Doing African political philosophy from a universalist perspective

There has been a strong impetus to set the definitional parameters of study in African political philosophy and theory. Many scholars advance the idea of a discipline intended to provide lessons that stem from “original” African moral, ideological, and political traditions. Often, these traditions and their ideas are presented as holding categorical moral substance in so far as they are seen to be specific to a culturally essentialist understanding of “Africa.” In turn, an influential part of the literature estimates the normative value of the intellectual ideas and arguments afforded by a varied historical, socio-cultural and economic African geography by the degree to which, in being tethered to a seemingly homogenous, “culturally African” influence, these ideas can be opposed to a “Western” equivalent. In this article, I argue that the effects on the discipline of attending to, and being defined by, this cultural essentialism are at best unclear, at worst detrimental. I aim to contribute to the side of those who advocate a universalist perspective to the study of African political philosophy and thought, and who argue for jettisoning an unhelpful dichotomy between “West” and “African,” in favour of a methodological, conceptual and historical specificity that allows the discipline to be truly useful to itself and to others.     

The Age Universal I-E Scale-12 and orientation toward religion: confirmatory factor analysis

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to explore the suggested 2-factor and 3-factor models of the Age Universal I-E Scale-12 among 4,160 respondents. The present findings suggested that the 3-factor model provided a better fit of the data than the 2-factor model did. The findings with this version of the Age Universal I-E Scale were consistent with recent theories that the main distinctions in intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation comprise intrinsic, extrinsic-personal, and extrinsic-social religious dimensions.     

Help-seeking and paranormal beliefs in adherents of mainstream religion,alternative religion,and no religion

This study explored the relationship between help-seeking and adherence to mainstream religion (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), alternative religion (for example, New Age spiritual belief and Paganism) and no religion (including agnosticism and atheism). Four-hundred and fourteen participants completed an online survey which included questions on demographics, help-seeking beliefs and paranormal beliefs (a modified form of the Paranormal Beliefs Scale was used). Previous research had explored adherence to various religions and compared aspects of help-seeking and paranormal beliefs separately. Comparisons were made between basic theoretical differences in belief (e.g., monotheism vs. polytheism vs. rationalism) and help-seeking beliefs. Implications of this research for therapeutic practice are discussed.     

Marx and religion

R. Leuze, Kaiser Verlag, Theologie und religionsgeschichte: Der Weg Otto Pfleiderers, München, 1980, pp.448. N.p.

P. J. Nel, The structure and ethos of the Wisdom admonitions in Proverbs: (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 158). W. de Gruyter. Berlin, New York, 1982. p. xii + 142. DM.74.00     

Jung as psychologist of religion and Jung as philosopher of religion

Abstract: Is it possible to be both a psychologist and a philosopher? Is it possible for a psychologist, or more generally a social scientist, to use social scientific findings to make philosophical claims? Specifically, is it possible for a social scientist to use social scientific findings to determine the existence of God? Did Jung profess to be only a psychologist or also a philosopher? If he professed to be both, did he enlist his psychological findings to make philosophical claims? Specifically, did he enlist his psychological findings to determine the existence of God?