Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy (Paperback)

~ George G. M. James (Author) "1. The Teachings of the Egyptian Mysteries Reached Other Lands Many Centuries Before It Reached Athens..." (more)
Key Phrases: Turner's Hist, Memphite Theology, Zeller's Hist (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"excellent book" -- roxanne warner

"great book" -- luther warner

Product Description

The book is an attempt to show that the true authors of Greek Philosophy were not Greeks, but the people of North Africa, commonly called the Egyptians; and the praise and honor falsely given to Greeks for centuries belong to the people of North Africa. Consequently, this theft of the African legacy led to the erroneous world opinion that the African continent has made no contributions to civilizations, and that it's people were naturally backward. This is the basis of race prejudice, which has affected all people of color.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: Africa World Press (June 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865433623
• ISBN-13: 978-0865433625
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #665,334 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is terrible but I understand the purpose, December 4, 1999

By	Obatala (United States) - See all my reviews

Hotep, I first read this book when I was 11 or 12 and I really liked it then. Unfortunately, this book is hideously flawed with regard to accuracy. As I grew older and increased my personal knowledge of Kemet/Egypt the inadequacy of this work became ridiculously obvious. James' representations of Kemetic thought are completely erroneous. That being said, I do not side with James' other critics on this page. I appreciate what he attempted to do for African people and I understand the brutality of the environment in which he operated. I honor him as an Ancestor. At the same time I am not pleased when I see people (particularly Black people) using this inaccurate work in their attempts to combat the well armed and well entrenched Eurocentrists and Neo-Eurocentrists. Neo-Eurocentrists and Eurocentrists find this book incredibly useful to their cause. Stolen Legacy is used to dismiss a diverse Afrocentric movement as a bunch of dreamers, demagouges, and ill prepared romantics. Another note: I found it very amusing how certain contributors to this page confidently stated or implied that "the Egyptians are not Black" or that "Egypt had no connection to Sub-Saharan Africa." (smile) Very cute, however one might actually want to study Kemetic religion, history, language, and culture before opening their mouths to make such inane statements. This is particularly the case with regard to Egyptian history, language, religion, and culture. The "Blackness" of this African people is not really an issue for me (I'm sure Kemet was not absolutely homogeneous)but it annoys me when silly people confidently assert that these AFRICANS were not Black. Another note: Kemet/Egypt is not the only great African civilization. Those who truly want to study Africa, live as Africans, and or assist in her ressurection cannot allow themselves to be confined to to a single branch of the African family. One more VERY IMPORTANT thing. Black/African people, particularly those who call themselves "Afrocentrists" need to stop focusing so much upon our relationship to Greece and other European civilizations. 1. We need to study Africa and our people in our own right and through our own eyes. "Proof" of our contribution or relationship with a European Civilization should not be viewed as a way of legitimizing or increasing the status of a given African Civilization. 2. Greece and European Civilizations can stand in their own right. Eurocentrists and Neo-Eurocentrists do not usually view themselves as such. They view themselves as "orthodox", "careful", "OBJECTIVE", and "SCHOLARLY" (whether they are or not). The fact is they are the established camp and they hold a greater following upon the masses. We must put works such as "Stolen Legacy" to rest and make sure that in our pursuits we are commited to accuracy and truth. This is the only path towards victory. The multitude of African Civilizations are interesting, wonderful, and legitimate without any fantasy and romanticism added to them. Di en ek ankh udja soneb (may there be given to you life, prosperity, and health)

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dedication/Review From the Internet by RUNOKO RASHIDI , November 29, 2006

By	H. Khalif Khalifah "Khalifah" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stolen Legacy (Paperback)

THE GLOBAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY

H I S T O R Y N O T E S


By RUNOKO RASHIDI

DEDICATED TO DR. PETER DAWSON AND DR. ALFRED M. LIGON

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following information will be of interest to all who appreciate the work of George G. M. James. As we all know, very little is published about Professor James. The following information came to me via the Internet. I have decided to republish it here because it has some precious information about Prof. James.
This information is quite appropriate to describe the book that i first reprinted in 1989 - long after the death of Mr. James. But since i was the first publisher to 'mass' produce, and satisfy the great demand for the book, it is the only one in print that also has a photograph of the Author. [...]
"The term Greek philosophy, to begin with, is a
misnomer, for there is no such philosophy in
existence."

Dr. George Granville Monah James was born in
Georgetown, Guyana, South America. He was the son of
Reverend Linch B. and Margaret E. James. George G.M.
James earned Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Theology
and Master of Arts degrees from Durham University in
England and was a candidate there for the D. Litt
degree. He conducted research at London University
and did postgraduate work at Columbia University where
he read for his Ph.D. Dr. James earned a teaching
certificate in the State of New York to teach
mathematics, Latin and Greek. James later served as
Professor of Logic and Greek at Livingston College in
Salisbury, North Carolina for two years, and
eventually taught at the University of Arkansas, Pine
Bluff.

Dr. James was the author of the widely circulated
Stolen Legacy: The Greeks Were Not the Authors of
Greek Philosophy, But the People of North Africa,
Commonly Called the Egyptians--a controversial text
originally published in 1954 and reprinted a number of
times since. Professor William Leo Hansberry reviewed
Stolen Legacy in the Journal of Negro Education in
1955, and noted that:

"In Stolen Legacy an author with a passion for justice
and truth champions a startling thesis with which most
of the little volume's readers--Hellenophiles in
particular--will no doubt strongly disagree. In this
work Professor James dares to contend and labor to
prove, among others, that 'the Greeks were not the
authors of Greek philosophy', that 'so-called Greek
philosophy' was based in the main upon ideas and
concepts which were borrowed without
acknowledgement--indeed 'stolen'--by a few wayward and
dishonest Greeks from the ancient Egyptians."

Stolen Legacy was written during Dr. James' tenure at
the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. As of
today, there is not even a copy of the book in the
University library. There is no statue or bust of Dr.
James on the campus. There is no plaque of Dr. James
adorning the campus walls. There is not even a
certificate to note Dr. James' existence or that he
even lived. This is at an historically Black college!


Dr. James's tragic death, under mysterious
circumstances, reputedly, came shortly after Stolen
Legacy's publication. To date, no significant
biography of James has been presented.

SOURCES:
Stolen Legacy, by George G.M. James
Nile Valley Contributions To Civilization, by Anthony
Browder

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unsubstantiated thoughts, Look to more scholarly work, November 8, 2000

By	"[e-mail]" (Harlem) - See all my reviews

I think there is little doubt among Egyptologists and students of Ancient Greek thought that Egypt heavily influenced the Ancient Greek paradigm and may have influenced the conception of certain Greek deities, particularly Athena. The Immortal Principle, for example, very well may have originated in Akhenaten's attempt at monotheism before the Greek dark ages. However, the argument is very poorly constructed and largely unsubstantiated. There are very clear divergences in Egyptian and Greek thought, as well as many progressions in Greek Philosophy which can not possibly be attributed to Egypt except by the most dillusional and tenuous thinkers.

People who are interested in truly scholarly work on the afro-asiatic roots of Greek thought should check out The Black Athena and Isis in the Ancient World. Although both have been questioned, especially The Black Athena, they are certainly more substantiated than this book, in which the authors prance around like elephants in a china closet trying to interpret history to suit their own liking. Cool for the lightweights, but if you want the real I suggest you turn to the aforementioned titles.