The mutual influence of language and philosophizing has been a topic of debate for centuries. Do languages determine how we think? Do certain languages suggest certain thought constellations? Is translation a universal language?

To this theoretical debate, we want to respond with concrete examples of philosophizing in African languages. The African continent is home to more than 3.000 languages. With European colonization, most of these languages have been marginalized in academic discourses at the expense of English, French, and Portuguese.

Philosophizing in African Languages

Lecture Series, Summer Semester 2025

For thousands of years, storytelling has remained an integral part of human evolution, helping to make sense of our existence and environment. Stories have been told to educe deep and compelling effects for various purposes. Generally, people tell stories to persuade, convince, convict, exonerate, justify, comfort, clarify, or evaluate. Storytelling is furthermore a strong pedagogical tool that humans have employed for didactic purposes throughout the ages. So, what is the connection between storytelling and philosophy?

The Art and Philosophical
Significance of Storytelling

Summer School 2025 | August 25-29, 2025
Call for Participants

Poetry, Literature, and Structural Barriers for African Philosophies

Research Talk with Tanella Boni

Ivorian philosopher, poet, and novelist Tanella Boni was recently invited to the GloPhi Center for an in-depth research talk that ranged across literary form, linguistic diversity, oral traditions, publication challenges, and the broader socio-political conditions shaping African philosophical production. Drawing from her own literary and philosophical practice, Boni offered reflective insights into the situatedness of writing in Africa, particularly from a Francophone perspective.

Lecture by Bruce Janz

Thinking in Place and With Place

Professor Janz explores two strands of his longstanding research on place: the philosophical inquiry into philosophy in place, particularly within the context of African philosophy, and his broader interdisciplinary work on the conceptual and structural dimensions of place across academic fields. Drawing from thinkers such as Edward Casey, Jeff Malpas, and others, Janz offers a nuanced framework for understanding how place operates not only as a context but also as a formative element of philosophical thought and practice.

Philosophy, Language, and Decolonization

Interview with Wilfred Lajul

Prof. Lajul shared insights from his personal and academic journey into philosophy, beginning with his early education in Catholic seminaries and his eventual engagement with African philosophy during graduate studies in Rome. We discussed the shifts in his way of teaching African Philosophy to students, the possibility of decolonizing philosophy without falling prey to one-sided regional reductions, and the role of native languages in philosophizing in a globalized world, among other topics.