Paper Title :The Inadequacy of the Linear Application of Social Darwinism to the Sociology of African Traditional Religion

Author :Kiatezua Lubanzadio Luyaluka

Article Citation :Kiatezua Lubanzadio Luyaluka , (2021 ) " The Inadequacy of the Linear Application of Social Darwinism to the Sociology of African Traditional Religion " , International Journal of Management and Applied Science (IJMAS) , pp. 69 -75, Volume-7,Issue-11

Abstract : Abstract - One of the assumptions of the sociology of religion leads to its linear application of social Darwinism to the history of humanity as affecting its course in the same way in all cultures. Thus, applied to the sociology of African traditional religion (ATR), social Darwinism implies the straight evolution of the history of this epistemic culture from religion, as a mere belief, to the present scientific stage. However, recent researches on ATR evidence its regression from the scientific epistemic it was to the present belief-nature of its various trends. This paper aims to demonstrate that when applying social Darwinism to the history of ATR, the sociologists must distinguish two stages: a steady scientific stage where ATR was a science, and the present devolutionary stage which was inaugurated by the encounter of ATR with dualistic cultures brought by Persians, Greeks, Arabs, and other Westerners. Thus, social Darwinism applied to ATR must in reality implies the evolution of ATR back to the scientific epistemic it was. The feasibility of this evolution is dictated by the discovery of the existence and validity of the epistemology of African traditional knowledge. Keywords - social Darwinism; African traditional religion; Bukôngo; ancient Egypt; Sumer; Auguste Comte

Type : Research paper

Published : Volume-7,Issue-11

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