The Bantu Philosophy Project

This project aims to revisit the 1945 work 'Bantu Philosophy', originally written in Dutch by the Belgian missionay Placide Tempels. It will study in depth the translation issues present in the French and English translations, that are mostly used in African Philosophy curricula, and propose a new translation. It also focuses on the historical context in which the work originated and played its role. Finally the 70 years' long reception of the work on the African continent and beyond, which is often contradictory will be critically reviewed.
The project functions as a international scholarly network for exchange of research findings and sources for study regarding Bantu Philosophy, and provides opportunities for honors students of the Faculty of Humanities of the VU to do their own partial research project within its framework.