This paper attempts to respond to a call to find an ontological basis for establishing African legal theory. The African world of my choice is the Igbo world of South-east Nigeria. It is a world I want to examine to see how its material and theoretical structures help articulate a philosophy of law in terms of projecting a consistent understanding of law subjects and the foundations of their rights. The article builds on the contributions of F. U. Okafor and his many African critics.
KeywordsFoundationLawRightsIgbo Philosophy
Abanuka, B. (2004). Philosophy and the Igbo world. Onitsha: Spiritan Publications.
Agu, J. A. (1985). Political changes in Igbo tribe Nigeria—Dissertatis ad lauream in facultate scientiarium socialium apud. Rome: Pontificium Universitatem S. Thomae de Urbe.
Anya, A. O. (1982). The environment of isolation 1982. Ahiajoku Lecture, Owerri: Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports.
Austin, J. L. (1962). How to do things with words Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Austin, J. L. (1979). Philosophical papers (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University.
Bittner, J. R. (1989). Mass communication: An introduction (5th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Chukwuma, H. (1994). Igbo oral literature: Theory and tradition. Ikot Ekpene: Belpot Nigeria Co.
De Paul Neiers, M. (1965). The people of the Jos Plateau of Nigeria, their philosophy, manner and customs. Frankfurt: Peter D. Lang.
Echeruo, M. J. C. (1979). A matter of identity: Ahiajioku lecture 1979. Owerri: Culture Division Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports.
Ede, E. M. P. (1985). Towards an Igbo metaphysics. Chicago: Loyola University Press.
Ekwuru, E. G. (1999). The pangs of an African culture in travail: Uwa Ndi Igbo Yaghara Ayagha (The Igbo World in Disarray). Owerri: Totan Publishers Limited.
Eliade, M. (1959). The sacred and the profane: The nature of religions trans. New York: A Harvest/HBI Book.
Ezekwugo, C. U. M. (1987). Chi: The true God in Igbo religion. India: Mar Matthew Press.
Idowu, W. (2006). African jurisprudence and the reconciliation theory of law. The Cambrian Law Review, 37, 1-16.
Ilogu, E. (1985). Christianity and Igbo culture. Onitsha: University Publishing Company.
Isichei, E. (1977). Igbo worlds: An anthology of oral histories and historical developments. London: Macmillan Education Limited.
Kelly, J. C. (1981). A philosophy of communication. London: Centre for the Study of Communication and Culture.
Lonchamp, J.-P. (1999). Science and belief. Middlegreen: St. Pauls.
McQuail, D., & Windahl, S. (1981). Communication models for the study of mass communications. London: Longman.
Mendehall, G. E. (1970). Ancient oriental and biblical law. In E. F. Campbell, & D. N. Freedman (Eds.), The biblical archaeologist reader. New York: Anchor Books.
Njoku, F. O. C. (2004). Development and African philosophy: A theoretical reconstruction of African socio-political economy. New York: iUniverse Inc.
Nwakeze, P. C. (1897). A critique of Taiwo’s criticism of legal positivism and African legal tradition. International Philosophical Quarterly, 27, 101-105.
Nwoga, D. (1984a). The supreme being as stranger in igbo religious thought. Imo State: Hawk Press.
Nwoga, D. (1984b). Nka Na Nzere: The focus of Igbo world. Ahiajoku Lecture, Owerri: Culture Division, Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports.
Okafor, F. U. (1984). Legal positivism and the African legal tradition. International Philosophical Quarterly, 24, 157-164.
Okafor, F. U. (1992). Igbo philosophy of law. Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publishing Company.
Okafor, F. U. (2006). From praxis to theory: A discourse on the philosophy of african law. The Cambrian Law Review, 37, 37-48.
Okere, T. (1983). African philosophy: A historico-hermeneutical investigation of the conditions of its possibility. Lanham: University Press of America.
Okogeri, G. O. (1995). Reviewer Okafor’s Igbo philosophy of law. University of Benin Law Journal, 2, 214-219.
Oladosu, J. (2004). Choosing a legal theory on cultural grounds: An African case for legal positivism. In Law, Morality and Legal Positivism. Proceedings of the 21st World Congress of the International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy, Lund, 12-18 August 2003, Sweden: Franz Steiner Verlag.
Osuagwu, C. (2003a). Truth and chaos: Dynamics of truth within Igbo Cosmology. Owerri: African World Communications.
Osuagwu, C. (2003b). World struggle for a just world: Dim Chukwuemaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu 70th birthday lecture. Owerri: African World Communication.
Ricoeur, P. (1969). The symbolism of evil. Boston: Beacon Press.
Ruch, E. A. et al. (1984). African philosophy: An introduction to the main philosophical trends in contemporary Africa. Rome: Catholic Book Agency.
Rutherford, F. J. et al. (1981). Project physics: Text. USA.
Senghor, L. S. (1964). African socialism. New York: Preager Press.
Taiwo, O. (1985). Legal positivism and the African tradition: A reply. International Philosophical Quarterly, June 1985, 197-200.
Zizioulas, J. D. (1991). On being a person: Towards an ontology of personhood. In C. Schwobel, & C. E. Gunton (Eds.), Persons, Divine and Human. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.