Bern, Denise Henrietta (1998) A Philosophical Assessment of the Role of Personal and Impersonal Paradigms in Explanations according to the views of Robin Horton. Masters thesis, University of South Africa.
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Abstract
My view is that an inauthentic life is a crime against wisdom and it is particularly inauthentic to dismiss the contribution of other cultures to our understanding of the world on the grounds of their perceived inferiority. As Westerners we believe we are in possession of truth and rationality. The notion of Western superiority has been driven by the ideas of objectivity, truth, rationality and Western scientific methods. It is based on misguided beliefs that ascendancy is determined by issues like sex, creed or colour. However, our perceptions are as distorted and limited as those of our traditional neighbours. According to Robin Horton (1974) there is no difference in status between the explanations of reality, offered in Western science and those offered in African thinking. There is only a difference in the paradigms or idioms used. He substantiates his view by analysing what is involved when explanations are given and complements his analysis with examples taken from Western science and African thinking. He makes general claims about the nature of explanation and compares Western science with African thinking in order to show that both types of thinking can be accounted for by the structure of explanation.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Martin Lucas Mkoba |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jan 2017 12:07 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Jan 2017 12:37 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/1033 |
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