Related
questions:
Ø Critically
discuss the concept of time, by John Mbiti.
(YOUR INTRODUCTION)
THE
UNIVERSAL CONCEPT OF TIME
Time,
according to one definition, is the continuous passage of existence. A
particular theory of time says ‘the rate at which time passes depends upon the
speed of the observer’. What this implies is that time is subjective in nature
and only humans reckon with time. Subjective time is the perception that time
speeds up when you are having fun, but slows down when you are not. Einstein
once said ‘the faster you travel (progress) the slower time flows.
What
all these ideas above tell us is that, time is a universal concept which exists
in the mind. It is an abstract concept. Our knowledge of time is derived from
events, experiences and activities around us. Time as a metaphysical construct
is derived from the human rational power of transcendence. Like distance, time
separates events and objects, and so it is considered as one of the four
dimensions of reality. In fact, modern science perceives space and time as one
and the same thing.
MBITI’S
DEFINITION AND AFRICAN CONCEPTION OF TIME
In
John Mbiti’s case, he uses the concept of time as a paradigm case study of
African philosophy. In other words, the concept of time is his unique way of
discussing African philosophy. For Mbiti, time is ‘a composition of events
which have occurred, those which are taking place now and those which are
immediately to occur. This idea of time correlates to the ideological structure
of ‘past-present-future’. So, Mbiti stresses that human behaviour is marked by
‘an awareness of the past’, ‘a sense of present experience’ and ‘a vision of
the future’.
Mbiti
believes that time as a basic concept influences the life and attitudes of African
people, as the economic and religious life of Africans is deeply rooted in
time. Mbiti actually uses the Kikamba and Gikukya tribes of East-Africa as a
paradigm case and argues that (among these tribes) there are no concrete
expressions to convey the idea of a ‘’distant future’’. Mbiti also maintains
that Africans reckon time in connection with events, so numerical calendars do
not exist as far as African traditional societies are concerned. This is the
root of Mbiti’s ideology of the African concept of time.
COMPARATIVE
ANALYSIS OF WESTERN AND AFRICAN CONCEPTION OF TIME
In
reference to the western conception and the African conception of time, Mbiti
maintains the following;
§ Time phase
The western concept of time is linear
(straight-forward). It consists of three phases which are ‘past, present and
future’. But for the Africans, time conception is dyadic i.e. two-dimensional,
past and present. In African time conception, there is no future per se (what
an insult!!!!!) because the concept of a future in Africa is on a short term
basis (about two or three years). Hence, the western triadic conception of time
is foreign to the Africans. The major reason Mbiti gives is that ‘the future is
virtually absent (to the African mind) because events which lie in it have not
taken place or occurred, and therefore cannot be a part of time’.
§ Time movement
Mbiti says, in western time conception that
time moves from the past to the future. This explains the linear nature of time
in the west. Hence, there is a progressive mental movement of ‘an awareness of
the past’, ‘a sense of present experience’ and ‘a purposeful vision of the
future’ in the western mindset. But in African conception, time moves from
present (sasa) to past (zamani). Sasa implies ‘the period of immediate concern
for the people’. Hence, sasa (present) stretches into the short future; it
swallows up what the westerners call future. Mbiti calls sasa (present) the
‘micro time’ and zamani (past) the ‘macro time’. In other words, the past and
present overlap as the present gets swallowed up in the past (the graveyard of
time). The present exists to serve the past which stands as a period of myth,
and which gives sense of direction and purpose to the present. This explains
why, within the African mindset, there is the dire need for present generation
to become like antiquity (olden days) in all ramifications. But in the west,
there is the outlook to a brighter future and a change of lifestyle and
mentality.
§ Time availability
Also, Mbiti mentions that time availability
is more crucial in the west, as they are more like slaves to time. This follows
as, the westerners perceive time as a commodity which must be utilized, sold
and bought. This explains the reason for the pragmatic and technological
environment. The fear of wasting time is of high ranking in the west. But, in
traditional African society, time has to be created or can be produced, as
there are no strict laid down rules of how a man’s life should proceed. For
example, you find men of 40 years or thereabout still living comfortably within
the communal setting of his household. He is not even thinking of having an
independent life, raising his own kids the personal way or even building his
own empire. In African mindset, man is not a slave to time, as he does things
at his own pace. Man can make as much time as he wants, or as Mbiti puts it
‘African people do not waste time, but rather wait for time or produce time’.
AFRICAN
CONCEPT OF TIME AND HUMAN LIFE
According
to Mbiti, time in Africa is an experience. The African man experiences time
partly as an individual and partly through the society.
§ individual life and the
concept of time
Regarding the concept of time and human
life, Mbiti presents the individual whose structure of time is ontological and
includes the following; ‘’birth- puberty- initiation- marriage- procreation- old
age- death- ancestral entry- deityism’’.
§ Community life and the
concept of time
Regarding the concept of time and community
life, the structure of time according to Mbiti is basically the cycle of
seasons, which include various activities like ‘sowing’, ‘cultivating’,
‘harvesting’, and ‘hunting’ and so on. All these activities would be marked
with religious rites and ceremonies.
(YOUR CRITICISM AND CONCLUSION)
This is a demystification of this beclouded Mbitian mystery... Thanks a lot, Dear Blog owner!
ReplyDeletethanks for your efforts and research; could you please include a personal critique of mbiti's notion of time?; personal i do feel its an insult to him as an african and to africa in general.
ReplyDeleteI found this piece very helpful.thanks a lot. Could you please pencil down something on Placide Temples Bantu philosophy?
ReplyDeleteso animating to a lover of African Philosophy. thanks for your efforts and research.
ReplyDeleteA very good work you have here, amazing research,I have gone through series of your researches which are of course wonderful too, I wish to suggest that you be doing proper citation for us to do further reading
ReplyDeleteIf we as Africans did not have a concept of future time, we wouldn't have methods of drying meat for future use nor would we be able to understand and anticipate future birth,future ageing. Different methodologies for quantifying time does not mean an inability to quantify time. So no, the concept of a future in Africa being on a short-term basis (2 to 3 years)is rubbish. Human civilizations didn't always use scientific watches to break down time into units. We all at one time or another used nature; the changing of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun to tell time and we all had a concept of yesterday, today and tomorrow which is the future. How else would African languages have a term for the future if we didn't even know what that meant?
ReplyDeleteIf we as Africans did not have a concept of future time, we wouldn't have methods of drying meat for future use nor would we be able to understand and anticipate future birth,future ageing. Different methodologies for quantifying time does not mean an inability to quantify time. So no, the concept of a future in Africa being on a short-term basis (2 to 3 years)is rubbish. Human civilizations didn't always use scientific watches to break down time into units. We all at one time or another used nature; the changing of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun to tell time and we all had a concept of yesterday, today and tomorrow which is the future. How else would African languages have a term for the future if we didn't even know what that meant?
ReplyDeleteIf we as Africans did not have a concept of future time, we wouldn't have methods of drying meat for future use nor would we be able to understand and anticipate future birth,future ageing. Different methodologies for quantifying time does not mean an inability to quantify time. So no, the concept of a future in Africa being on a short-term basis (2 to 3 years)is rubbish. Human civilizations didn't always use scientific watches to break down time into units. We all at one time or another used nature; the changing of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun to tell time and we all had a concept of yesterday, today and tomorrow which is the future. How else would African languages have a term for the future if we didn't even know what that meant?
ReplyDeleteare there any criticism to this Mbiti's concept of time
ReplyDeleteIn Igbo land the numerical time exist with lunar calendar and the four days week: NKWO-EKE- ORIE-AFO. These week days can be used to determine time in past, future and present.More research is needed here.In Africa create time and manipulate it to fit into our purpose.It does not regulate our life , we manipulate it to our convenience.
ReplyDelete...exists -errata. we create...
ReplyDeleteWonderful research. Pliz include citations
ReplyDeleteMbiti contradicts himself; how can he say Africans believe in the eternal God and spirits and yet he denies the future. If he believes the eternity of the deity, he must not deny the future. Eternity goes with past,present and infinite future.
ReplyDeleteMbiti made a commendable attempt to dissect the African concept of time. It was a comparatively Western deducted rather purely African influenced. indeed Africans are not slaves conditioned by time, rather we manipulate time to our own convenient. It is unfortunate that Mbiti based his arguments from a case study of a handful African ethnic groups, thus Kenyan setting, hence even the conclusion that African time has no future bears weighty loop holes. It doesn't necessarily imply that if in Kiswahili there is no term which points to the future is enough to say that the future virtually is none existent. Should I call it a fallacy of sweeping generalization because Africa has many tribes/languages and each language has a method and expression that points the future.
ReplyDelete