Ngamen Kouassi

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I am a trained philosopher with many years of academic teaching and research. I specialise in political philosophy, Ethics, cultural philosophy, metaphysics

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Andrew Akampurira

University of California, Riverside

Stanford University

University of Leeds

Dominican University of California

Eneku Ronald

Tom Keefer

York University

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Drafts by Ngamen Kouassi

The State, Nationhood, Ethno-politics and Democracy in Modern Africa: A Philosophical Reflection

Following Ferdinand Tönnies' distinction between community and society which could be translated ... more Following Ferdinand Tönnies' distinction between community and society which could be translated also into the distinction between nation and state, it would be difficult if not impossible for modern African countries to practise democracy as understood in Western countries. If at all there is democracy in Africa it must be peculiar and unique. This is predicated on the fact that most African nations consider the state as something "alien" and contrary to their societal values. The main thrust of this paper therefore, is to demonstrate that the modern African state is the product of colonization and imperialism with capitalism as one of its direct consequences. Nationhood, ethno-politics and tribalism are what actually characterize African public space. Consequently, it foreshadows the basic tenets of Western-like democracy which is the respect for the universal human right. Democracy as conceived by Western countries cannot thrive outside the ambit of the state and this is anthetical to Africa's societal values and politics.

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Just War Theory and the Question of Terrorism in Modern Africa: Which Way Forward

The preponderance of terrorist groups or non state actors is becoming a very serious threat to th... more The preponderance of terrorist groups or non state actors is becoming a very serious threat to the security of modern African states. The rationalization of these acts has therefore received the attention of scholars within and outside the academia. In international ethics for instance, 'just war theory' appears to be the most developed and widely used criterion for explaining the 'rightness' or otherwise of violence. Besides, there seem to be no universally accepted definition of terrorism. History shows that any form of violence could be legitimate and must not necessarily be the type organised by state actors alone. Therefore, it is the position of this paper that violence perpetrated by state and non state actors should be morally and legally justified without any form of discrimination. The actions of terrorist groups must be assessed on the same conditions used for state actors. The paper concludes that it is only when the above mentioned conditions are fully implemented and genuine democracy or democratization takes its full grip on the African continent that a reduction and a positive management of the activities of the so-called terrorist groups can be realised.

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Modern Nigeria and the Roots of Corruption: A Historico- Philosophical Reflection

It is very difficult if not impossible to come to term with a universally accepted definition of ... more It is very difficult if not impossible to come to term with a universally accepted definition of corruption. Basically, however, it is admitted almost all over the world that corruption or corrupt behaviour involves the violation of established rules for personal gain and profit. In other words corruption is an illegal exchange. The main thrust of this paper therefore, is to demonstrate that the so-called "institutionalized corruption" in modern Nigeria is the result of the loss of the Nigerian identity to the benefit of colonialism and imperialism. From historical perspective, it is evident that pre-colonial Africans in general and Nigerians in particular, were honest, humble and disciplined people with a high sense of love, justice and equity. This study made use of secondary data that were subjected to internal appraisal. This paper posits that there is a strong correlation between corruption and capitalism which appear to be the by-products of colonialism and imperialism in modern Africa. The paper then recommends that if modern Nigerians genuinely and effectively desire to address the issue of corruption there appears to be no other alternative than to go back to traditional or pre-colonial societal values of Africa because a person's personality and integrity are rooted in his or her culture.

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'Is There such Thing as African Culture in the 21 st Century? A Philosophical Appraisal

This paper attempts to demonstrate that currently, there is nothing like African culture in the r... more This paper attempts to demonstrate that currently, there is nothing like African culture in the real sense of the word. If culture is understood as the sum total of a way of life of a particular set of people, it is unfortunate but obvious that modern Africa cannot pretend to have one. It is the opinion of this paper that colonialism and imperialism destroyed what was originally African. Talking of a genuine African culture in this twenty first century is a sham. It is shocking to realize that till date, most Africans still rely on the 'Other' [that is, the Western world] to name, qualify, define, and even classify them. This paper then concludes that Africans must regain themselves, that is; they must remain authentic through the revival and imposition of their genuine and unique personality if they really want to contribute to world history.

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