The African sense of time is a concept that I have actually been thinking about for a year now; last year Michael Costas began telling me about this idea after reading about it in one of his philosophy classes. The idea of “making time,” was and still is so exciting to me. Numerous times over the past year I have played with this idea of “making time.” After a thirty hour return trip from Cambodia this past summer this idea became more of a reality than an idea I tossed around. Due to our recent reading and discussion on this topic I have been able to understand and mentally explore this idea more carefully in the past couple of weeks.
In the “Concept of Time,” -- the third chapter -- of John Mbiti’s book African Religion and Philosophy, the concepts of western African time were discussed. The western concept of time is focused on the future while African time is focused on the present and the past. The western concept of time dictates that time determines events while African time dictates that events determine the time. While a person living in the United States might schedule a meeting at a specific numerical time, a person living in an African tribe might just give a general time for a meeting -- like sunset -- and the meeting will just happen when it happens.
Two other aspects of African time that we discussed was Sasa and Zamani. Sasa is focuses on the present, the immediate past, and the very immediate future; Sasa views the future as continuously becoming part of the past -- there is no idea of distant future. Zamani also focuses on the present, past, and future but more broadly. Zamani and Sasa overlap and Zamani is the place where Sasa time goes when it reaches its end -- it melts into it forever.
As mentioned earlier...
... middle of paper ...
...g a little nervous at times - like when we realized we had missed the train out of central London at one in the morning -- each moment felt so real and so raw. When we try to contrive plans we will become disappointed but when we truly embrace what is happening in the present we are more readily able to deal with it.
In the next several months and years I am excited to continue pushing beyond this western idea of time. After learning about African time and after having this personal experience, I desire to spend less time focusing on the future and pour my thoughts and energy into the present. I want a deeper understanding of Sasa, Zamani, “making time,” -- all of it -- and I will quite possibly I have the opportunity to do so in the same context that is written about in this paper; I hope to re-emerge into the timelessness of travel and return to Southeast Asia.
The opening of the novel places the reader not in Falola's shoes as a child, but rather as an adult scholar attempting to procure information from his own family. This proves easier said than done as Falola takes us through the process of obtaining specific dates in a society that deems them irrelevant. By examining the difficulty that Falola has in this seemingly simple task, the reader begins to understand the way in which time and space are intertwined and weighed in Africa. This concept of "connections between words, space, and rituals" encompasses the way that Africans perceive the world around them - as a series of interrelated events rather than specific instances in time (Falola 224). This approach also stems from the concept that the family unit, the village, and the elders come before the individual in all instances, making a detail such as a birthday unimportant when it comes to the welfare of the whole. Introducing the reader to the complexities of African conventions, Falola expands their minds and challenges them to view the forthcoming narrative with untainted eyes.
Underneath the tale of Segu is the hushed and disloyal question few people tend to voice: how did they lose the rights to use the land and resources of an entire continent? This novel explains that it was not just Europe’s greed and Christianity pretense that led to the fall of Africa. It shows that Islam was a major force that endangered Segu as well. However, aside from the tragedy’s that were outlined, there lies a captivating story about culture, spirituality, and diversity.
In this essay we will consider a much more recent approach to time that came to the fore in the twentieth century. In 1908 James McTaggart published an article in Mind entitled 'The Unreality of Time', in which, as the title implies, he argued that there is in reality no such thing as time. Now although this claim was in itself startling, probably what was even more significant than McTaggart's arguments was his way of stating them. It was in this paper that McTaggart first drew his now standard distinction between two ways of saying when things happen. In this essay we shall outline these ways of describing events and then discuss the merits and demerits of each, and examine what has become known as the 'tensed versus tenseless' debate on temporal becoming.
In summary, Davidson successful traces Africa’s earliest origins and demonstrates that this is a civilization far from having no arts, technology, sophistication and unique culture. Culture and civilization as we know it today can be traced back to Africa, and modern science has verified the early perceptions of Europeans to be wrong. He provides more than adequate evidence of Africa having a history complete with vast and rich civilization, including archaeological finds and specialized interviews with distinguished scholars and philosophers. Despite the fact that society possesses a more positive attitude towards African civilization today in terms of recognition, equality, and acceptance than in the past, negative stereotypes are still acknowledged and modern day racism unfortunately exists. I believe that the existence of Davidson’s work and videos such as Different but Equal are crucial to challenging these stereotypes and discrimination in order to create a more accurate image of Africa and its history. Overall, Davidson proves that the continent of Africa is home to a history that is just as meaningful, comprehensive, and progressive as that of any other civilization in the
Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) was an Argentine short-story writer and essayist best known for his fiction that focused on the interconnected themes of labyrinths, dreams, religion, and time. Specifically, the idea that time can bifurcate, and that all time is occurring simultaneously are pivotal to a large portion of his writing. This essay will focus on this ideas, along with other temporal themes, providing an in-depth analysis of time throughout the body of his works, with a specific focus on The Garden of Forking Paths. Further, this essay will endeavor to answer the question of whether or not Yu Tsen’s and Stephen Albert’s views on time are in accordance with the conclusions pertaining to Borges’ time.
Most of this documentary supports and clarifies my understanding of contemporary African culture. During the course I’ve learned that traditional African leadership structures undertook great changes under colonial rule and continue to progress today. Pre-colonial Africa had several different states characterized by different types of leadership; these involved small family groups of hunter and gatherers, bigger organized clan groups, and micro nations. Many African communities are still being governed by a council of elders, which is responsible for facilitating conflict and making almost all the important decisions within the public.
Alice Walker combines the importance of time and place in Everyday Use. The story occurs in 1960’s during the African-American Civil Rights Movement. This was the time when African-Americans struggle with prejudice and poverty. They desire to maintain their minimal gain during the World War II and to define their personal identities as well as their heritage. The argument over family quilts takes place at the Deep South, where there are many African Americans, which match perfectly with the lifestyle the characters have in the story.
Toyin, Falola. “The Power of African Cultures.” Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom: University of Rochester Press, 2003. Print
to go on. This is the most important event in the book, and the most
... Cambridge Encyclopedia of Africa. Ed. Roland Oliver. 1. New York: Trewin Copplestone Books Limited, 1984. Print.
Most Ethiopians believe that time is gifted from God. In Ethiopian culture, rushing at work, rushing on the streets, rushing to talk are not allowed. Because people beleives that these situations are the cause of a big mistake. Ethiopians say, we have enough time to do anything. So they prefer to work slowly, walk slowly on the street and talk slowly too. Therefore, these assumptions show that time is not valuable and unmanageable. In Ethiopia, religious people say that “ time is not in the hand of human beings, but in the hand of God,” It means do not worry about the future time because you do not know about tomorrow even what happens after a minute. In addition, the value of time in service sector is, for example, when you travel long distance by bus or taxi you may know the departure time ,but you cannot decide the arrival time. Because they believed that you do not know what happen in the future time. It is decided by God. then the driver drives slowly and very carefully. Furthermore, in Ethiopia, in social or business service, fifteen to thirty minutes late is usual. On the other hand, most people work eight hours or less a day. So more than sixteen hours are
There is widespread belief in a supreme God, unique and transcendent. Africans have a sense of the sacred and sense of mystery; there is high reverence for sacred places, persons and objects; sacred times are celebrated. Belief in the after life is incorporated in myths and in funeral ceremonies. Religion enfolds the whole of life; there is a difference between life and religion. Ancestors mediate between God and men. It is believed that sin harms the public good; hence there are periodical purification rites in order to promote public welfare. Worship requires a fundamental attitude of strict discipline and reverence.
...’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements. In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
Gilbert, Erik, and Jonathan T. Reynolds. Africa in World History: From Prehistory to the Present. Boston: Pearson, 2012.
Kaduna: Baraka Press, 2004. Magesa, Laurenti. A. African Religion: The Moral Tradition of Abundant Life. Nairobi: Pauline Pub., Africa, 1998. Mbiti, John S. Introduction to African Religion.