various descriptions of non-Caucasian races provided by the Western

world and determine their usefulness in understanding the African

2 To show how the trend of ethnophilosophy can still be useful in understanding African
philosophy even though it may not be ‘strictly philosophical’

3 To identify the types of thinking as being either based on text or oral thought and examines
the various ways in which philosophy thought this

4 To argue in favour of an African philosophy that acknowledges the importance of religious

belief on the ideas from the continent

58. The main point of Biakolo’s work ‘Categories of cross-cultural cognition and the
African condition’ is the following:

1 The 5 categories don’t give reliable insight into the African condition

2 The 5 categories explain in precise terms who and what Africans are

3 The 5 categories are right and accurate about Europeans and wrong about Africans

4 The 5 categories can best explain the being of an African and a European

59. How can the trend of Anglophone African philosophy be best described?

1 It examines the problems within African identity as a central philosophical theme

2 It features Ethno-philosophy and the critique of Africanist discourses as prominent themes

3 It was critical of Eurocentricism and its derogative ideas pertaining to the “primitive”
mentality of Africans

4 It focuses on the dilemma of modernism which aimed to include the experiences of

Africans

60. Why do philosophers differ in the way they develop their philosophies?

1 They differ in the skills of reason and cognitive abilities

2 They differ according to their ability to critically engage

3 They differ in their fields of interest and life experiences

4 They don’t differ because philosophy is a universal activity

61. The fact that there are various trends within African philosophy is indicative of
which of the following

1 The poverty of thought within the discipline

2 The non-existence of African philosophy

3 The limited vision of African philosophers

4 The diversity and richness within the discipline

62. ‘Trends’ in African philosophy means the following:

1 Different goals of reaching wisdom in life

2 Different classifications and methods of doing African philosophy

3 Different categories of contemporary African philosophies and philosophers

4 None of the above

63. Nkombe and Smet (1978) make the following classification of African philosophy:

1 Four-fold classification

2 Three-fold classification

3 Six-fold classification

4 None of the above

64. Identify the statement that best describes Nkombe and Smet’s (1978) use of the
Synthetic current in their classification of African philosophy:

1 It involves the use of the hermeneutical method in order to solve problems

2 It involves philosophers geared to improving political and cultural situations

3 It involves the analysis of ideas and beliefs found in the traditional setting

4 It involves the ideas produced in the professional and academic setting

65. Which statement best describes the “synthetic current” in African philosophy as
describe by Nkombe and Smet?

1 It involves philosophers who use the hermeneutical method to solve problems

2 It involves philosophers geared towards improving political and cultural situation of

African people

3 It involves the use of traditional ideas and practices as a source for African philosophy

4 It involves the use of scientific research methodologies as a way of testing out theories

66. The two classification of African philosophy according to Wiredu are:

1 Modern and traditional African philosophy

2 Ancient and medieval African philosophy

3 Post-modern and Modern African philosophy

4 Traditional and Contemporary African philosophy

67. Anglophone African philosophy is promoted by

1 African American philosophers

2 Philosophers from the Anglican Church

3 Philosophers from previously English colonies

4 Philosophers from previously French colonies

68. Which statement is used to describe Anglophone African philosophy according to

your study guide?

1 Early philosophers of this trend were critical of the Eurocentric thought

2 It deals with questions regarding the dilemma of Modernism

3 It provides a critique of Africanist discourses

4 Propounded by philosophers from previously colonies that are French speaking

69. Which statement is used to describe Francophone African philosophy in the study
guide?

1 Propounded by philosophers from previously English colonial lands in Africa

2 It is influenced by the analytical style of philosophizing

3 One of its discourses involved the questioning of identity

4 Odera Oruka and Mogobe Ramose are some of its leading figures

70. Identify the statement that best describe cosmology

1 It examines the current trends within metaphysical philosophy

2 It looks at the universe in its totality and humanity’s place within it

3 It looks at the various definition of community and personhood

4 The ways in which Africans understand their place in the universe

71. What is Cosmology the study of?

1 The various trends in metaphysics philosophy

2 The universe in its totality, and by extension, humanity’s place in it

3 The community and their collective behavioural norms

4 The ways in which Africans understand their place in the universes

72. The concept of “discourse” has been an important theme in the study of African
philosophy. Why has it been important in this discipline?

1 It influences the beliefs of those engaging in the debates within this field

2 It justifies the type of thinking or rationality specific to Western thinkers

3 It shows the interchange of ideas and conversations unique to Africans

4 It assumes a universal Western thinking and its applicability to Africans

73. Why is it important to understand the ‘discourses’ on Africa and Africans?

1 It can influence your beliefs on the existence of African philosophy

2 It shows the capacity of orderly thought or procedure, rationality that is only done by
western thinkers

3 It shows a verbal interchange of ideas, conversation that is unique to an African and

meridian people

4 It assumes the university through the ability of western philosophy in being able to explain
the lived experience

74. What was the main point in John A Bewaji’s (2004), ‘Ethics and Morality in Yoruba
culture’?

1 Moral obligations in African morality are social rather than individual

2 Ethical principles within African communities are anti-humanist

3 The basis of moral thought in African societies is human welfare

4 African are religious in their beliefs and understanding of God

75. One of the misconceptions uncovered by Biakolo in his analysis of the five cross-
cultural analysis is that:

1 African people are truly scientific, logical and conceptual in their view of reality

2 African people must embrace their cultural heritage and develop it further to greater heights

3 For Africa to develop, the path it must tread involves abandoning an oral, magical,
pre-logical past, and gradually assimilating a written, logical scientific culture of the
West.

4 None of the above

76. According to Biakolo, the cross-cultural categories that he discussed:

1 help us understand European people’s mind

2 Help us to understand Africa’s past

3 Help stop the exploitation of African people

4 Merely serve to repeat the outdated myth of Africa as the ‘white man’s burden’
77. Who is the author of ‘The struggle for reason in Africa’?

1 Bewaji

2 Imbo

3 Ramose

4 None of the above

78. The main point of Ramose in his work, ‘The struggle for reason in Africa is that:

1 Africans are people who cannot reason

2 Europeans are distinguishable rational beings

3 Africans, Amerindians and Australasians are excluded in the category of beings that
possess rationality

4 All of the above

79. A key point of Ramose in his work, ‘The struggle for reason in Africa’ is that,

1 Amerindians are people who cannot reason

2 Africans are being excluded from humanity

3 Europeans have a distinguishable rationality

4 All of the above

80. Why according to Ramose in the text ‘The struggle for reason in Africa (2002)’ did
Aristotle’s ideas seem to have inspired the philosophy of colonization?

1 Aristotle’s exclusion of woman in the category of human would be used to justify

inequality

2 Aristotle’s definition of “man” was applied to Amerindians, Australasian and Africans

during colonial conquest

3 Aristotle’s definition of “man” excluded Africans and as a result would be used to

justify colonial expansion

4 Aristotle’s views on the Amerindian and African peoples is still used as basis for the
various trends in African philosophy
81. In his essay, ‘The struggle for reason in Africa’, Ramose expresses among others:

1 The need for Africans to protect themselves against the colonizers

2 The need for Africans to revenge themselves against the colonizers

3 The need for Africans to construct an authentic and truly African discourse about
Africa so as to break the silence imposed on them.

4 The need for Africans to engage in mimesis of Western discourses

82. In ‘The struggle for reason in Africa’, Ramose is among others critical of colonizers
for:

1 Initiating the process of decolonization in Africa

2 Making it difficult for Africans to unite

3 Assisting Africans to construct their own discourses about Africa

4 Claiming to be the sole producers of all knowledge and the only holders of truth

83. Ramose, in the same essay, equally criticises his fellow Africans for:

1 Writing poor discourses on the evolution of Africa

2 Reducing themselves into being passive as well as uncritical assimilators, coupled with
faithful implementation of knowledge produced from outside Africa

3 Cooperating with colonizers in the underdevelopment of Africa

4 Not taking education seriously

84. Implied in Aristotle’s statement that, ‘Man is a rational animal’ lies, according to
Ramose:

1 A subtle racism and sexism

2 An understatement of the century

3 A great philosophy of ‘man’

4 None of the above

85. In the struggle for reason in Africa, the author argues, among others that,

1 Aristolle’s definition of the human person, seems to exclude Africans, Australasians

and Amerindians

2 Africas are depicted as being equal to all other peoples of the world

3 Women are affirmed as equal partners

4 Reason is a scarce resource among human beings

86. Ramose’s statement that discourse on Africa are dominated by non-Africans can
mean the following

1 that Africans are outspoken on discourse on African Philosophy

2 that Europeans and Americans are dominating all discourses on Europe

3 that Africans need to study other discourse also

4 that research on African studies is being led by people who are not of African origin

87. What is the name of the tutorial letter that contains information about your
assignments?

1 Tutorial Letter 501

2 Tutorial Letter 301

3 Tutorial Letter 101

4 Tutorial Letter 201

88. How many factors does Osuagwu identify for consideration in the definition of an
African philosopher?

1 Four

2 Two

3 Five

4 Six
89. According to Imbo different philosophies such as African, Western, Chinese and
Indian arise because of:

1 Different experiences of the world by different people

2 Different educational backgrounds among people

3 Different IQ’s among different people

4 Different climatic conditions in different parts of the world

90. How many study units are in this module?

14

22

35

46

91. According to your study guide how did the term “Africa” come to pass?

1 In antiquity, the Greeks and Romans are said to have based the name on their
experiences with climate

2 The Mediterranean provided a platform for cultural interaction amongst the European and
Amerindian settlers

3 The name Africa was originally coined by the Western Europe in the conquest of the
continent

4 Indigenous populations such as the Akan, San and Bantu created the term

92. Why is the statement “Can there be an African philosophy?” pre-eminently an

ontological, not an empirical question?

1 It asks us to evaluate the means in which an African philosophy is understood by those who
study it

2 It assumes the very nature of African and asks if they are “rational animals” or not

3 It results in a lack of need for an ethical and political imperative to affirm an African
humanity

4 It means that the Yoruba understanding of personhood are excluded as they do include an
ontological study
93. The Africanity philosophy refers to the specificity or particularity of philosophy
meaning that:

1 It does not matter if it’s like other philosophies

2 It’s a set of characteristics that distinguish African philosophy from Western or

Indian or Chinese philosophies

3 It identifies the techno-African as an expatriate African as not having the skill of

‘rationality’ required to be African philosopher

4 It examines the epistemological process that has occupied Western philosophy

94. Kwasi Wiredu (1980), argues that African Philosophy must be distinguished from
traditional world views. What are reasons for this?

1 African philosophy becomes more accessible to the Western and European academic study

2 By asserting its practice as recent it asserts how there was no philosophising taking place in
precolonial philosophy

3 To show the need for an African philosophy to be textually based study

4 To emphasise that it is being produced by contemporary philosophers and is still in

the making

95. Which trend does Kwasi Wiredu identity in his classification?

1 Traditional African philosophy

2 Professional African philosophy

3 Sage African Philosophy

4 Techno-African Philosophy

96. Serequeberhan’s conception of African philosophy emphasises which of the

following traits?

1 It must be written; it must reflect on the verities of history but can also be written by
non-Africans

2 A set of texts written only by Africans and described as philosophical by the authors

3 The separation between traditional African ideas from those created within the Academic
setting

4 A focus on the creation of dialogue between Western and African ways of thinking
97. Why is it important to think philosophically about discourse in African philosophy?

1 The ideas surrounding the discipline must be reviewed for their biases and provide
their valid critique

2 When reading the philosophy papers by proponents of the discipline we would only read
their papers without evaluating their claims

3 By engaging in a philosophical investigation, we will understand the specificity of

philosophy such as “geo-ethno-technical” factors

4 Since philosophy literally means “the love of wisdom “it shows why academics choose
their disciplines

98. African thinkers critique Eurocentrism and how it places Western civilization at the
center of knowledge production, and ‘the rest’ in the periphery because…

1 It adequately places Africans according to their political relevance

2 It ensures a better understanding of world political history and governance

3 It assumes European understandings of the world are the most important

4 It places African traditional beliefs as the source of Western Philosophy

99. What does ontology examine within the study of philosophy?

1 It examines the ways in which meaning is constructed within the African context

2 It examines the nature of entities or whether they can be said to exist; and their
relationship with each other

3 It examines the extent to which social and political influences impact understandings of
concepts

4 It examines the various categories within Philosophical trends establishing their relevance
to the disciplinary practice
100. Which statement best describes an “African Ontology”?

1 It promotes an understanding of reality that can only be understood through visible and
material phenomena

2 It promotes a view of relationships between people that is based on religious

understandings

3 It promotes a holistic view of reality which emphasises the material and non-material
phenomena

4 It seeks to understand the world as being connected through political forces that influence
social relations

101. What is the best descriptor of the intra-personal pole of philosophy?

1 A human person is conceived as a composite substance made up of body and soul

2 A person is not only related to himself and is not an isolated, individuated being

3 A community is made up various of isolated beings that function to ensure the benefit of
the collective

4 The nation state is understood as being critical in understanding the function and purpose of
individuals

102. What is Gyekye’s critique of Menkiti in the paper “Person and community in
African thought” (2002)

1 He argues against a description of community that is all-powerful and individuals run

the risk of failing to achieve personhood

2 He agrees with his understanding of community where children are not mourned for at their
death as they have not achieved personhood

3 He disagrees with Menkiti’s on his view that African philosophy cannot be textually based

4 None of the above

103. How does Gyekye (2002) in the same paper think about individual human rights
in relation to his ‘Moderate communitarianism?

1 There is no space for human rights because the needs of the community surpass those of the
individual

2 The community’s cultural development and success rests on the realisation of how it is
important to allow for the exercise of individual rights

3 The community must be considerate to the needs of the individual when giving out
punishments

4 Society cannot function without the assistance of state institutions and so individual rights
supersede those of the community

104. Kwame Gyekye may be regarded among others as:

1 A moderate or soft communitarian

2 A radical communitarian

3 A radical individualist

4 None of the above

105. Which of the following statements does not define communitarianism?

1 Community life is not optional for any individual

2 The human person must not live in isolation from other persons

3 The human person is an individualist and must always be independent of others

4 The human person is naturally oriented toward other persons and must have relationships
with them
106. The statement that best describes a moderate communitarian is the following

1 A person is an independent being who should not be bothered about others

2 A person is both a communal being and an autonomous self-determining, self-

assertive being with a capacity for evaluation and choice

3 A person is a communal being who must always be interested in others

4 None of the above

107. Which statement best describes an ‘African morality and ethics’?

1 There is great emphasis on human rights and making sure that the individual rights
outweigh those of the collective

2 It is heavily guided by religious beliefs in which God is the source of what is said to be ‘the
good’

3 It is the same as western morality and ethics in every aspect

4 It is organic in nature, in the sense that it grows within the community and permeates
every sphere of communal life