Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2015 - Humanities — Philosophy — African and African American Studies

Agada's ambitious, clearly written book is one of the most original and potentially important works of African philosophy to appear in many years.  Agada (Univ. of Nigeria, Nsukka) presents a compelling argument for a comprehensive existential philosophy that is at once communal, theistic, and deterministic.  In the opening chapters, he outlines what he calls consolation philosophy, locating its foundations in essentially African rather than Western responses to the human condition.  He bases this on a dialectic of mood and strives to send roots deep into the uniqueness of African experience.  Agada continues with a section titled The Doctrine of God and Nature, in which he offers a broad overview of metaphysics and epistemology; he thenin a section titled The Doctrine of Human Existencediscusses community and morality.  In a final section, he contextualizes the results within the framework of world philosophy.  Deserving widespread attention, Agadas work stands as a significant contribution to the development of African philosophy.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.