Philosophers of  the Arabs

                 
Ikechukwu Anthony KANU
Franz Martin Wimmer observes that even though philosophy claims to be universal, it has always been embedded in the Eurocentric culture, which is only a certain means of expression and questioning. so that the philosophical traditions of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa are relegated to the background. The effort towards genuine universalization and overcoming of the eurocentricism of philosophy led to the emergence of intercultural philosophy.
The concept was created by Ram Adhar Mall, a professor at the University of Munich. He defines interculturality as “the encounter of various cultures in the mutual recognition of their differences and similarities.” Relating the concept to philosophy, he writes:

Intercultural philosophy stands for a process of emancipation from all types of centrisms, whether European or non- European,…a philosophical attitude, a philosophical conviction that no one philosophy is the philosophy for the whole of humankind.

Wimmer, in agreement with Ram Adhar Mall, defines intercultural philosophy within the context of creating space for marginalized voices:

The endeavour to give expression to the many and often marginalized voices of philosophy in their respective cultural contexts and thereby to generate a shared, fruitful discussion granting equal rights to all,…to facilitate and develop a new and timely culture of a plurality of philosophical dialogues between thinkers from around the world.

Thus, intercultural philosophy is understood as an approach in philosophy for overcoming eurocentrism, a kind of decolonization of philosophy, and as a method of thinking differently from the colonial pattern so as to open the door for dialogue with other philosophical traditions.
As a new approach in philosophy, the intercultural approach emphasizes the need for the integration of influences from different cultures and traditions in the doing of philosophy. It is in this regard that it is defined as philosophy being intercultural, therefore, allowing the spirit of philosophy to be realized in different traditions. For some philosophers it means relating to, involving, or representing different cultures; for some thinkers, it implies contact or social intercourse taking place between cultures, as in intercultural communication; and for some others, it denotes a contact among cultures which exemplifies, or leads to, comprehensive mutuality, reciprocity, and equality. It is from this background that Sweet William holds that:

Genuine interculturality…. designates contact among cultures which exemplifies or leads to comprehensive mutuality, reciprocity and equality, arguably it is this sense of interculturality that many of those who see themselves as engaged in intercultural philosophy aspires….is it to be a field or subject area of philosophy? or is it more of an attitude, method, or approach or plurality of approaches to doing philosophy? Does it provide a positive direction or agenda, or does it focus more on avoiding certain problems in (traditional) philosophy?

Scholars like Heeson Bai and her colleagues, therefore, assume interculturality as a basic function of philosophy, implying that there cannot be philosophy without interculturality. 23 This concept of intercultural philosophy is not in any way an understanding of it as comparative philosophy. While comparative philosophy creates a round table for dialogue among various sources of thought across cultural, linguistic, and philosophical currents, in the case of intercultural philosophy, the round table leads to the generation of a thought system that is global.( p.69-71)