CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020
| Author | Nwosu, Lillian Chioma |
|---|---|
| Title | Political Philosophy in Postcolonial Africa: A Critical Examination of the Impact Of Colonialism and Military Dictatorships in Nigeria |
| Summary | This thesis examines the impact of colonialism and military regimes on the development of political philosophy and government in postcolonial African countries, using Nigeria as a case study. Particularly, it interrogates the nature of the social contract in precolonial times, colonial times, and precolonial times. Using the Women’s War of 1929, it draws a contrast between the nature of the social contract in precolonial and colonial times. This thesis finds that while colonialism eroded the political systems and philosophies of the peoples of precolonial Nigeria, both colonialism and military rule heavily contributed to a strong culture of state authoritarianism, and the social contract was severely weakened by both events. It is argued that in order to truly serve the interests of their citizens and that of a transformed Africa, contemporary African states must put the welfare of their citizens at the heart of governance. Therefore, they must be open to reexamination of their structural and philosophical foundations. They must, in union with the people, construct a raison d’être that creates a relationship of mutuality between the state and citizens. As the African Union is the sum of its parts, it cannot achieve its stated objectives if its member states suffer critical internal problems that impede their capacity to provide peaceful and democratic governance to citizens. |
| Supervisor | Large, Daniel |
| Department | Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2020/nwosu_lillian-chioma.pdf |
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