Abstract

In this paper the philosophical thought of Kwasi Wiredu, one of the most prominent contemporary black African thinkers, is reviewed. It is shown that Wiredu argues for a twofold approach to intercultural understanding. On the one hand, cultures differ in their way of conceptualizing the world, each culture owes a distinct "world-view". That is why Black Africa still needs to search for its own identity after being colonized for hundreds of years. Therefore, Wiredu speaks of the need of a "conceptual decolonization". On the other hand, according to Wiredu, all different and culturally bounded "world-views" are based upon a common ground, i.e. the biology of human beings as well as the reality of the world. Wiredu thus argues that an intercultural dialogue has to look for the most plausible "world-view", i.e. it has to ask for the truth of each "world-view". The paper is closed with some critical comments on Wiredus suggestion that there was a "world-view" common to all cultutres that would fit reality best.