Description

Course Description and Objectives: Abibidwene Fapem (Foundations of  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ Thought) aims to fill a gap in the epistemological universe of the typical MPhil/PhD student regarding  km ‘Black’ philosophies. Abibidwene Fapem (Foundations of  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ Thought) course will introduce students to the core principles, modes, patterns, and history of thought and knowledge production in  Kmt ‘The Black Nation/Land of the Blacks’ and the  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ World, from antiquity to the present. In the course, we introduce students to a variety of fundamentally  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ concepts and ideas applicable to the development of contemporary indigenous  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ theoretical and conceptual frameworks for use in their own research. As such, students will acquire familiarity with rich and profound interdisciplinary primary sources (e.g., astronomy, medicine, literature, etc.). They will also be introduced to the writings of classical and contemporary  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ philosophers and gain an understanding of pertinent evaluative criteria and organizing principles to assist in developing their own research in innovative ways.

This course will combine lectures, discussions, and class presentations as well as guest lectures and field trips as the modes of teaching.

At the end of the course, students would have acquired an understanding of the cosmology undergirding  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ Thought and Philosophy; acquired some tools of analysis for differentiating among cosmologies of the world; gained an exposure to the manifestations of the fundamental tenets of the  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’  Worldview throughout the continent and the diaspora; and become familiar with innovative approaches to the study of  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’  Thought and their implementation in  Kmt(yw) ‘Black People’ Studies research.