USA Africa Dialogue Series - FW: Follow-Up Your Good Help Is Needed

Chapter 18

Postulates of Indigenous Knowledge Production in Mwalimu Toyin Falola?s Yoruba Gurus: An Ancient Egyptian Rekh Analysis

Introduction

By employing the Ancient Egyptian rekh framework, this chapter analyzes the postulates on indigenous production of knowledge in Africa proffered by Mwalimu Toyin Falola in his book titled Yoruba Gurus. Ancient Egyptians believed that rekh (knowledge?meaning to know, to be wise, to be acquainted with, to be skilled in an art or craft) involves both ren and sometimes ka (meaning to name, to create, to form, to fashion, to beget, to produce) and ?r or ?ri (meaning to do). In essence, knowledge involves both naming and action ? abstract and concrete ? competence and performance. Consequently, an ?ru or ?riu (a doer) is more preferable to an ?khem (meaning a do nothing, to be ignorant, to have nothing, inert, weak, feeble).