The Afrocentric, or African-centered, worldview is very different from the Eurocentric, or Europe-centered, worldview. Afrocentrism is centered around the beliefs that:
. The highest value of life lies in the interpersonal relationships between men;
. One gains knowledge through symbolic imagery and rhythm;
. One should live in harmony with nature;
. There is a oneness between humans and nature;
. The survival of the group holds the utmost importance;
. Men should appropriately utilize the materials around them;
. One's self is complementary to others;
. Change occurs in a natural, evolutionary cycle;
. Spirituality and inner divinities hold the most significance;
. There are a plethora of deities to worship;
. Cooperation, collective responsibility, and interdependence are the key values to
which all should strive to achieve;
. All men are considered to: be equal, share a common bond, and be a part of the group;
. The Afrocentric worldview is a circular one, in which all events are tied together
with one another.
The Eurocentric worldview is centered around the beliefs that:
. The highest value of life lies in the object, or in the acquisition of the object;
. One gains knowledge through counting and measuring;
. One should control and dominate nature;
. There is a dichotomy, or separateness, between nature and humans;
. The survival of the fittest holds the utmost importance;
. Men should have an unlimited exploitation of the materials around them;
. One's self is distinct from others;
. Change occurs to meet the immediate objectives, and is quite arbitrary;
. A distant, impersonal god holds the most significance;
On the grounds that he considers all men to be equal, he does not find it
That leaves us with the myth, broken and jaded. While it is not wrong to say that Africans are Black and to be African is Black, there is no indication the continent has become void of all culture. The damage of the myth lies in the very lexicon, that Black is used in a derogatory sense. That to be Black means that individuality and diversity are lost. But the history of Africa will show us otherwise. Cultures mixing, influxes of ideas and migrations of vastly different cultures flowing with zealous religious practices and harmonious linguistic structures, that is to say the ‘real’ Africa. Myths like these are dangers because they become promulgated throughout worldview, clouding the reality, and forever holding back the truest form of the subject. To that end, Africa will never be the same.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident. that all men are created equal, ...Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Jefferson 770). Thomas
Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen’” (Rand 21). This chant repeated by all men has influenced the thoughts of all within the society. Changing the thoughts to say you are not unique but you live only for your brothers. Language has influenced the men and women to not think for themselves but only for the society itself. “’You are not one of our brothers, Equality 7-2521, for we do not wish you to be. …nor are you one of our sisters’” (Rand 43). Equality and Liberty have both just changed how they are thinking and see that neither one is like the others. They both see past the ways they were taught to think and have started to think for themselves and see the changes in each other. Within a society of “We” these two people have found the “I” within themselves but have yet to find the real
In the 21st century, slavery and the Atlantic Slave Trade are viewed as immoral and quite possibly the most horrifying treatment known to man by society and foreign leaders but, was the same view regarded in the 17th century? The short primary sources, “Nzinga Mbemba: Appeal to the King of Portugal”, and “Captain Thomas Phillips: Buying Slaves in 1639”, enables individuals to identify how foreign leaders, specifically the kings of African nations, conducted the issue of slavery and the slave trade. In the words of Nzinga Mbemba and Captain Phillips, the kings of Congo and Ouidah both knowingly accepted slavery in their country but, had strikingly opposing views concerning the Atlantic Slave Trade; King Mbemba prohibited the trading of slaves whereas the King of Ouidah welcomed slave trading.
Next is John Henrik Clark, who refers to African America Studies as Africana Studies because he believes that Black tells you how you look, not who you are. He goes on to state that he calls African American Studies “a dilemma at the crossroads of history” (Clark 32). This is because European people knew history well enough to distort it and use it, as well as political weapons such as the gun and bible, to control the world. This is the reason why a look at African culture will show what Africana Studies are about or should be about. Africana Studies should embrace the Africans all around the world, in places like Africa, North and South America, the Caribbean Islands even those in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Clarke states that Africa is
... if there is a personal attachment to that object specifically. There has to be a special connection for something to have meaning and not value alone. Unfortunately, there is still some misunderstanding when it comes to value and its meaning because I still see value as a personal attachment as well which makes both words intertwine again. It’s still not clear how value can be represented through organic unity with all the complexity to make something exist. Value is what I still visualize as something of measurement or objects that have meaning in a non-personal manner. It should be a simple definition just like how we believe in theories thought of by scientist as well as religious faith. In the end, we accomplish the overall objective of evaluating the definitions and applying them to our life to see if we can provide more value and meaning in this case we did.
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” to tell people the truth and get them
For the most part, women in today's society hold a position equal to that of a man;
sanctity of life or whether one life is more valuable than another, it gives us something to
As one looks through society, one starts to see many cracks and loopholes where one set of standards does not apply the same way for men as it does to women, and vice versa.
Eurocentric perspective was a widely held belief among Europeans that Africa was wild, exotic, and natives were uneducated had no principle. This was more than enough for the Europeans to establish their culture into Africa because it was more superior to that of African culture. Achebe does a great job in proving this idea wrong. He takes us into a new world shows us that even though the natives had a different view of the world they were still no different than that of the Europeans who just like the whites showed compassion, hate, have faith in a god(s) and unite as one for the better. He was a man on a mission dedicated to spreading knowledge of Africa’s contributions to history and unifying the continent and its people.
All men are born free and equal, the right to do anything as long as it does not harm another, the freedom of speech and religion, are just a few of many important rights and responsibilities of citizens.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” (Declaration of Independence,1776)