Ethnographers’ denial of abstract thought to tribal peoples underpinned colonial theory

Evidence

Up to the present, ethnographers have denied all abstract thought to tribal peoples. The civilized Christian European was exalted, the savage and pagan primitive man was denigrated. Out of this concept a theory of colonisation was born which now threatens to fail everywhere. A true estimate of indigenous peoples can now take the place of the misunderstanding and fanaticism of the ethnology of the past and of the former attitude of aversion entertained with regard to them. That is why this present work by the Revd. Fr. Tempels is destined to achieve so much good. It will mark a new epoch in the history of colonisation. — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 680

Categorization

• DEFINE: Documents the historical claim that colonial ideology rested on denying Africans abstract reasoning capacity.