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Panacea To Nigerian Predicaments In The Light Of Soren Kierkegaard’s Authentic Existence
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1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It is over-laboring the obvious if one
should ask what the problem is. It is experienced right under
everybody’s nose. In politics, our leaders do not heed to the basic
unwritten law that their private interest should not come in conflict
with that of the public. We have experienced series of political crisis,
economic malaise, social instability, and even religious upheaval.
‘The
fact that every where in the world, Nigerians are generally feared like
mad dogs, dreaded like criminals, cautiously approached like dangerous
snakes and watchfully avoided like lepers’[1] is a glaring prove of the
extent of our problem.
It was John Stuart Mill who said that ‘it is a
crime, punishable by law to bring a child into the world without giving
him a necessary education’[2]. If education is left only in the hands
of the few, what then becomes the fate of the future generation?
Definitely, we shall not meet up with knowledge which Francis Bacon said
is power. The widespread ‘okada’ syndrome, conductor and driving
profession, increasing number of hawkers, etc, that are mainly taken up
by youths who should be in the school and under the guidance of the
state, undoubtedly unmask deadly canker worm in the bones of our
society.
Professor C.B. Okolo underlined ‘squandermania mentality’[3]
as the central problem of our country. This he defined as a situation
whereby every Tom, Dick and Harry develops a passive consumerism rather
than productive attitude to issues. Our leaders, just like their
citizens, are mostly preoccupied with the here and now that they fail to
see beyond the immediate satisfaction and interest of the moment. As a
result, there is no provision for the future and its generation. An
immersion into the world of ‘now’ shows some kind of resistance to pain
and discipline needed today for a better tomorrow.
Another problem
that is associated with this is alienation and marginalization of
oneself. Authentic life has to do with being oneself and having freedom
either to choose or reject something. Because of the absence of this
awareness, people do not even recognize what is their right and position
in the society. We tend to project our problems as caused by the
westerners or others. We alienate ourselves from our resources and the
revenue that accrue from them.
Unemployment has even affected the
enlightened class. What then is the stand of uneducated? It is not
uncommon to find grown-ups with negative orientation that is dangerous
for our society. As a result of the hard situation, one makes up his
mind to take the risk of life, which will either see him out of his
pitiable situation or face the wrath of infringing the law of the state.
The fact that criminals, drug barons, prostitutes, etc, are on the
increase is not unconnected with this.
1.3 METHOD AND SCOPE OF STUDY
My
task in this project is not to review or reinterpret the work of
existentialists or Soren Kierkegaard precisely, but more of a synthesis,
sieving, abstraction, mediation on the hinge points of existentialism,
with that of Kierkegaard and then juxtaposing it with our country’s
predicament. It is in this synthetic work that I will arrive at a more
practical ways of curbing these problems.
Precisely, I am to make
use of Soren Kierkegaard’s individual authentic existence in which he
not only takes cognizance of the individual but also his genuine
relationship with the crowd, search for ultimate good and meaning of
life. Morestill, I do not intend going theocentric, rather a search to
fill the deep chasm in man by personalizing the objective truth in every
individual person.
It is the thought of Paul Ricoeur and Hans
Gadamer that before a background, there must be a foreground, for no one
speaks from nowhere. Similarly, this project is set up because of some
problems. It begins with the background and the problems that led to the
emergence of existentialism. The various thoughts of existentialists
are not left out, and then follow Kierkegaard’s works and contributions.
A review of Nigerian situation is followed by some restorative
measures. Finally comes, the evaluation and conclusion.
[1] John Okwoeze Odey, The Paradox Of A Nation (Enugu, Snaap Press, 2003) p. 10
[2] Ekwutosi C.M, Freedom and determinism (unpublished lecture), 2006
[3] B.C Okolo. Squandermania Mentality: A reflection of Nigerian Situation ( Nsukka: University Press 1990)
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