Is Ifá divination girded by logic? A case for Ezumezu logic

Abstract

Several criteria for what constitutes African philosophy have been offered by different African and non-African scholars. For Jonathan Chimakonam (Ezumezu: A System of Logic for African Philosophy and Studies. Cham: Switzerland, 2019), a philosophy is either African, Western, or Asian because of the logic that fortifies it. Chimakonam, following this conviction, foregrounds Ezumezu logic as a prototypical African logic which mediates thought, theory, and method within the African sphere, yet is also applicable in non-African contexts. To interrogate its stance as a prototypical African logic, this study examines Ezumezu logic apart from its Igbo inspiration, via the traditional Yorùbá ritual archive. We embark on a foray into the Ifá divination procedure for this exploration. Through critical analysis and hermeneutics, this study finds that in most cases, Ifá divination, through employing ìbò in its procedures, conforms to the classical laws of thought. However, when further reflection is given to the method through which the truths and insights of O ̣̀rúnmìlà are sought during divination, one may easily discern the presence of a trivalent logic therein. This understanding is demonstrated side by side with Chimakonam’s description of the ways in which his logic functions. Hence, this article submits that the logic criterion for African philosophy is apt and that, when it is applied to an African ritual archive in Ifá divination, there is no doubt that Chimakonam’s attempt to prove the originality of the African way of thought, theory, and method is well articulated.