Omobola Badejo

The traditional dichotomy in the ontology of persistence is between endurantism and perdurantism. It presents a rigid conception of temporal existence. Endurantism rests on the ontological framework that entities are wholly present at each moment of existence. While perdurantism rests on the framework that entities exist as temporal extended aggregates. This paper interrogates this dichotomy and argues that neither ontological framework adequately captures the dynamics of the problem of how objects persist over time. Drawing on debates in the metaphysics of persistence, the paper argues that although the problem of persistence is a genuine metaphysical issue, understanding persistence within the confines of this dichotomy is conceptually limiting. The paper thus calls for a reorientation from the traditional dichotomy to a broader relational ontology where persistence is understood beyond endurantism and perdurantism. This paper is not an attempt to solve the problem of persistence, but to offer an ontological explanation that broadens the discourse beyond endurantism and perdurantism.

It is incontrovertible that the problem of insecurity is part of the ravening realities in the current civil society. It is a general problem facing the whole world. However, it is more pronounced in some parts of the world than in others. In African countries, especially in Nigeria, insecurity has been a seemingly insurmountable problem. It has rendered all attempts made by the government and individuals to stabilize the country thereby strengthening the principle of social co-operation, harmony and peaceful coexistence among citizens, abortive. This paper argued that security seems to be an illusion in an African country like Nigeria because all attempts by the government to ensure stability do not put into consideration the ‘six paradoxes of violence’ largely responsible for insecurity. The paper examined the problem of insecurity in Nigeria and the paradoxes that need to be addressed if the nation ever hopes to deal meaningfully and honestly, with the challenge of insecurity that is drifting it apart. The paper identified the sixparadoxes of violence as outlined by Ali Mazrui, then analysed how these six paradoxes serve as the major barriers to the peaceful coexistence of people in Nigeria, and how they persistently threaten the unity of the nation at any slight provocation. The paper also suggested some ways by which these paradoxes can be addressed thereby ensuring a level of peace and social stability.

The question of how to characterise the diachronic identity of a concrete particular within a metaphysical framework is the problem of persistence. There are two major theories, Endurantism and Perdurantism affirming a problem of persistence for concrete particulars. While Endurantism, on the one hand, argues that concrete particulars persist wholly, Perdurantism, on the other hand, argues that they persist as temporal slices. This paper argues that neither Endurantism nor Perdurantism adequately characterise the persistence of concrete particulars. This is because there is an impasse between these two major theories of persistence. The article concludes that hence, there is a need for another hypothesis or theory of persistence to address the problem of persistence in metaphysics. This paper broadens the discourse on persistence of concrete objects beyond a debate between Endurantism and Perdurantism. The paper uses the methods of conceptual analysis and philosophical argumentation.