Meet Oluwole Sophie The First Doctor Of African Philosophy

THE SOPHIE OF PHILOSOPHY

The tales of African philosophy will not be complete without mentioning Professor Sophie Bosede Oluwole the first Doctor of African Philosophy in Nigeria.

The Late Professor Sophie Oluwole who identifies more as a Yoruba but has an ancestral link as Benin was Nigeria first Doctor of African Philosophy.

One of her breakthrough research was on Ifa where Professor Sophie disclosed that Ifa is not a religion, but however, religion can be found in Ifa; Ifa is not Science, but Science can be found in Ifa. She further narrated in her research that Mathematics, logic can be found in Ifa, and that Ọ̀rúnmìlà is not a deity, but was the founder of Ifa, and was the great Philosopher of the Yorubas.

In her book titled: Socrates and Ọ̀rúnmìlà: Two Patron Saints of Classical Philosophy – Book by Sophie B. Oluwole

She established that Socrates whom Europeans says was the father of classical Philosophy in the world was a wrong generalization and a limitation to classical philosophical studies, stating that Ọ̀rúnmìlà had discovered Ifa and reeled out his philosophical teachings, passing his knowledge to his students whom are called the Babalawos long before Socrates. However, Professor Sophie maintained that Socrates can be the father of Western Philosophy, but Ọ̀rúnmìlà was also the Yoruba father of classical philosophy.

Aside this, Professor Sophie Oluwole has written alot on the Yoruba civilization, science, medicine and logic. She further said religion, and Western education has shielded many Yorubas from exploring the vast wealth of knowledge both in medicals, sciences, logic and physics.