IGBO-AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY OF BEING AND CATEGORIES OF BEING

Abstract

Metaphysics as a branch of philosophy, concerns itself with the determination of the nature of being- the meaning, structure and principles of whatever is insofar as it is. Thus, the fundamental question within the parameters of enquiry in metaphysics has been on the nature of being right from the Pre-Socratic Period through the Medieval and Modern Epochs to the Contemporary Era. This research focuses on the concept of being. However, while there are several articles on the meaning of being, it distinguishes itself by its discourse on the nature of being in Igbo-African ontology, unveiling how in recent times, African thinkers have tried to redefine being, moving away from the elusive and unsubstantive concepts employed by their Western counterparts. For this paper, the hermeneutic, analytical and critical methods of inquiry were employed. The paper submits that there is a distinct Igbo-African concept of being, which is fundamental for the understanding of African metaphysics.