Epistemology of East and West Political Thinkers on Ideal State for Africa: In Reference to Gandhi (Eastern) and Plato (Western)

Abstract

Epistemology is a science that investigates the origin, nature, methods and limits of knowledge on ideal state. It is used in research analysis of Gandhi’s ideology on ideal state as Eastern thinker as compared to Plato’s ideology as Western thinker influence on African setup. The problem of the study is how Eastern ideologies on ideal state never influenced African set up due to the fact that no country or nation from East colonized Africa. As compared to western ideologies are applied and learnt by African contextual framework in African continent. It is stressed that Plato’s ideologies on ideal state has greater influence on ideal state as compared to those of Gandhi. The objective of the study is to analyze the factors lead to western political thinkers have more influence on Africa than Eastern political thinkers. The research use descriptive-analytical method on empirical data in textbooks and journals. Findings are vital for African political scholars, leaders, philosophers and researcher scholars to have dichotomies between East and West influence. It is concluded that the Eastern political thinker’s ideologies on the ideal state were non-violence in nature as compared to western political thinker’s ideologies which are violent in nature. It is recommended that in African contemporary states should apply Eastern ideologies of non-violence and suppress conflicts in Somalia, South Sudan and others.