PLS1502: ESSAY QUESTION – ASSESSMENT 2
Dear Students
Assessment 2 consist of 2 long essay questions. Please choose one essay question
to respond to: Write on either option A or B but NOT on all questions.
OPTION A:
Towards the end of his seminal essay: The Struggle for Reason in Africa, Ramose (2002)
makes the assertion that “To deny the existence of African philosophy is also to reject the
very idea of philosophy.”
Discuss this claim in reference to the arguments that he provides in regard to the “history
of rationality” in Africa.
Guidelines:
In your discussion also examine the strengths and weaknesses of his claim and whether
you agree with their arguments.
OPTION B:
The various trends in African philosophy speak to a complex and dynamic history of the
discipline.
One way in which to classify philosophy in Africa is by language. Write an
essay in which you compare Anglophone (English) and Francophone (French)
philosophy.
Guidelines:
a) Your paper needs to examine the influences which lead to the trend and how it had
impacted their style of writing African philosophy.
b) Do you think language is very important for African philosophy?
c) Examine their (Anglophone and Francophone) strengths and weakness and explain
which classification you agree with the most.