The Idea of Africa (African Systems of Thought) [Paperback]

V. Y. Mudimbe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 1994 | Series: African Systems of Thought

"... this is a remarkable book. It will occupy a significant place in the critical literature of African Studies." —International Journal of African Historical Studies

"To read Mudimbe is to walk through a museum of many exhibits in the company of an erudite companion who explains, with much learned commentary, what you are seeing." —American Anthropologist

"Mudimbe's sympathetic yet rigorous accounts of such diverse Africanist discourses as Herskovits's cultural relativism and contemporary Afrocentricity bring to the surface the underlying goals and contexts in which these were produced." —Ivan Karp

A sequel to his highly acclaimed The Invention of Africa, this is V. Y. Mudimbe's exploration of how the "idea" of Africa was constructed by the Western world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

V. Y. MUDIMBE is the R. F. DeVernay Professor of Romance Studies and Professor of Comparative Literature and Anthropology at Duke University. His books include The Invention of Africa: Gnosis, Philosophy and the Order of Knowledge, Fables and Parables, and The Surreptitious Speech.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (November 22, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253208726
• ISBN-13: 978-0253208729
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Where is Mudimbe heading to?, July 6, 2011

By 

Pol "polbrian" (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Idea of Africa (African Systems of Thought) (Paperback)

If you don't mind fuzzy organization, dig out ideas and criticism from "The Idea of Africa".

If you value clarity of writing and unambiguous statements that one can discuss and possibly disprove, drop it.

There is a scholarly review by Kenneth C. Wylie at [...] which I recommend before you embark into reading this book.

18 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Awash in a sea of jargon, September 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Idea of Africa (African Systems of Thought) (Paperback)

Western literature has long portrayed Africa as the antithesis of Europe, or as V.Y. Mudimbe puts it, "a paradigm of difference." For centuries, Europeans have viewed Africans as embodiments of all that they disdained: foreigness, savagery, and irrationality. In other words, to use an academically voguish phrase, Europeans "otherized" Africa and Africans.

In "The Idea of Africa," Mudimbe explores the origins and development of this negative conception of Africa. His approach is unique in that it attempts to synthesize a diverse body of sources, including Greek histories, 20th century primitive art, contemporary African artists and the structuralist theory of Michel Foucault.

The reliance on Foucault is a warning that we're headed into the murky realm of postmodern philosophy. In his preface, Mudimbe writes that he hopes to tackle the "simple issue" of how he would explain the idea of African otherness to his two "Americanized" children. This presumption of simplicity highlights the sheer unreadability of this otherwise interesting work. Mudimbe's writing is so cluttered with flashy jargon and inscrutable theory so as to be practically inaccessible, even for readers who are comfortable with his topic. As one academic reviewer put it, "Mudimbe has produced a work that is as ambitious in concept as it is impenetrable in style." Even when Mudimbe's ideas are strong, they are obscured by his plodding style and pedantic tone.