This document discusses African proverbs as a methodology for knowledge production in Africa. It makes three key points: 1) African proverbs contain insights on reality and represent compressed frameworks and conclusions arrived at through induction or deduction, making them an essential part of indigenous critical thinking that should be further interrogated and integrated into mainstream knowledge production. 2) Early colonial ethnographers recognized the value of African traditions like proverbs in understanding African philosophy and ontology. Thinkers like Tempels located the essence of African being in traditional thought and the view that "force is being." 3) Nationalist leaders applied concepts of African identity and ontology to politics. Movements like Négritude and philosophies like Ujamaa emphasized

1. 1
Wisdom of the Elders: African Proverbs as a Methodology for Knowledge
Production in Africa
By Dr. Odomaro Mubangizi
Introduction
Without exception, all African communities have a vast collection of proverbs that contain
insights on reality (natural, social, political, economic, religious, linguistic, and moral). African
philosophy includes proverbs, folktales, riddles, and myths as sources of ethno-philosophy or
even sage philosophy. But little attempt has been made to study African proverbs as a tool in
knowledge production. On close inspection, it becomes clear that African proverbs are akin to
compressed theoretical frameworks, maxims, thesis, hypotheses, or philosophical conclusions
from hidden premises arrived at either by induction or deduction. They are an essential part of
indigenous critical thinking and epistemology. They need to be further interrogated and
integrated in mainstream knowledge production.
Some innovation has already started and a few African scholars cite them in supporting their
analysis and claims. As a writer, one needs to develop the skill of crafting reasoned maxims or
proverbs, around which sub-themes and other arguments can be built. But at the same time, a
writer has to be aware that there are several perspectives and approaches on any given issue.
Ontology: Theoretical Framework and Starting Point of African Philosophy
There is some irony on knowledge production in Africa. Most of formal knowledge production
about Africa, especially in its systematic and published form, was done by colonial
ethnographers and missionaries. This is the case also with African philosophy. The first person

2. 2
to raise the question of whether there is an African ontology (philosophy of being) was a
Belgian Franciscan missionary Father Placide Tempels, who was working in the Congo (present
DRC). i
Tempels gives a very sharp criticism of colonialism especially in its attempt to destroy
Afri a o ld ie a d philosoph : If is a i e agai st edu atio to i pose upo a a e of
men a civilization devoid of philosophy, of practical wisdom and of spiritual aspirations, it would
be a still graver offence to deprive peoples of their own patrimony, which is their only
possessio a le to se e as the sta ti g poi t of highe i ilizatio . ii
The crucial point that
Tempels is making is that the greatest harm that colonialism did to the African people is to deny
them their philosophy by embarking on a civilizing mission.
But where do we find the e esse e of a people s ei g o thei o tolog ? Pla ide
Te pels ightl lo ates the esse e of a people s ei g o thei o tolog i people s t aditio
thought, philosophy of life.iii
On one hand some colonizers were trying by all means to destroy
African thought and worldview by introducing their culture and beliefs, but on the other some
ethnographers and missionaries were entering deeply into African traditions, myths, rites,
foklk-tales, riddles, languages and proverbs to fully understand the African mind. After a
thorough study of Bantu world view with specific reference to Baluba of the Congo, he arrived
at a synthesis of Bantu philosophy thus: Without the ele e t of fo e, ei g a ot e
concei ed. iv
Tempels then arrived at a maxim that summarizes his understanding of Bantu
philosoph is t ue of all Af i a philosoph : Fo e is the atu e of ei g. Fo e is ei g. Bei g is
fo e. v
All beings possess vital force but in varying degrees. It is because of vital force that
certain plants can be used as medicine for curing illnesses. It is because of vital force that

3. 3
certain inanimate objects are prayed upon by diviners or traditional healers and then they
attain special powers.
Every research project is an attempt to understand being or ontology, but for practical
purposes, one has to focus on a specific aspect of being, since it is practically impossible to
grasp all reality in any given research project. It is important to be aware that even as a
researcher specializes on a specific topic, the broader framework of ontology should be kept in
i d so that o e s pa ti ula i estigatio does ot o t adi t the hole. Fo the Af i a o ld
view, the whole of reality or being should be understood from three main perspectives:vi
cosmological, anthropological and theological, corresponding to the three main realities that
are subjects of any investigation—the universe (natural world); human beings; and God.
An essential element in African ontology is life. This view is emphasized by Nkafu when he
asse ts that Life is a p i a fa to , esse tial a d is a e p essio fo e e li i g thi g. vii
In
desig i g o e s esea h topi o thesis, a ke uestio to aise is: ho does the i estigatio i
question enhance life? A Bangwa (Cameroon) saying captures very well the interrelationship
et ee life a d the os os: Nyoh a sembeigh ngong wuo nchem — The su is the life of
e e li i g thi g. viii
From the sun plants get life, and the plants in turn sustain human and
animal life. To disrupt one aspect of the universe is to disrupt the rest. From this
understanding of how all reality is interrelated, it is easy to see the moral implications for
research—to be suspicious of any research or economic/technological programs that
undermine life in its integral dimension. Even though human beings are the only beings that

4. 4
engage in research, they should be constantly aware that they are part of the whole, and must
consider themselves in relation to fellow human beings and the rest of the natural world.
From Ontology to Politics and Ideology
African scholars and nationalist politicians took the issue of African identity seriously as the
struggle for decolonization gained momentum. The Négritude Movement was born in Paris
around 1933-35, by African intellectuals. The assumption behind Négritude is that for one to
struggle for political li e atio o e has to fi st asse t o e s o tolog . To be liberated is to first
of all be recognized as existing and as having an identity. After becoming aware of who they
were, Africans started a concerted struggle against colonialism. After knowing who one is, then
one can claim equal rights, the main one being self rule. The main architects of Négritude who
used poetry and other kinds of literary works to promote African identity are: Léopold Sédar
Senghor and Aimé Césaire. Senghor sums up Négritude as … the whole of the values of
i ilizatio , ultu al, e o o i , so ial, politi al, hi h ha a te ize the la k people… ix
So
Ide tit is u ial to o e s su i al.
Another nationalist thinker who applied the issue of identity to politics is Julius Nyerere with
his Ujamaa philosophy. Using the paradigm of a family, Nyerere designed what he termed
Af i a so ialis . x
Good elatio ship ith o e s eigh o as fo N e e e o e i po ta t
than accumulation of wealth. On why there are not many millionaires in African society,
Nyerere argued that the spirit of sharing takes priority over profit maximization. It is not clear
whether this claim still holds true given the rampant corruption in some African countries.
Nyerere summed up his communitarian ethic thus: We took a e of the o u it , a d the

5. 5
o u it took a e of us. xi
Consider how the individual and the community are in a
reciprocal relationship—both are taken care of. This is a critique of those who tend to claim
that in African philosophy of communitarianism, the individual suffers at the hand of the
community. Far from it. The other issue is on whether African world view is not particularistic
thus exclusive. To this Nyerere added the universal dimension of African socialism expressed in
“ ahili: Binadamu wote ni ndugu zangu, na Africka ni moja—All people are my brothers and
Africa is one.
Kwame Nkrumah also falls in the category of African nationalist/liberationist thinkers who
challenged colonial rule, and called for asserting of African cultural values and a new
consciousness to recover African identity and personality. This was a pre-condition for political
independence of African states. What is philosophy and what is its main tasks according to
Nkrumah? For Nkrumah, philosophy co sists of e aluatio of o e s so ial i u sta es, a d
analysis of facts and events.xii
Philosophy is then a critical reflection on reality in all its forms.
But the centrality of human life and experience forms a crucial aspect of philosophy as
Nkrumah a gues: Philosoph is u de sta di g hu a so iet , alls fo a a al sis of fa ts a d
events, and an attempt to see how they fit into human life, and how they make up human
e pe ie e. xiii
Since this paper is dealing with the philosophical basis for knowledge production, one may
ask where Nkrumah got his insights and ideas from. Clearly he was rooted in his African culture
of Ghana. But he was also exposed to Western philosophical ideas while he studied for ten
years in the United States. He admits that his ideas were shaped by mainstream classical

6. 6
Weste thi ke s: I as i t odu ed to Plato, A istotle, Des a tes, Ka t, “ hope haue ,
Nietzs he, Ma a d othe i o tals… xiv
Exposure to Western thought can either play a
li e ati g o opp essi e ole. It is o e s hoi e. K o ledge, fo Nk u ah, should pla a
emancipator and integrative role for any one who wants to engage in the struggle for national
liberation. He captured this insight very well in his relationship between theory and practice:
…p a ti e ithout thought is li d a d thought ithout p a ti e is e pt . xv
Knowledge has a
revolutionary potential. According to Thomas Khun, even scientific revolutions are brought
about by a radically new thinking, when old theories have failed to explain new realities.
From these three examples of leading African political thinkers, we can draw one lesson on
iti g ith a isio . What ideolog i fo s o e s iti g? Ca o e s iting be considered as
a revolutionary in the sense of brining fresh and new insights in the field of knowledge? And
ost i po ta tl , does o e s k o ledge p odu tio ha e a e a ipato ole? What e luded
and marginalized groups are beneficiaries of one s esea h i the fi al a al sis?
Philosophy and Science as a collection of Reasoned Maxims: Comparative Paramiology
The structure and meaning of African proverbs as pithy wise sayings are not unique to Africa. In
all philosophical systems there are aphoristic sayings that sum up the main claims or assertions,
or even definitions. Take for instance the very definition of philosophy: the love of wisdom. xvi
O “o ates s fa ous e iste tial philosoph that U e a i ed life is ot o th li i g. O e
fu da e tal philosophi al lai s o o tolog o side the follo i g: Cogito ergo sum — I
thi k the efo e I a Des a tes. Co t ast this i di idualist ie ith that of Joh M iti s
Af i a o u ita ia o ld ie : I a e ause e a e, a d si e e a e, the efo e I a . xvii

7. 7
To e is to elo g a d to e i te elated, a o di g to M iti s a i , hile fo Des a tes, it is
thinking that determines being. Implications for knowledge production can be discerned in the
two approaches. In the latter, knowledge production first and foremost is a solitary task and its
product serves the interests of the individual inquirer, while for the latter, knowledge
production should contribute first and foremost to the wellbeing of the community and should
be pursued through the collective effort of members of the community. This partly explains
why in most African communities people rarely ask who coined a given proverb or folk tale.
Even material production of such items as an axe, basket, bee-hive, shield, and arrow, people
do not ask who invented them.
I a uel Ka t s atego i al i pe ati e that e should take people o l as a e d a d ot
as a means, is considered the foundation of his ethical system. He further states his categorical
i pe ati e hi h is as follo s: Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same
time will that it should become a universal law. xviii
Since proverbs are generally culturally
specific, it is important to raise the question of whether they can be taken as universal norms.
Some proverbs in fact point to the fact that values and norms are relative and vary from place
to pla e. O e Kiga/Ba a ko e p o e asse ts that a hild ho does ot t a el, thi ks that
his/he othe is the est ook.
Ka l Ma s fa ous ph ase in the Communist Manifesto o histo that The history of all
hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles su s up his philosoph of history but
also his political thought. Marx further argues that even ideas and culture are a result of the
ha ge i people s ate ial e iste e. He then poses a question a rhetorical question to

8. 8
e phasize this poi t: What else does the histo of ideas p o e, tha that i telle tual
productio ha ges its ha a te i p opo tio as ate ial p odu tio is ha ged? xix
Some
Af i a p o e s that elate po e , ealth a d k o ledge a e the follo i g: If ou at h
ou pot, ou food ill ot u Mau eta ia ; Befo e o e cooks, one must have the eat
Mau eta ia ; He ho egi s a o e satio does ot see the e d Mau eta ia : A ealth
a ill al a s ha e follo e s Nige ia ; I a ou t of fo ls, the o k oa h e e i s his
ase ‘ a da/Bu u di .
It is important to recognize that most of the famous philosophers were also great
mathematician (Pythagoras, Paschal, and Descartes), politicians/Diplomats (Machiavelli, Julius
Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, Senghor), economists (Adam Smith, John Locke) and natural
scientists (Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, and Albert Einstain). The call for intellectual humility
can be discerned from the famous answer given by Pythagoras when he was asked whether he
was wise—he eplied that … o o e ould e ise ut a god. xx
The Bakiga/Banyankore of
South Weste Uga da ha e a elated p o e that Obwengye tibwomwe -- k o ledge does
not belong to o e pe so . This is an indication that when one is doing research, one has to
consult others.
Nietzsche reduced his epistemology to one main idea-- Will to power . Nietzsche contends
that easo is ot a i st u e t of k o ledge, ut athe …the mask we use to disguise a
p i iti e d i e that o t ols ou og iti e life. This d i e is hat he alls ill to po e . It
manifests itself as the desire to overcome, do dominate my environment, to make my personal
a k o the o ld, to eate, o to e p ess self. xxi
Basi all Nietzs he s ie is that

9. 9
emotions influence knowledge production. He also alludes to politics of knowledge. To define
reality is to control it.
Adam Smith reduced his moral theory to sympathy, in his famous work--Theory of Moral
Sentiments. Adam Smith is best known for his great work, An Inquiry into the Nature and
Causes of the Wealth of Nations. For Adam Smith, ethics was as an essential part of knowledge
as economics, and in treating ethical issues he would include commerce, political institutions
and justice.xxii
Some African proverbs point to feelings of sympathy:xxiii
You a ot sha e a
a s head i his a se e Nige ; When you see a stick that used to beat your co-wife, you
th o it a a Kiga/Ba o ke of Uga da ; O e does ot slaughte a alf efo e its othe s
e es Ke a ; Whe the ee o es to ou house, let he ha e ee ; ou a a t to isit
the ee s house so e da . Plato s episte olog is su ed up i the allego of the a e.
Hegel in his turn, spoke of reality in the follo i g a i : What is eal is rational and what is
atio al is eal. While for Niccolo Machiavelli summed up his realist political theo thus: …it
is fa ette to e fea ed tha lo ed if ou a ot e oth. xxiv
Many nations use this maxim in
their foreign policy by accumulating weapons of mass destruction. A counter proverb is from
“e egal: It is ette to e lo ed tha fea ed.
Ethos of Knowledge Production
Both philosophy and sociology of science agree that there is such a thing as a scientific view of
the world, if there is to be a systematic and comprehensible explanation of both natural and
social phenomena.xxv
Science deals with laws and theories. Science broadly understood
includes even speculative disciplines such as philosophy and ethics, and especially social

10. 10
sciences. Science faces various constituencies who compete for its product—knowledge.
Religious institutions, governments, companies and non-governmental organizations are all
keen to know what kind of knowledge is produced, for what purposes and how it is produced.
The recent heated debate on climate change is a case in point. Those who examine proverbs
more closely point to the frustrating fact that they tend to be contradictory. The apparent
contradiction in proverbs demonstrate how reality is a complex phenomena. And so is the
whole of philosophy. On one hand, there are rationalists, and on the other there are
empiricists. In ethics there are also contradictory schools: absolutism and relativism, natural
law and social contract, and the list continues. These apparent contradictions just show how
knowledge is not a simple truism in black and while.
This complexity leads to the issue of how different discipline inter-relate in the process of
knowledge production. Here the ethic of cooperation found in Ubuntu philosophy can be
invoked in scientific investigation. It calls for interdependence among various disciplines. A
fa ous Af i a p o e s asse ts that: O e fi ge a ot kill li e , o a othe that It is teeth
that o k togethe that a eak a o e. I defe se of su h a i te dis ipli a app oa h
“te a t ‘i ha ds a gues thus: Philosophy of science studied in the light of history offers the
student a singular blending of arts and sciences, synthesis and analysis. The philosophical
attitude is that which, more than any other, encourages an acquaintance with the intrinsic
characteristics of science, both as a body of knowledge and as a method of enquiring about the
o ld. xxvi
K a e G ek e s o eptio of philosoph as … o e ed ith the iti al i ui
i to the ost asi of ou ideas, eliefs, a d assu ptio s, xxvii
further demonstrates the pivotal
role the entire philosophical outlook plays in knowledge production. All scientists operate on

11. 11
some basic ideas, beliefs, and assumptions since they cannot do scientific investigation in
vacuum. African proverbs that suppo t su h a i te dis ipli a oope atio a e: He ho does
ot k o o e thi g k o s a othe Ke a ; Wisdo is ot i the head of o e pe so Aka
of Ghana).
Some criticism can be leveled against what some consider excessive communitarianism in
African philosophy, that promotes the good of the collective at the expense of the individual,
even in knowledge production. There are some African proverbs that point to the need to
develop personal responsibility. Such proverbs include:xxviii
O e does ot fan the hot food that
a othe a eat it Aka of Gha a ; No od a ks pal ke els ith his [or her] teeth for
a othe ; A liza d does ot eat peppe fo a f og to s eat. The Kiga/Banyankore of Uganda
have proverbs that encourage personal initiative a d i di idual ha d o k: Akawe naka kurara
omunda —Yours is what has gone in your stomach for the night; Ku oyehaanga omutego
oyehaanga nokushiura —If you set a trap for catching animals, you should check on it.
Among African indigenous knowledge holders, there is extreme secrecy. When some
specialists such as herbal medicine practitioners die, it is as though a whole library has been
lost. There is need for the much talked about communitarian ethic to be invoked to promote
more sharing of secret knowledge in Africa. Most African proverbs speak about the role of
experience and observation as crucial for authentic knowledge. This aspect of knowledge
production needs to be encouraged instead of relying a great deal on religious beliefs and
mystical powers. Some proverbs instill fear of the unknown and discourage scientific
i estigatio : If ou i sist o p o i g deepl i to the e e so kets of a dead pe so , ou see a

12. 12
ghost Aka of Gha a . A elated attitude that can hamper scientific investigation is the
tendency to give too much credit to ancestors or elders. This is why the invocation of proverbs
has also to be looked at critically lest they be taken as dogmatic pronouncements of timeless
wisdom. There should be some skepticism in any investigation, if objective truth is to be
arrived at.
Conclusion
As Africa continues to search for its identity through African philosophy, one place to look are
African proverbs that contain age-old insights, and a condensed form of African world-view.
Despite all the colonial and neo-colonial forces that acted against African identity and world-
view, African proverbs have kept African values intact. But these values hidden in African
proverbs have to be retrieved and used in mainstream scholarship as a methodology of
knowledge production. On close inspection, it is clear that African proverbs are a concise
expression of African ontology, epistemology, moral, social and political philosophy. The
insights contained in African proverbs do provide stimulus for thesis topics, basic assumptions
and assertions, that can be used in research papers.
i
Martin Nkafu Nkemnkia, African Vitalogy: A Step Forward in African Thinking (Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa,
1999), p. 39.
ii
Placide Tempels, Bantu Philosophy, (Paris: Presence Africaine, 1959) , p. 173-174.
iii
Ibid., p. 174.
iv
Quoted in Nkafu, p. 41.
v
Ibid. Tempels, op. cit., p. 51.
vi
Nkafu, Op. cit., pp. 124-162, 200-205.

13. 13
vii
Ibid,. 188.
viii
Ibid.
ix
Quoted in Nkafu, Op. cit., 44.
xxx
See Julius Nyerere K., Ujamaa: Essays on Socialism (Nairobi: Oxford University Press, 1968).
xi
Ibid., p. 7.
xii
Kwame Nkrumah, Conscientism, (London: Panaf Books, 1964), p. 2.
xiii
Ibid.
xiv
Ibid.
xv
Ibid., p. 76.
xvi
See William F. Flawhead, The Philosophical Journey: An Interactive Approach (New York: McGraw Hill, 2006), p. 5
xvii
John S. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy (New York: Doubleday, 1970), p. 141.
xviii
See, Fredrick Copleston, S.J., A History of Philsophy, Volume 6 Modern Philosophy part II Kant, (New York: Image
Books, 1960), p. 116.
xix
Quoted in Ibid., p. 606.
xx
Ibid., p. 5.
xxi
Flawhead, Op. Cit., p. 143.
xxii
See Frederick Copleston, S.J. A history of Philosophy: Volume 5 Modern Philosophy: The British Philsophers Part II
Berkely to Hume (New York: Image Books, 1959), p. 159.
xxiii
See Charlotte and Wolf Leslau, African Proverbs (New York: Peter pauper Press, 1962).
xxiv
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince (New York: Penguin Books, 1986), p. 96.
xxv
For a comprehensive discussion on philosophy and sociology of science see, Tim Lewis, The Meaning of Science
(UK: Pelican Books, 2005); A.F. Chalmers, What is this think Called Science? (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing,
1999); Stewart Richards, Philosophy & Sociology of Science: An Introduction (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987).
xxvi
Richards, op. cit. pp. 3-4.
xxvii
Kwame Gyekye, Tradition and Modernity: Philosophical Reflection on eh African Experience (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1997), p. 5.
xxviii
Ibid., 41.