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Kwasi Wiredu

Philosopher of Consensus

Kwasi Wiredu

1931–2022 · Kumasi and Tampa · African and diaspora

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A Ghanaian philosopher who examined the concepts of his own Akan language and argued for democracy by consensus rather than majority rule.

Key work: Cultural Universals and Particulars (1996)

“Reconciliation is, in fact, a form of consensus.”

“Democracy and Consensus in African Traditional Politics: A Plea for a Non-party Polity,” Polylog (2000), section 3

Key ideas, in brief (in our words)

  • Decide by agreement, not only by counting votes.

  • Test a concept by putting it into your own language.

  • A person is shaped by community and still owed dignity.

Read more: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

On the climb

Akan philosophy

Whose Words Do We Think In?Agreement, Not MajorityPerson and CommunityIs the Mind a Thing?

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