Tempels’s claim that Bantu ontology is at once static and dynamic is internally contradictory

Evidence

It follows from Tempels’s view that the “pagan” holds a static ontology, which guarantees him a metaphysical sheet-anchor independent of any given social conditions. Conversely, the alleged Bantu ontology determines the social conditions, which are dependent on the former. Yet, a static ontology (this being inferred from the fact that the ontology in question is the foundation of the pagan’s static “form of life,” à la Wittgenstein) is irreconcilable with holding that the very same ontology is dynamic, as does Tempels when he states, “We hold a static conception of ‘being’, they are dynamic” (Tempels, 1959, p. 51). — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 557

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to earlier chapter discussion of Tempels’s foundational claims in Bantu Philosophy and Wittgenstein’s ‘form of life’ concept.