IGBO TRADITIONAL POLITICAL GOVERNMENT IN THE LIGHT OF JEAN JACQUES ROUSEAU’S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

No history of mankind has been distorted like that of Africa and the Africans. The distorted picture about Africa suited human trade and Justified colonialism magnificently in the eyes of invading Europeans. Through abnegation of our history, the European was able to rape and exploit Africans. Hence, anything we had before the European contact was seen as primitive and unworthy to be counted. This research adopted a comparative analysis between the Igbo traditional political government and Jean Jacques Rousseau's political philosophy. Thus, the aim of study is to show a tremendous similarity between the Igbo traditional political government which was called an ordered anarchy and that of Jean Jacques Rousseau; a political ideal society. Thus, no nation is devoid of political thought and as such, our findings show that what the Europeans thought they gave to us was initially with us from the beginning. In conclusion, the work recommends that what the Africans need is freedom from mental slaveryso that they can see the inherent beautiful values in Africa.