Disproving Misconceptions About Africa
Disproving Misconceptions about Africa
Africa is a country filled with primitive tribesmen who have made insignificant contributions to history. Today most Americans pride themselves on being open-minded, politically conscious, and socially aware of world wide problems. Yet when discussing Africa, its history, and present state, most misconceptions as seen above are accepted without question. These myths have been developed over a century of time and have become imbedded in the minds of the Western world as a sad truth regarding Africa. In order to progress and move ahead as a society, the fallacies of Africa must be disproved and misconceptions need to be replaced by facts. Before disproving the misconceptions, it is important to understand why and how these myths came to fruition. Philosophical necessity is the biggest root of these misconceptions. Most Europeans during the late eighteenth century believed that they were the advanced and most prominent civilization at that time, and all other non-European nations were by default inferior. Based solely on preconceived thoughts and ideas, not only were these nations unequal in terms of their civilization achievements, they were also seen as ignorant and evil.
This philosophy caused many Europeans to feel justified in their enslaving Africans because they lifted them from a poor state and gave them the opportunity to gleam from their righteousness while in a state of slavery. These myths were perpetuated in society from theologians who sponsored mission trips in the jungles of Africa to philosophers who justified the noble savage theory. As a result, the misconceptions continue to persist in society in all medias whether intentional or not. Africa is a country. Years of primary and secondary education teach that there are seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica that make up the world. However when discussing Africa in a college classroom, most students
Africa is a country filled with primitive tribesmen who have made insignificant contributions to history. Today most Americans pride themselves on being open-minded, politically conscious, and socially aware of world wide problems. Yet when discussing Africa, its history, and present state, most misconceptions as seen above are accepted without question. These myths have been developed over a century of time and have become imbedded in the minds of the Western world as a sad truth regarding Africa. In order to progress and move ahead as a society, the fallacies of Africa must be disproved and misconceptions need to be replaced by facts. Before disproving the misconceptions, it is important to understand why and how these myths came to fruition. Philosophical necessity is the biggest root of these misconceptions. Most Europeans during the late eighteenth century believed that they were the advanced and most prominent civilization at that time, and all other non-European nations were by default inferior. Based solely on preconceived thoughts and ideas, not only were these nations unequal in terms of their civilization achievements, they were also seen as ignorant and evil.
This philosophy caused many Europeans to feel justified in their enslaving Africans because they lifted them from a poor state and gave them the opportunity to gleam from their righteousness while in a state of slavery. These myths were perpetuated in society from theologians who sponsored mission trips in the jungles of Africa to philosophers who justified the noble savage theory. As a result, the misconceptions continue to persist in society in all medias whether intentional or not. Africa is a country. Years of primary and secondary education teach that there are seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica that make up the world. However when discussing Africa in a college classroom, most students
Bibliography: Bohannan, Paul, and Philip Curtin. Africa and Africans. 4th . Long Gorve, IL: Waveland Press, 1995. Du Bois, W.E.B.. Africa, Its Geography, People, and Products. Millwood, NY: KTO Press, 1977. Du Bois, W.E.B.. Africa - Its Place in Modern History. Girard, KS: Haldeman-Julius Publications, 1930. Martin, Phyllis M., and Patrick O 'Meara. Africa. 3rd. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1995.