The Concept of Labour and Social Relations in Claude Ake’s Philosophy: Implications for Africa

ABSTRACT Labour is primarily human effort applied in production for the provision of food for the sustenance of his being. Human labour is also used to make tools which make for the creation and recreation of his economic and other material conditions.For Claude Ake, man creates cultures, history and civilization which affect his overall consciousness through labour. It is therefore most important to man. However, Ake notes that studies reveal that as societies develop and owing to the complexities in the production process, social relations are formed in relation to those who own the means of production and those who do not. While the class of those who benefit from the prevailing social structure attempt to maintain the status quo, the other class struggles to change the existing system.This leads to antagonism between these social groups.For him therefore, there is an intrinsic link between labour and social relations.Ake therefore studies the prevalent social conflicts in Africa and links these to the social relations of production introduced into Africa through colonialism and imperialism.The main objective of this study is to examine the implication of labour and social relations in Claude Ake’s philosophy for Africa. The specific objectives of this study are to (i) look at the link between labour and social relationships and (ii) how these relationships create social problems in Africa. The qualitative research design was used for the study. The data for this work were sourced basically from the library, books and journals. The historical and expository methods were used to situate Claude Ake and his place in history while exposing his concepts of labour and social relations. After a critical analysis and evaluations, the study concludes that social relations are formed by man’s relative position in the productive process. The study established that Ake’s theory of labour and social relation in Africa is influenced by his reflections on capitalism, especially the impact of colonialism and imperialism in Africa. From Ake’s point of view, Africa’s contact with colonialism imposed a concept of labour that is exploitative and ant-Africa the contact The work argues following Ake’s logic that Africans condition, bad as it is, can only be redressed through a genuine democratic African leadership.