A COMPARATIVE APPRAISAL OF THE UNDERSTANDINGS OF EPIDEMICS IN CAMUS’ THE PLAGUE AND PANDEMICS IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL EPISTEMOLOGIES (ATE)

Abstract

Epidemic refers to a wide occurrence of an infectious disease in a community within a particular time; while a pandemic is a more extensive spread of an infectious disease on a worldwide scale. A person or society that believes that disease comes from God or an evil power is of the same position whether it is a pandemic or an epidemic. This study is concerned with how Africans have conceived and interpreted pandemics or epidemics. The thoughts of Albert Camus, a French-Algerian philosopher on an epidemic that he wrote about in his novel, The Plague; and the understanding of epidemics or pandemics in African traditional epistemologies will be interrogated. That it is traditional does not mean it is no longer held. Some persons’ understandings are still influenced by traditional epistemologies. Camus through the views of Dr Rieux expresses non-belief in God, for if he were to exist, he would be the one who should take care of the sick during the epidemic. The human response to evil should be that of revolt in taking action to solve human suffering instead of waiting for God. There are various perceptions on epidemics or plagues in African epistemology. In some cultures, it is believed that God is good and anything evil or suffering such as sicknesses comes from evil spirits. In others, epidemics emanate from human sinfulness or punishment for human faults. Pandemics can happen to one as a result of one’s destiny. The paper through analytic and hermeneutic methods finds that while the viewpoint of Camus is thoroughly atheistic and secular; that of African epistemologies are theistic. The paper concludes that whether theistic or atheistic, there is solid reason for human beings to rebel against pandemics and work hard to eliminate them.