AFRICANNESS & MIT MK Mothoagae (Mr) CARS - UNISA AN ADDRESS TO THE COLLEGE OF LAW - BOARD MEETING.

AFRICANNESS & MITMK Mothoagae (Mr)

CARS - UNISA

AN ADDRESS TO THE COLLEGE OF LAW - BOARD

MEETING

Introduction

• The aim of this presentation is to give an expose of CARS’ vision and mission within the African Renaissance paradigm using Multi-, Inter- and Trans disciplinary approaches in advancing the understanding, interrogation, production, dissemination and use of knowledge.

• To this end the presentation will give a brief overview of some of the fundamental theoretical underpinnings of the Inter and Trans disciplinary approaches; the contextualization and premise of CARS' academic offerings within the African Renaissance paradigm and its relevance within UNESCO’s & other Global Education-based Institutions’ declarations and recommendations.

CARS and the African Renaissance Paradigm

• CARS’ academic offerings seek to create an understanding of the past, present & future of Africa.

• Pursue knowledge paradigms that are self-critical, in/outward looking & reflective

• Knowledge informed by the vision and spirit of the AR should inspire self-worth, dignity and respect among the Africans (Gutto, 2004; 2005)

Paradigm Shift – T. Kuhn (1922 -1996)

• CARS’s academic offerings are inspired by Kuhn’s philosophy & vision of a PS;

• Thomas Kuhn’s book – “The Structure of the Scientific Revolutions” (1962);

• Kuhn vision & philosophy has revolutionized thinking about Science;

• Kuhn – used paradigm to refer to conceptual frameworks and/or worldviews of various scientific communities;

Paradigm Shift –T Kuhn(1922 -1996)

• A paradigm of scientific revolution in Kuhn’s sense would be Copernican revolution;

• Paradigms are incommensurable;• A change from one way of thinking to another.• Paradigm shift is a revolution, a transformation,

a metamorphosis.• Kuhn’s image of a paradigm is useful in

understanding one’s self and the changes taking place in all of life: scientific, social, legal, religious etc.

The African Renaissance Paradigm

• The African Renaissance Paradigm must advocate – African centered paradigms & epistemologies – as espoused by scholars - Cheik Anta Diop,T Obenga,J Carruthers, R Rashidi, M Asante, Grisso, Nabudere & others;

• The African Centered paradigm must be based on African Historiography and African Worldview

The African Renaissance Paradigm

• Founded on the reconstruction of African history with emphasis on the Nile & Ancient Egyptian- as pillars of restoration and self-identity;

• The Kemetic literature, the Timbu’ktu & other African IK manuscripts as resources to provide the foundation for an African Centered paradigm.

Inter & Trans-disciplinary Approaches

• Multidisciplinarity – studying a research topic not in only one discipline, but in several simultaneously;

• Interdisciplinarity concerns the transfer of methods from one discipline to another. 3 degrees of application, epistemological, generation of new disciplines.

• Transdisplinary – between & across the different disciplines & beyond all disciplines. (Nicolescu et al.)

• Three Pillars of TD – Levels of Reality; Logic of the Included Middle & Complexity.

Inter-disciplinarity & Complexity – Julie

T Klein (2004)• Inter-disciplinarity – a result of the

complex nature of knowledge

• Knowledge is depicted as a network or web with multiple nodes of connection, a dynamic system;

• Metaphor of unity, with values of universality & certainty are replaced by metaphors of plurality relationally in a complex world;

Inter-disciplinarity & Complexity – Julie T Klein (2004)

• Images of boundary crossing and cross-fertilization are superseding images of disciplinary depth and compartmentalization;

• Older values of isolated modes of work, control, mastery & expertise are being reformulated and replaced by dialogue, interaction and negotiation;

Inter-disciplinarity & Complexity – Julie T Klein (2004)

• Changes in the spatial & temporal structures of knowledge calls for changes in the traditional images of knowledge as a cognitive map with distinct borders and territories to images of knowledge as a kaleidoscope;

• Interdisciplinary activities interconnect in a shifting matrix with unpredictable synergistic relationship;

• Cultures in their ever-shifting interactions & complexities, need to be both researched and taught from interdisciplinary perspective.

From Inter to Transdisciplinarity - Rethinking Problem-solving. JT

Klein • Transdisciplinarity – a result of a need for a new

approach to complex problems evident across fields of human interaction with natural systems & fields of major technical development;

• A new discourse of trans-disciplinary problem-solving bridges the historical gap between calls for inter-disciplinarity and problem orientation, and a disciplinary, practical policy of support for natural sciences and technology;

From Inter to Transdisciplinarity - Rethinking Problem-solving. JT

Klein• UNESCO’s MOST program (Management of

Social Transformation) designed to bridge the gap - natural sciences and social sciences;

• Transdisciplinarity conference at Zurich regarded language as crucial, together with the challenges of achieving ‘communicative sustainability’ in the complex multilingual context of Africa;

• Researchers should also be aware ‘unofficial’ languages and discourses of stakeholders in such vital problem contexts such as health (HIV-AIDS), ecology and agriculture;

Transdisciplinarity –The Three Pillars: Basarab Nicolescu &

Others • A new logic for a new reality

• Based on the principles of dynamic opposition and the law of the ‘included middle’

• Offers needed alternative to quasi-exclusive application of classical binary logic;

• The philosophic logic of Lupasco, extended by Nicolescu through the ‘Principles of the Levels of Reality’- is grounded in the major discoveries in quantum physics, biology, mathematics and the system science of the 21st century;

Aristotelian Logic of the “Excluded Middle”

T-State

GravityNon-A

FlowerNon-A

Rock-A

Aristotelian Logic of the “Excluded Middle”

• T-State= Containing the space is seen as empty• T-State= non-connective• T-State= non-participatory• T-State= is the middle ground between the

subject A and its reciprocal (the containing medium) “non A” is excluded from participation in the logical construct.

(Seb Henagulph 2000)•

Stéphane Luspasco’s Logic of the “Included Middle”

T-State

GravityNon-A

FlowerNon-A

Rock-A

T-State

T-State

Stéphane Luspasco’s Logic of the “Included Middle”

• T-State = containing and connecting ensemble

• T-State= the logic of the included middle

• T-State= “Multi-reality participation of the containing space

• T-State= Interconnection, and implicit relativistic mediating space or included middle.

(Seb Henagulph 2000)

A Non-A

A-The Logic of the Included middle

T-StateNon-A

Trans- disciplinarity

excluded middle

Mono- disciplinarity

Synopsis of Transition from Mono to MIT

A New Vision &

Knowledge for a Complex World As espoused in the following International

Declarations/Charters: • The Locarno Congress – Which University for

Tomorrow?

• The Charter of Transdisciplinarity; • World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st

Century &

• Dakar Framework for Action

Declarations and Recommendations by UNESCO and other Education-based Institutions on their findings regarding:

• The problems confronting human kind in the 21st century;

• The solutions that are put forward to address these problems;

Declarations and Recommendations by UNESCO and other Education-based Institutions on their findings regarding:

• The role of education, especially Higher Education on world issues;

• The kind of curricula, the type of learner/student emerging as a product of these institutions; etc.

A cursory survey on the four mentioned UNESCO documents reflects unanimity on

the following issues regarding Higher education and the role of the university:

• A loss of meaning and the universal hunger for meaning, the danger of the break between science & culture, University as bona fide Institutes for the Research of Meaning; [ Locarno: 1, 7 & 8].

• Meeting the needs of education systems affected by conflict, natural calamities and instability – programmes designed to promote fully human person, respect for human rights & fundamental freedoms [Dakar: Str.5:58].

UNESCO documents reflects unanimity on the following issues regarding Higher

education and the role of the university:

• Shaping a new vision of Higher Education - advancing knowledge through research in science, arts and humanities –innovation, interdisciplinary & trans-disciplinary should be promoted and reinforced in programmes on social and cultural aims & needs [WD HE 21st; Art 5].

• The keystone is the semantic and practical unification of the meanings that transverse and lay beyond different discipline, - the dignity of the human being is of both planetary and cosmic dimensions, [ Trans. Charter, Art. 4 & 8].

CONCLUSION

The Question that we put forward to Ourselfs, the Executive Dean, Board members, Colleagues can best be phrased in the words of Basarab Nicolescu:

“ Which University for Tomorrow?”

Which University for Tomorrow?”?

Phrased in the context of the College of Law & UNISA it could lend itself to the following critical questions:

• What kind of problems confront the College of Law & UNISA’s students?

• To what extent are the programmes designed to address these problems?

Which University for Tomorrow?”?

Phrased in the context of the College of Law & UNISA it could lend itself to the following critical questions:

• Is there a room for a paradigm shift in the true Copernicus revolution in the College & the Institution?

• Lastly, what kind of learner does the College & UNISA envisages to bring about in dynamic world of the 21st Century

Bibliography• Nicolescu, B.1996. Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity. Paris: Editions

du Rocher. http://www.Locarno Congress, Switzerland. 1997. http://www.Nicolescu , Transdisciplinary Evolution of the University. • Klein, J.T. 2004. Interdisciplinary and complexity: An evolving

relationship. E:CO Vol. 6 , Nos. 1 -2, pp 2-10. Wayne State University Press.

• Thomas Kuhn. http://www.ee.scu.edu/eefac/healy/kuhn.html • Giri, A.K. 2002. The calling of a creative transdisciplinarity. Futures,

No 34, pp. 103 -115. Elsevier Science Ltd. India.

• What is a Paradigm Shift? http://www.taketheleap.com/define.html

I THANK YOU

KE A LEBOGA