Paulin Hountondji: The Last of the Titans

With the landmark publication of his book, African Philosophy: Myth and Reality (1976), Paulin Jidenu Hountondji (1942-2024) became one of the most important names in modern African philosophy. This study explores why and how this happened by investigating his various philosophical concepts, formulations, writings and activities as a philosopher engaged in establishing crucial institutional practices in Africa that have bolstered the study of philosophy. In addition, this project thus examines many of the primary concepts of Hountondji’s thought beginning with his famous critique of ethnophilosophy, unanimism, extraversion, scientific dependency and a late career formulation of his, endogenous knowledge. Ultimately, this study seeks to unravel and posit the turns within his thought and career that it possible to regard him as one of Africa’s modern philosophy pioneers.