Prof. Dr. Tanella Boni

Tanella Boni is a philosopher, poet, novelist, literary critic, and art critic. She is a Professor of Philosophy at Houphouët-Boigny University (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire) and a member of ASCAD (Academy of Sciences, Arts, African Cultures, and the African Diasporas). She pursued her higher education in France, studying in Toulouse and at Paris-IV Sorbonne, where she defended two theses in philosophy (ancient philosophy). For many years, she taught the history of Western philosophy in her home country.

Boni was a member of the Collège International de Philosophie (1992–1998), Vice-President of the CIPSH (International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences) (2002–2006), a member of the Steering Committee of FISP (International Federation of Philosophical Societies) (2008–2024), and a member of the International Institute of Philosophy (IIP). Her areas of interest include the history of philosophy, feminist philosophy, philosophy and literature, philosophy and the arts, and ethics. For several years now, she has been working on the notion of “inhabiting” (Habiter).

The relationship between philosophy and poetry is central to her work. She is the author of essays, novels, books for young readers, and around fifteen collections of poetry. She is also the organizer of Poeticales, a poetry festival in Abidjan. Some of her articles are available online on the Diogenes Journal website and Africultures. Her latest publication is “The Sustainable and the Unsustainable: What is a Habitable Planet”.

“The Sustainable and the Unsustainable: What is a Habitable Planet,” Giuseppe Di Capua, Luiz Oosterbeek (eds.), Bridges to Global Ethics: Geoethics at the Confluence of Humanities and Sciences,  Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023.

“Feminism, Philosophy, and Culture in Africa,” Garry, Ann (ed.): The Routledge Companion to Feminist Philosophy, New York / London: Routledge, 2017.

“The Dignity of the Human Person: On the Integrity of the Body and the Struggle for Recognition,” Diogenes, Volume 54, Issue 3, 2007, pp. 59-68.

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