A RE-THINKING OF SECRET SOCIETY AND ITS ROLE IN PREMODERN AFRICAN SOCIETY

Abstract

In the pre-modern era, societies functioned and depended on the joint efforts and contributions of every member of the society. This brought about the formation of some groups that championed one project or the other within the society and beyond. These groups were formed either by people of the same age, the same ideology, the same target, or the same purpose with the mind of making positive impacts in the society. It is based on this note that the concept of secret society was born. In examining this concept, this work will be done using phenomenological method of study and the theory of functionalism. This is because the writer will make every effort to be neutral in finding out the functions of secret society before this modern time that ushered in a change in its formative perspective. The paper therefore finds that the present day idea of secret society is not what it was in the pre-modern society and has to be re-addressed. It also observes that secret societies played prominent role in the pre-modern society which was commendable. Hence, the paper concludes that secret society as perceived and understood in the present time is a machinery for evil deeds and practices which are against its formative purpose and, therefore calls on all secret societies to re-evaluate their purposes and benefits to human societies which will either give credence to their continuing or being perceived from the same bad light.