Abstract

This chapter will explore two major themes in the African epistemology: the question of epistemic injustice and the question of the epistemology of ignorance. By epistemic injustice in an African context, I mean the moral wrong or injustice that has been done to the African knower by denying him of, or downplaying on his or her capacity to know. And by epistemology of ignorance in the African thought, I am referring to the role deliberate and non-deliberate ignorance has played and continues to play in the African knowledge experience and production process. Concerning the former, this chapter shows that a great injustice has been done to the African indigenous knowledge production and processing systems, one that needs to be remedied. Concerning the latter, I argue as well that ignorance is often ignored in the discourse of epistemology, and it has continued to play important roles in the altering of African epistemic traditions and structures. Thus, there is need to remedy this situation. This chapter concludes by holding that the African epistemology has important functions to play in liberating the African knowledge systems from attempts to undermine it.