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Article Reviewon Ethiopian Political Theory, Democracy, and Surplus History
Muktar Edris Burka
Ethiopian Political Theory, Democracy, and Surplus History
Author(s): Maimire Mennasemay
Source: International Journal of Ethiopian Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1/2
(Summer/Fall 2005-2006), pp. 1-32
Published by: Tsehai Publishers
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27828854
Accessed: 30-11-2019 09:12 UTC
1. Abstract .The article deals with Tabula rasa theorizing the Ethiopian politics and
Surplus-History to elaborate the Ethiopian Democratic culture within the context
of the country using the of indigenous idea how to overcome the political problem
and poverty by introducing justices and social cultures.
2.Introduction
The issue of tabula rasa theorizing in Ethiopian studies is considered through an
examination of Ethiopian political thinking and practices. The article argues that a
conception of history that includes its "surplus" is the condition of possibility or
developing categories of political understanding that could make freedom and
social justice the axioms of Ethiopian politics and it concludes with an examination
of the need for Ethiopian political theory to integrate into common discourse the
values and ideas of democracy through an interpretative appropriation of past and
present Ethiopian social practices so that a political culture could emerge that would
make democratic values the axioms of Ethiopian politics He conclude with a
consideration of the need for Ethiopian political theory to indigenize the
universal values and ideas of democracy through an interpretative re-
appropriation of the meanings constitutive of Ethiopian social practices so
that a political culture could emerge that would make freedom and social
justice the axioms of Ethiopian politics. Although there are good points in
the article, it contains unclear ideas and undefined culture and ruling
traditional ruling system like “Gada System‘
3.Summary of article Review
From the 1974 to1991 Ethiopia was affected w it h d is a s t r o us political
and e c o no mic crises which were brought millions of the society exposed to
the famine and malnutrition and these would trigger an internal critical
reflection on the ideas and ideals that could help Ethiopians construct a
better society. In the article he was discussed how tabula rasa theorizing has
impoverished Ethiopian political thinking and develop a number of ideas to
show the need for an Ethiopian political theory rooted in Ethiopian history
and He enucleate from within Ethiopian history an interrelated set of
concepts-surplus- history and others.
He claims that knowledge is one of the necessary conditions for extricating
Ethiopia from poverty and oppression. But, what kind of knowledge?

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Borrowings of knowledge from the Western is not advance the Ethiopia and
the country still one of the poorest countries on the planet. " The author
reads Ethiopian culture anamorphically," and generates surplus
knowledge that illuminates his society from a new perspective," while
leaving Ethiopian self- understanding even more opaque. He was then
consider why contemporary Ethiopian political theory must take into
account surplus-history, if it is to provide the ideas and norms necessary
for resolving the intertwined problems of poverty and tyranny.
Ethiopian civilizations, made up of highlands and deserts, inhabited by a
population of diverse cultures and languages, and home to Christianity and
Islam. From the Axumite period onwards to 1991 to political ethnicity, the
gradual construction of Ethiopia took place through complex disintegrative
and integrative processes, triggered by the various interactions of social
forces and ethnies. In Ethiopia, the collapse of the coincidence between
ethnic category and identity exposed the problems of political scarcity
(absence of democracy) and economic scarcity (absence of social
justice), making the break between ethnicity and identity the trigger
that started off the modern struggle for emancipation in different area
by social class like student, Tailor, and other which emerged transition to
democracy and "ethnic liberation", and the work of surplus-history creates
new demand and contradiction leading to the rise of new disintegrative and
integrative forces. But. does not imply that surplus- history has a pre-
determined end. Neglecting surplus-history leads to tabula rasa theorizing,
with all its destructive outcome
Tabula rasa theorizing conclude Ethiopia politics ,Ethiopia was formed as a
colonial state and the country borrowed constitution and policies from
Marxism, but Surplus- History does not agree with it ,that consolidation of
Ethiopia state is the outcome of surplus –history which created the pre-
conditions of the political, demographic, economic, religious and cultural
interconnections created the pre-conditions of the political, demographic,
economic, religious and cultural interconnections.
Not recognizing surplus-history leads to the two interrelated problems
in current Ethiopian political thinking: nation-centrism which forget that
Ethiopia is the composite nation and ethno-centrism claims that Ethiopia
is not "a historically constituted society and conglomeration of diversity.
In exposing the miscognition involved in considering Ethiopia either
as a nation fully formed from its inception or as a collection of
homogeneous ethnies, surplus-history draws our attention to the dynamic
nature of diversity has no value in Ethiopia, but Politically, diversity is
valued only when it contributes to the deepening of the universal
norms of democracy, ethnic interactions that create pan-ethnic identities,

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the move from ethnic to pan-ethnic grounding of political power and to
equate ethnic diversity with political diversity.
He introduce here the concept of yetarikawi adera or historical adera and
the Ethiopian sense of ayat (ancestors) bridges the gap between the
dead and the living by invoking the adera (which means duty, request, and
pleading, all three rolled into one) Ethiopians receive from their ancestors
to carry out unfulfilled tasks. Not to fulfill these tasks is to betray
(massattat) one's ancestors, thus implying that the living have some kind
of moral obligation to complete the unfulfilled tasks of the
past and He argue that yetarikawi adera is internally connected to historical
merdo and a powerful tool in the construction of democracy.
The consideration of surplus-history shows not only the
radical inadequacy of tabula rasa theorizing but also the impossibility of
democracy based on borrowed meanings. One could borrow a democratic
theory but not a democratic culture, and a thriving democracy needs a
democratic culture. Ethiopian political theory could contribute to the
development of a democratic culture only if it succeeds in indigenizing
democratic theory. The best example to illustrate the need for indigenizing
democratic theory is that of Christianity and Islam in Ethiopia
Currently, democracy exists for Ethiopians in two different ways: first, as
ideas, practices and institutions that could overcome tyranny and poverty.
Sem ena werk is an Ethiopian rhetorical trope where the intended meaning
(the gold) is communicated indirectly through statements that carry
surface meanings (the form in the sem or wax) that cloak the intended
one (the werk or the gold). However, there is no guarantee that the
intended meaning is apprehended by the addressee. The addressee may
latch on to the form in the sem and miss the "gold."
If Ethiopians are to move from democracy as a procedure to democracy as a
culture, Ethiopian political theory has to abandon tabula rasa theorizing and
enucleate from Ethiopia's surplus-history meanings and practices capable
of critically mediating, articulating and indigenizing democratic ideas,
ideals, beliefs, hopes, and tasks.
4. Stre ngth of article s
 The arrangement of the idea follows in the article is good and clear
 Authors used deferent indigenous cultures that are directly expressed by local language
( Amharic) which are important for the development of democratic cultures.
5.Criticism
 From within Ethiopian history an interrelated set of concepts surplus-
history which advocate the domestic democratic cultural politics to
demonstrate that Ethiopian history is deep, rich and complex enough to
generate categories of political understanding that link it with the
universal dimensions of democracy and Beginning of using local language

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to encourage culture democracy in article is important for the development
of democracy to reduce poverty in Ethiopian. Borrowing and
conceptualizing the idea of democracy from other is usefully.
 The overall article ideas is very important and it can share enough
knowledge to researcher, Student and writer.
 But, the article not consider the whole Ethiopian democratic cultures it
bounded/restricted to the northern parties of the country ,for example it
should be include “Gada system” which is the very interesting and base
for the emerging of modern democracy and “Gammo Elders way of
resolving conflict ” and other part of the country, for the collapse of Dreg
during 1991 the victorious is not for TPLF only it victorious of all
Ethiopian.
 Best example of democratic theory is that of Christianity and Islam in
Ethiopia not the only also Oromo Gada System is the first option which is
has good democratic culture than can be a base for Modern Democracy
6.Conclusion:
The author’s arguments that not saying that Ethiopians should not borrow
ideas and practices from the West and Every society borrows something
from others, Rather, it mediated what it borrowed through its own
historically generated social practices and meanings, and used as raw
material for its own development in accord with its own purposes.
According to Tabula Rasa theorizing ,One may borrow a democratic theory,
but one cannot borrow a democratic culture. If Ethiopian political theory
does not assume this task, it will be irrelevant to Ethiopian politics. The
article is clear, and accurate it can be taken as reference for researcher,
writers and other personnel who want to study The Ethiopian Political Theory
and Cultures of the country.
In other words, one of the conditions for making the transition from
democracy as procedure to democracy as culture is a political theory that
attends to the polyphony of Ethiopia's surplus-history and establishes a
fruitful and mutually transformative dialogue with and within
Ethiopian social practices, thus laying the ground for the emergence of a
culture that recognizes freedom and social justice as the axioms of
political life.
Reference
 International Journal of Ethiopian Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1/2
(Summer/Fall 2005-2006), pp. 1-32
 Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27828854
 https://www.aresearchguide.com/write-an-article-review.html