Daily Schedule
9:00 Breakfast
9:30 Session 1
12:30 Lunch
2 Session 2
3:30 Afternoon break
3:45-5 Session 2 ctd
Monday June 23
Note: please click on each underlined title below to go directly to the reading. More extensive bibliographical details for the readings are available here.
Session 1: Introduction
Required
Menkiti, I.A. “Normative Instability as a Source of Africa’s Political Disorder.” (2001)
Peter P. Ekeh. “Colonialism and the Two Publics in Africa: A Theoretical Statement.” (1975)
St. Augustine. City of God, Books 4, 15, 19
Ian Coller. “African Liberalism in the Age of Empire? Hassuna D’Ghies and Liberal Constitutionalism in North Africa, 1822-1835.” (2015)
Recommended
Abdulyakeen, Abdulrasheed. “Historical Development of African Political Thought: A Thematic Review.” (2022)
Session 2: Legitimacy and Political Obligation
Required
Mandela, Nelson. “Armed Struggle." (1986)
Gyekye, Kwame. Tradition and Modernity: Philosophical Reflections on the African Experience, Chapter 6. (1997)
Táíwò, Olúfẹ́mi. “Political Obligation and Military Rule." (1996)
Fatima Mernissi. Islam and Democracy, Chapters 1-3 (1992)
Recommended
Jeffers, Chike. “Embodying Justice in Ancient Egypt: The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant as a Classic of Political Philosophy.” (2013)
Nyerere, Julius. “Arusha Declaration Parliament.” (1970)
Tuesday June 24
Session 3: Oppression and Liberation
Required
Al-Timbukti, Ahmed Baba. M’iraj al-Su’ud: Ahmed Baba’s Replies on Slavery. (2000)
Memmi, Albert. 1971. Dominated Man, Chapter 13. (1971)
Cabral, Amílcar. 1979 [1972]. “Homage to Kwame Nkrumah.”
Cabral, Amílcar. 1969 [1964]. “Brief Analysis of the Social Structure in Guinea.”
Recommended
Biko, Steve. “Day One”. from The Testimony of Steve Biko. (1979)
Session 4: Nationalism
Required
Abdel Malek, Anouar. Egypt: Military Society, Chapter 12 (1968)
Kenneth Kaunda. A Humanist in Africa, Chapter 5 (1966)
Issa Shivji. "The Rise, The Fall and the Insurrection of Nationalism in Africa." (1993)
Recommended
Cabral, Amílcar. “National Liberation and Culture.” (1970)
Cabral, Amílcar. “The Weapon of Theory: Presuppositions and Objectives of National Liberation in Relation to Social Structure.” (1966)
Wednesday June 25
Session 5: Freedom and Liberty (1)
Required
Babu, A.M. "Fighting Internal Oppression." (1981)
Lamine Senghor. “The Negro’s Fight for Freedom” (1927)
K.T. Houenou. “The Problem of Negroes in French Colonial Africa” (1924)
Mandela, Nelson. “Address to Court before Sentence” (1965)
Recommended
Nkrumah, Africa Must Unite, “Introduction”, Chapter 8 (1963)
Kofi A. Busia, “The Political Heritage of Africa in Search of Democracy” (1995)
Sekou Toure, “The Political Leader Considered as the Representative of a Culture” (1959)
Nyerere, Julius “The African and Democracy” (1961)
Session 6: Freedom and Liberty (2)
Required
Mernissi, Fatima. Islam and Democracy, Chapter 6. (2002)
Nzegwu, Nkiru. Family Matters: Feminist Concepts in African Philosophy and Culture, Chapter 4 (2006)
Táíwò, Olúfẹ́mi. “‘The Love of Freedom Brought Us Here’: An Introduction to Modern African Political Philosophy.” (2010)
Recommended
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, “An Open Door” (2004)
Michael Neocosmos, Thinking Freedom in Africa, Chapter 2 (2016)
Thursday June 26
Session 7: African Communalism and its Critics
Required
Senghor, Léopold Sédar. "The African Road to Socialism." (1968)
Masolo, D.A. Self and Community in a Changing World, chapters 3 and 6. (2010)
Matolino, Bernard. “Exorcising the Communitarian Ghost: D.A. Masolo’s Contribution.” (2011)
Táíwò, Olúfẹ́mi. “Against African Communalism.” (2016)
Recommended
Olga, Yurkivska. “A Question Mark Against Ubuntu: Comparisons with Russian Communitarianisms.” (2001)
Nyerere, Julius. “The Rational Choice.” (1970)
Nkrumah, Kwame. Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology for De-Colonization and Development with Particular Reference to the African Revolution. (1970)
Session 8: Law
Required
Nzegwu, Nkiru. Family Matters: Feminist Concepts in African Philosophy and Culture, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 (2006)
Sarbah, J.M. Fanti Customary Laws. [The Introduction and Chapter 1, pages 1- 33] (1904)
La Charte de Koroukan Fuga/The Mande Charter (1235)
Hayford, J. E. Casely. Gold Coast Native Institutions, Appendix C (1903)
Friday June 27
Session 9: Citizenship
Required
Mamdani, Mahmood. When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda, Chapter One (2001)
Obafemi Awolowo. “Towards Federal Union.” (1944)
An-Naim, Abdullahi. “Constitutionalism, Human Rights, and Citizenship," chapter 3 of Islam and the Secular State (2008)
Recommended
Horton, James Africnaus Beale. African Countries and Peoples. (1868)
Táíwo, Olúfẹ́mi, “Of Citizens and Citizenship”
Session 10: Conclusion
No readings. We'll use this session to draw the week's material together and workshop ideas for integrating what we've learned into participants' existing and future courses.