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The African Enlightenment

The African Enlightenment

The Ethiopian philosopher Zera Yacob debunks many narratives about Africa and philosophy.

Portraits of Liberty · Libertarianism.org

July 16, 202017m 26s

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Show Notes

The conventional narrative is that Enlightenment values are uniquely Western values. But this narrative becomes questionable when we look at Zera Yacob, an Ethiopian philosopher who predated the Enlightenment but came to many philosophical views that would form the core of Enlightenment values. Zera's methodology closely resembles Rene Descartes and comes to conclusions that echo John Locke's theory of natural law and religious toleration. In some ways, Zera even surpasses his western counterparts with a firm commitment to anti-racism and anti-sexist attitudes.

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