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Peer Reviewed

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Bulletin of Intercultural Philosophy

Interculturality and the African Philosophical Heritage

  • Ikechukwu Anthony KANU
Submitted
September 14, 2025
Published
2025-09-14

Abstract

Intercultural philosophy allows for a broad and pluralistic mindset and a philosophical culture that emphasizes the significance of the attitude that no one culture can claim an absolute priority or status as the culture of the whole of humanity. This development has opened a new page in the historical evolution of philosophy. It is within the context of this sacred space of interculturality that this paper studies intercultural philosophy, not from a general perspective, but from an African lens. While there are several works on intercultural philosophy, this paper focuses on the African contribution and perspective. A study of the perspectives of major African thinkers was undertaken, and flowing from these perspectives is the underlying spirit of the African philosophical heritage, which centers around the complementarity of reality. This rich African philosophical tradition is manifest in the metaphysical, cosmological, ontological, and anthropological foundations for the development of a unique African philosophy of interculturality. This study adopted the Igwebuike theoretical framework for the interpretation and understanding of the peculiar African perspective and contribution. The hermeneutic, analytical, and critical methods of inquiry were adopted. The paper argues that the spirit of complementarity, at the heart of African philosophy, is a basic contribution of the African philosophical heritage to the ongoing conversation on intercultural philosophy.