IGWEBUIKE AND LANGUAGE: IN SEARCH OF AN ONTOLOGICAL TOOLBOX FOR IGBO-AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY

Abstract 

Human  beings  are  by  nature  enshrined  in  an  inescapable  world-hood  web  called language.  As  a  symbolic  construction  and  human  agenda  setting  in  semantic  space, language  ensures  the  application  of  social  meaning,  control,  culture  and  social knowledge.  As  a  result  of  the  place  that  language  occupies  in  the  integration, interpretation and internalization of convention for the state  of  affairs  of sociality, it is not surprising  that  it  has  always  been  an  attractive  area  and  a  fascinating  topic  for philosophers. The history of philosophical thinking about language is almost impossible to separate from the history of logic and indeed the entire history of philosophy. This piece argued that human beings do not live in the world without the agency of language which becomes  the  medium  of  expression  within  particular  societies.  It  is  based  on  this understanding (that the real world of a people is based on their language habits) that this paper employed Igwebuike as an ontological  toolbox  that forms the  trajectory system  of the Igbo-African world. Within the context of Igbo-African philosophy of language, this piece  argued  for  the  necessity  of  the  use  of  the  word  “Igwebuike”  as  it  captures  and communicates the Igbo-African world. Igwebuike is the form (and symbolic) of the Igbo-African  mental  being,  and  thus,  the  gateway  to  Igbo-African  philosophy.  Beyond  the literal  understanding  of  Igwebuike  (Igwe-  number;  bu-is;  ike-strength)  as  ‘there  is strength  in  number’,  it  captures  the  Igbo  philosophy  of  relationality,  complementarity and interconnectedness of reality. The objective of this work is to discover the centrality of  language  within  philosophy  and  thus  give  correct  bearing  to  philosophy.  For  the purpose of this piece, the Igwebuike holistic approach will be employed. 

Keywords:  Igwebuike,  Language,  Philosophy,  Igbo-African,  Ontological, Toolbox