Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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OTHER POLITICAL THEORIES: THE CONCEPTIONS OF AUTHORITY IN THE ETHNOPHILOSOPHY OF OROMO AND ZULU AND THEIR POTENTIALS FOR UNDERSTANDING CONTEMPORARY POLITICS [Abstract ID: 1215-04]

Ramy Magdy AHMED, Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University

How can we understand African politics? Two routes are available: the first is to study Africa as ‘an object of study’, by analyzing the different political phenomena and events detached from African(s) subjectivities in order to reach some results. The second is to study Africa as ‘consciousness(es), worldview(s) and subjectivity(ies). Though the first might seem ‘objective’, the second seems more representative, more close and more in touch. But how can one explore these ‘consciousness u(es) and worldview(s)? one ‘among many’ Important socio-political units to study is the ‘ethnicities’, since they have a heritage of experiences, political organization, religion and philosophy, and by exploring their philosophy or worldview, one can draw lessons and insights that guides African scholarship in political theory and the different quests for understanding African politics. The paper focuses primarily on two (demographically) major ethnicities, namely: Oromo and Zulu, and will try to understand their vision of authority and political organization through their historical and philosophical rich heritage and how such vision(s) can help understand politics in contemporary Africa. Depending mainly on ‘ethno-philosophical’ analysis the paper will explain the philosophy of the ethnicity with regard to society and politics from the diverse sources of their religion, ontology and their experience of political organization.