SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND AFRICAN CULTURAL RENAISSANCE

Résumé

Reality is viewed from the lenses of belief system neatly embedded in culture and tradition. Science, it can be argued is a culture and tradition synonymous with the West. This is so upheld owing to the ontology of Western culture which is purely individualistic and explains why most scientific discoveries bear the names of individuals. The same cannot be said of African culture because the ontology of the African is founded upon the bond of brotherhood i.e communalism or community thinking. The study seeks to critically inquire into the cause of why Africa is backward in scientific and technological development with special focus on its cultural ontology as a possible explanation. The study however advocates for a “science and technological transfer” as the first step via a functional African government policies. Secondly, there has to be a reward system backed by the law which encourages African crafters of local technologies thus charting a new way for stimulating interests in Africans towards the material world which will eventually lead to the economic prosperity of the continent in the long run.