ABSTRACT
Metaphysics can be defined as that branch of philosophy that studies reality in its most comprehensive scope and fundamental principles. It is the science that tries to determine the real nature of things.
The thesis is an attempt to examine critically the metaphysical foundation of knowledge in Igbo philosophy. It shows that metaphysical knowledge is accessible by the Igbo mind as against Kantian postulation that metaphysical knowledge is impossible. The Thesis goes further to prove that in Igbo metaphysical worldview, the mind or reason can penetrate the unknowable world to discern the things in themselves as against Kantian postulation that reason is incapable of piercing into the domain of things in themselves.
It also shows that the synthetic apriori knowledge is some thing that is common to both Igbo metaphysical thought and Kantian critical Philosophy.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
The debate about the existence of metaphysics could be formulated in a concise statement by Kant, thus: “Is metaphysics at all possible?”1
Kant’s critique of the transcendent (traditional) metaphysics is a contribution to the classical debate between the rationalists and the empiricists about the true source of knowledge.
It is also a reaction to the unpopularity of metaphysics among the scientifically minded thinkers of the modern period; and to the devastating criticism the British empiricists made against metaphysics. For David Hume, every book on metaphysics should be committed to the flames because it contains nothing but sophistry and illusion. It was the brilliant criticism by Hume against some traditional beliefs that immediately woke Kant from his dogmatic slumber and spurred his own philosophical ideas.
For Kant, what has hitherto been called metaphysics cannot satisfy any critical mind, but to forego it entirely is impossible. He, therefore, had to take up the arduous task in his critique of Pure Reason. He came out with the conclusion that metaphysics is very much possible only as a natural tendency or natural disposition but impossible as a science.
This research work is geared towards the review of the
implication of Kant’s critique of metaphysics for metaphysics in African thought. The concerns of traditional African metaphysics are, perhaps, best characterized in the phase of Kant as God, freedom and
immortality.
We have attempted understanding the basis of African traditional metaphysics which has to do with ‘Being’ and its ontological appurtenances like personality, substance, ancestor etc to proved that the African mind unlike Kant’s is capable of penetrating into these areas. While Kant limits his enquiry to experience and reason, the African go beyond that to explore extra-empirical and extra-
ratiocinative means often called extra-sensory perception (ESP).
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Metaphysics as the science of the ultimate cause of reality as it is classically conceived has never been seriously question until the modern trend of philosophy. Skepticism about metaphysics was brought to the climax by David Hume who had a strong influence on Kant. Ever since then, metaphysics has been under serious
intermittent attacks and fire.
Consequently, metaphysics as a discipline has not only been criticized by post-medieval philosophy but regrettably attacked as being vacuous and meaningless as a result of the mistaken conception of it as not being very much concerned with the concrete and individual things of sensory experience.
With the upsurge and wave of disenchantment and
disinterestedness in any form of metaphysical inquiry, even right from William of Ockham, Kant calculatively posed the question whether metaphysics is possible at all and if it is possible, whether as a science. He concluded by affirming that metaphysics is possible as natural predisposition but impossible as a science. This audacious problematic assertion stands to spell doom to this sublime science especially to some Igbo man or woman who’s live can never be devoid of metaphysical assumptions and beliefs.
Our major task, at any rate, is to have a flash-back at the status of metaphysics during the medieval period and to re-examine the positions of the post-medieval anti-metaphysicians that culminated in
Immanuel Kant. A critical review will be made of the implications of
Kant’s view on metaphysics in the Igbo context.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.
Basically, this thesis is concerned with the question: Is metaphysics at all possible? Kant has demonstrated its impossibility as a science.
So the problems we want to address in this study are:
i. Is metaphysics possible from Igbo point of view?
ii. What is the implication of accepting Kant’s criticism of metaphysics for the Igbo?
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this research is to explore Kant’s epistemology and his critique of metaphysics especially its implications for Igbo concepts of God, freedom and immortality of the soul.
There will be an exposition of other philosophers’ conception of metaphysics in general.
1.4 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The problem raised by Kant concerning human knowledge; it’s in ability to go beyond the world of phenomenon has posited serious problem for Igbo metaphysics hence, the purpose of this research include:
1. To show that metaphysical knowledge is accessible to human mind.
2. That reason can penetrate the world of noumenon to discern the things-in-themselves as against Kantian postulation that reason is incapable of piercing into the domain of things in themselves.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The thesis exposes to some critical minded Igbo persons, the negative implications of consenting to the Kantian Postulations, that the mind cannot know anything about God, the world and human freedom.
Therefore the significance of the study are:
1. To help us grasp a clear picture of what metaphysics is all about.
2. To x-ray the implication of its denial as a science
To prove that Igbo minds are capable of penetrating into the domain of the numenon.
To create the awareness of the importance of emphasizing valid and objective knowledge this helps in fostering understanding and clearing of doubts in metaphysical issues and conceptions.
1.6 METHODOLOGY
To have a sound critical evaluation of Kant’s critique of metaphysics and its implication for the African metaphysics, the ratiocinative method is applied in this research. This is the process of logical and methodical reasoning on the concept, of metaphysics.
In these methods, the concept of metaphysics are evaluated based in the inductive findings of Kant, the deductive method is applied to infer from some basic concepts of metaphysics like God, world and freedom to the individual philosophic view. The method of hermeneutics also came into play in this study. In this method, we study Kant’s notion of metaphysics and the Igbo understanding of metaphysics by interpreting the philosophical views embedded in it. Library research will also be adopted.
A critical, systematic and of course, analytical assessment of the original works of Kant will be our guiding principle. These methods help us to have a critical evaluation of the implication of Kant’s critique of metaphysics for Igbo conception of metaphysics.
1.7 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
In general, this thesis contains five chapters: chapter one offers us the bird’s eye view of the entire work. Chapter two is literature review. Here we make a critical review of to Kant’s metaphysics and other relevant materials. Chapter three treats Kant’s epistemology and his critique of the metaphysics. Chapter Four analyses metaphysics in African thought.
The climax of the entire work is chapter five which exposes the implication of Kant’s anti-metaphysical bias for metaphysics in Igbo thought. This chapter is the critical evaluation of the entire work.
1.8 CLARIFICATION OF BASIC TERMS:
1.8.1 METAPHYSICS
Metaphysics apart from its traditional and etymological definitions has diverse definitions given differently by different scholars.
However, in whatever way, it is defined; it should include the necessity for a universal outlook toward reality.
The etymological meaning of metaphysics holds that metaphysics is derived from the Greek word Meta-Ta-Physika meaning “after physics” or transcending the physical.
Andronicus of Rhodes, the chronicler of Aristotle’s work on physical nature as metaphysics is concerned with issues bordering on the extra-mental, spiritual, abstract, universal or transcendental discipline. This cannot totally be said to be the understanding metaphysical evidence. Like Immanuel Kant, we see metaphysics as concerning the totality of reality whether God as in rational theology, or man, nature and the universe as in rational cosmology or mind and its ideas as in rational psychology.
However, these are not periscope wholly through a priori concepts as some have opined but through the interplay of opinion and a posteriori concepts or through experience and reason. Metaphysics is a science that seeks ultimate understanding of reality.
A.J. Ayer has succinctly defined metaphysics as that branch of philosophical discourse, which deals with the fundamental question about the structure of reality. 2
Metaphysics is defined by Collingwood as a science of pure being and as a science, which deals with the pre suppositions underlying ordinary science.3
Metaphysics being the study of reality as a whole is concerned with the generalization of experience for the purpose of identifying African Traditional Metaphysics fundamental entities 4 Metaphysics therefore involves a synthesis of all experiences in order to achieve a coherent whole which gives a complete picture of reality.
1.8.2 AFRICAN (Igbo) METAPHYSICS
African Metaphysics in the words of Ozumba “should be seen as the African way of perceiving, interpreting and making meaning out of interactions, among beings and reality in general. It is the totality of the
African’s perception of reality” 5.
1.8.3. SUBSTANCE
These are two different ways of understanding the philosophical concept of substance; the first is more generic. Here “substance ” corresponds to the Greek term “Ousia”, which means something that stands under or that grounds things.6
According to the generic sense, the substances in a given philosophical system are those things, which are the foundational or fundamental entities of reality. 7 The second use of the concept is more specific, according to this; substance is a particular kind of basic entity. The individual substances are the subjects of properties in the various other categories, and they can gain and lose such properties whilst themselves enduring.
1.8.4. CATEGORIES
The doctrine of categories explains the way we think of things. The term categories represent the actual modes of being in the extramental world, and not simply modes of mental representation. They represent the ways in which realities exist or are realized. Aristotle classified reality into “ten distinct categories -substance and nine accidents”.8
The twelve categories in Kant are media through which the human mind functions. They are pre conditions for thinking and for human understanding.
1.8.5 BEING
Some philosophers argue that since the concept “being” transcends all genus (class) and species (specification) of what is, being is indefinable for them; all we can do is that we can attempt some description of what being is. We can with Parmenides conceives being as one and unchanging. So, as we accept his description of being, we also accept Heraclitus’ own being as always in flux. Plato attempted a synthesis of the two description in his form and being in the natural world
The African (Igbo) conceives everything as being. There is
nothing that exists that is taken lightly.
In deed, even Aristotle made a more Plausible synthesis by also describing everything that exists as being 9.
1.8.6. NOUMENONAL REALITY
Literally the word Noumenon means object of thought. Kant sometimes speaks of noumenon as objects of the understanding (verstandeswesen) 10.
But to say that noumenon means object of thought does not carry us far towards a comprehension of Kant’s doctrine.
The notion that human beings enjoy or can enjoy an intellectual intuition of noumena is precisely one of the position, which Kant is must concerned to exclude. So it is best to drop all etymological considerations and to concentrate on Kant’s actual use of the term, which he takes pains to elucidate.
Kant uses the concept noumena to refer to things-in-themselves, that is, things which appears, apart from its appearing 11. Kant also speaks about the free, non-empirical ego and about God as being noumena and as possessing noumenal reality 12.
1.8.7. PHENOMENAL REALITY
Phenomenal reality according to Kant, meant the world as we experience it 13. This knowledge is limited by the manner in which our faculties of perception and thinking organize the raw data of experience.
1.8.8. A PRIORI JUDGMENT
A priori judgment or statement is explicative, adding nothing to the content of cognition.
It depends wholly on the principle of contradiction. Analytic judgment is always apriori.
1.8.9. A POSTERIORI JUDGMENT
This is a judgment that is implicative, increasing the given cognition. Synthetic judgment is classically believed to be a posteriori
(posterior and dependent in experience).
ANCESTOR
Ancestor according to Chambers 20th Century dictionary means ” one from whom a person in descended: a fore father” for the Africans especially the Igbos of Nigeria those who qualify to be counted among the ancestors are said to have died good death. (ezigbo onwu) the ancestors are regarded as mysteriously present all round the family.
They are invoked in prayer, in thanksgiving or in supplication.
ENDNOTES
1. Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, 4th ed., trans. Norman
Kemp Smith (London: The Macmillan Press Ltd, 1976) p.56
2. Ayer, A.J. The central question of philosophy.
(Harmondsworth: Penguin Book, 1973), p 23.
3. Collingwood, R.G. An Essay on metaphysics (Oxford.
Clarendon Press, 1969), p. 12.
4. Ozumba G.O Quodibet Journal: Volume 6. July-September
2004 p.16
5. Ibid.
6. Aristotle, The basic works of Aristotle, ed. Richard Mckeon, (New York: 2001), p 10.
7. Bryan Register httP:// enlightenment. Super saturated.
Com/essay & cert/bryan register/Aristotle-substance.
Htm/Retrieved on March 9th 2009.
8. J.I. Ackrill, Aristotle: Categories and De Interpretation, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963) p 63.
9. Aristotle, Op. Cit. Metaphysics, Bk.V. Chapter 7, p 760.
10. Fredrick Copleston, A History of philosophy Vol. 6. (London
New York, continuum 1960), p. 267.
11. Ibid 268.
12. Ibid 271.
13. Ibid 267.