Solomon Kolawole Awe

The debate concerning the scientific or unscientific status of the social sciences and the question of the (in) applicability of the methods of research in the natural sciences to social investigations are still unsettled in Philosophy of the Social Sciences. Some of the questions which are often asked concerning these issues include: are the social sciences really scientific? Do they merit the name science? Can we apply the same methods used in the natural research to social research? Are the objects of inquiry in both areas the same? Attempts to answer these questions and numerous related others, have polarized Philosophers of the social sciences into two different ideological camps. Those who answer the questions affirmatively are regarded as the naturalists while those who answer negatively are regarded as the anti-naturalists or humanists. However, using the methods of critical argumentation and conceptual clarification, we intend to argue in this paper for a complementary ground between the two. Consequently, we contend that though the methods of the natural and the social sciences are different due to the fact that their respective objects of investigations are not the same, methods of the two fields are imperative to inquiries that would promote human knowledge and aid their intellectual development. This is necessary in order to foster interdisciplinary research and de-compartmentalisation of disciplines. We also intend to argue that the view that the social sciences are not scientific arose from a narrow conception of the term “science.” Our submission, therefore, is that the social sciences, legitimately, are sciences in their own right.

This paper examines Leibniz’s monadology and the problems it poses for social order in Africa. Leibniz describes monads as self-sufficient, self-contained, perfect, independent, and individualistic entities. The monads, in Leibniz’s words, are windowless. As such, there is no relationship or communication among them. Consequently, a lack of cordial relationships, communication, unity, and cooperation in contemporary societies is responsible for many of the problems and disorders that ravage many African societies, especially Nigeria. Various issues, including terrorism, kidnapping, corruption, rape, and ritual killings, plague many societies across the continent. The main source of these problems stems from the monads’ perspective on society. These acts are perpetuated by narcissistic and egocentric individuals who fail to recognise the necessity for coexistence and cooperation, thus creating a socially disordered and disorganised environment that undermines humans’ hopes, aspirations, and desires to lead a good, meaningful, and fulfilled life. Consequently, a disordered society, characterised by violence, conflict, and similar challenges, results in underdevelopment, injustice, intolerance, and crises, among other issues. Social disorder thrives in a society that trivialises interrelationships, intersubjectivity, collectivity, solidarity, mutuality, cooperation, and inclusiveness among its people. The study, therefore, contends that the continuation of monadic existence among Africans amounts to an inevitable social disorder. The paper concludes by emphasising the necessity to embrace the communalistic values and virtues of traditional African society, where the self and the other are fused ontologically, epistemically, socially, and morally, to foster social order and development in Africa.

The patient-physician relationship is one of the most prevalent and topical issues in bioethics. Using various ethical theories and concepts, bioethicists and philosophers in general have offered similar and contrasting arguments on how a physician ought to treat and relate with his patient. The aim of this paper is to centre on William David Ross’s notion of “Prima Facie Duties” and its implications for human actions, especially, in the discourse on patient-physician relationship. This paper attempts to resolve the problem of the patient-physician relationship in relation to truth-telling in medical professions using Ross’s prima facie duties. Hence, this paper looks beyond the deficiencies of ideal utilitarianism and the stringency of Kant absolutism.

This research centers on environmental issues in Africa. By environmental issues, we mean human actions that threaten the collective existence of all living beings on the Earth’s surface. Present reality and research indicate that the ongoing abuse of the environment is not only harmful to nature but also impacts human health and prosperity. According to the World Health Organization, a quarter of all deaths worldwide are now linked to environmental misuse and carelessness towards nature. Incidents such as Ebola and Coronavirus outbreaks should remind humans of the severe and destructive effects that can occur when the environment is exploited without regard and caution. Many lives and properties have been lost globally due to nature’s retaliation in events like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and other natural and human-made disasters. In addressing these issues, this paper discusses how the Yoruba concept of ‘alajobi,’ meaning ‘kinship,’ can be vital in reorienting Africans to see themselves and other beings in nature not just as co-tenants (ajogbe) but as relatives originating from the same ontological source – ‘the earth.’ The paper examines two core values essential for the sustainability of alajobi: moderation (iwontunwonsi) and contentment (itelorun). These values can serve as a paradigm to tackle environmental crises. Ultimately, this paper aims to reinforce the importance of interconnected, interdependent, and harmonious relationships between humans and nature as a sustainable solution to prevent further and impending environmental crises in Africa.

The concept of reincarnation is a pervasive belief among various cultures, particularly among the Yoruba. This concept, however, has been questioned as unreal and a mere myth. However, our concern in this paper is to examine this concept as it is understood among the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria. This paper attempts to raise some metaphysical issues, such as the problem of personal identity, memory transfer, moral resemblance, and others, which may cast doubt on the authenticity of the belief in reincarnation (atunwa) among the Yoruba people. Nevertheless, the paper notes that even though some systematic and scientific arguments have been raised against the tenability of reincarnation in Yoruba culture, the paper argues that the belief cannot be falsified because there is some verisimilitude in the beliefs of abiku and akudaaya. Besides, the paper argues that the belief in reincarnation also affirms the Yoruba belief in immortality (aiku) and disembodied existence. This is implicated in the position that the Yoruba thought system not only revolves around physical phenomena but also entails interpreting the spiritual and non-physical world.

This paper attempts to critique the existential philosophy of Martin Buber’s theory of the “I-Thou” using the Yoruba concept of okun omo iya. The need for the realization of a sustainable environment has been a point of focus for researchers, scholars, and government policy makers. The reason for this realization is not far-fetched. According to a record from World Health Organisation (WHO), one-quarter of all deaths worldwide are attributed to over-exploitation and reckless usage of the environment. This undoubtedly has caused several human-induced disasters such as floods. The reckless usage and abuse of the environment is predicated on the domineering tendency of humans towards the environment. Martin Buber, in his existentialist philosophy, argues that humans should treat their relations as “I-Thou” (as subjects) and not as “I-It” (as objects). It follows that humans must be considerate in relating with each other such that fellow humans should not be treated as a means to an end, rather as ends in themselves. Simply put, fellow humans should not be seen as objects that others can either control, dominate, or subdue. However, Buber’s existentialist philosophy is human-centered, as it excludes the non-human entities and as well, failed to explain the relationship that should exist between humans and non-human entities. Hence, the Yoruba concept of okun omo iya will be used as a paradigm to remodel and re-configure the existentialist philosophy of Buber in a way that is environmentally inclusive.