Epistemic pluralism for knowledge transformation

When Aristotle wrote that a human being is a rational animal, race, creed and colour were excluded from his declaration. Such a view is informed by the axiom that all human persons are capable of and are endowed with scientific rationality. However, colonialism sought to entrench Western epistemologies (ways of knowing) at the expense of the conquered communities? world experiences. To deny the reasoning capacity of the Other is tantamount to questioning their humanity. It leads to a fallacious belief that there are modes of knowing, knowledge generation and knowledge application that are inferior, simply because of the pigmentation of the individuals articulating them. Scholarship is violated and impoverished by such an imperial approach. This article argues for the promotion of a holistic and normative epistemology oriented towards the development and happiness of the individual and society, while affirming the humanity of the African person.