The relevance of the study of philosophy in Kenya

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Periodical article

Title:	The relevance of the study of philosophy in Kenya
Author:	Njino, Joseph
Year:	1993
Periodical:	Journal of African Religion and Philosophy (ISSN 1018-8592)
Volume:	2
Issue:	2
Pages:	173-179
Language:	English
Notes:	biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:	Kenya East Africa
Subjects:	philosophy higher education Philosophy, Psychology
Abstract:	The study of philosophy in Kenya is a late development in comparison to other disciplines, such as history, geography or medicine. This is attributable to three main causes: the obscure economic value of the discipline, the scarcity of trained philosophers, and the suspicion with which those in power viewed philosophy as an instrument of independent thought. The subject matter of philosophy is wide and varied. Philosophy deals not only with what is known but also with what is unknown. It is concerned not so much with the attainment of knowledge as with learning how to philosophize, or reason. Philosophy is relevant in Kenya because it helps to approximate the true reality, and to foster the appropriate application of techniques and ideas and their integration into the human situation and into processes of development. Philosophy should be given due prominence in Kenya's educational institutions, from secondary schools to universities, as one of the most important and fundamental courses. Note, ref.