Event exploring contributions of African phenomenology to African / Africana philosophy, postcolonial / decolonial discourse, and the international phenomenological community.
Sponsoring / Hosting Institutions:
University of Fort Hare, RSA
University of Pretoria, RSA
North-West University, RSA
Centre for Phenomenology in South Africa (CPSA)
African phenomenology is an emerging subfield within the broader domain of African and Africana philosophy. The phenomenological method, with its various approaches to studying the meaning of human experience, has been a cornerstone in the thought of African Philosophers such as Paulin Hountondji, Tsenay Serequeberhan and D.A. Masolo, and proponents of Africana Philosophy such as Frantz Fanon, Lucius Outlaw and Lewis Gordon. While this philosophical approach has most evidently informed such thinkers, their contributions are often ‘siloed’, separated from, or neglected in the larger discursive terrain of African / Africana philosophy, postcolonialism / decolonisation, and the global phenomenology movement. The purpose of this colloquium is to explore contributions of African phenomenology to African / Africana philosophy, postcolonial / decolonial discourse, and deliberations within the international phenomenological community.
5-6 March 2020, Crawford Beach Lodge in Chintsa, South Africa
Organisers: Abraham Olivier (UFH); Justin Sands (NWU); Malesela J. Lamola (UP); Keo Mbebe (UP).
Format:
> The event will be centered around four keynote speakers, speaking individually, and with two response papers tailored to their specific paper, thus 4 Keynotes with 8 respondents.
> Thereafter, a moderator will generate discussion between the keynotes and respondents, and eventually will conduct a Q&A session with the general audience.
> Each keynote will be given 60 minutes to speak and the respondents will be given 15 minutes each (30 minutes in total). The general Q&A will last 30 minutes. Each session will last approximately 120 minutes.
Potential Research Output:
The organizing committee has discussed a possible special issue or anthology that will publish the keynote speakers’ papers along with responses. It may conclude with the keynotes formally responding to said responses, or perhaps a transcription of a roundtable discussion.
Confirmed speakers:
- Prof. Lewis Gordon, University of Connecticut, USA.
- Prof. Paulin Hountondji, University of Louisville, USA
- Prof. Rozena Maart, UKZN, RSA
- Prof. Achille Mbembe, Wits, RSA
Papers should be made available by 15 January 2020 for distribution to and selection by respondents.
Confirmed respondents:
- Dr. Chris Allsobrook, University of Fort Hare, RSA.
- Prof. Patrick Eldridge, University of New Brunswick, Canada.
- Prof. Andrea Hurst, NMU, RSA
- Prof. Bernard Matolino, UKZN, RSA
- Prof. Uchenna Okeja, Rhodes University, RSA.
- Prof. Mogobe Ramose (summative respondent), Research Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences, Universityin Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa.
Submission:
A few slots remain for respondents. Those who are interested in being a respondent, please submit a motivation to [email protected] or [email protected] by 30 September 2019.
Program frame:
Day 1:
14:00-14:15 Opening
14:15-16:15 Session one: Achille Mbembe
17:00-19:00 Session two: Rozena Maart
Day 2:
09:30-11:30 Session three: Paulin Hountondji
13:00-15:00 Session four: Lewis Gordon
15:30-16:30 Session five: Panel discussion with keynotes / summative response by Mogobe Ramose
16:30 Close
Contact:
Abraham Olivier (UFH): [email protected]