The Big Con

Abstract

Kwame AnthonyAppiah, professor of Afro-American studies and philosophy at Harvard University, was once referred to as a gifted philosopher. He tries his hand at other areas of human knowledge, namely, linguistics, criticism, and creative writing. His works include Assertion and Conditionals (1985), For Truth in Semantics (1986), Necessary Questions (1989), the novel Avenging Angel (1991), and In My Father's House (1992). A philosopher, a linguist, a budding novelist, Kwame Anthony Appiah is also a dilettante French-English-French translator. He had the opportunity to translate from French a conversation that both he and his fellow Zairean philosopher and novelist, Valentin Y. Mudimbe, had with former minister of culture, the Beninese philosopher, Paulin Hountondji (cf. Appiah & Gates, 1991, pp. 156-164). Among the roles Dr. Appiah has been assigned in Harvard's Afro-American Studies Department is a new and interesting one-that of an kicker. The novel promotion has been given him by his boss, bosom friend, alter ego, acolyte, friend throughout, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., (Skip). Molefi Asante reminded a crowd at Harvard University of the quote that Gates made referring to Anthony Appiah's capacity for genius that Appiah could kick Moelfi's ass (Williams, 1995). Unfortunately, this promotional role is beyond Kwame Appiah's genie. He just cannot assume it, nor can his promoter, the genned-up chair. Molefi Kete Asante, the founder of the Afrocentric philosophy, has responded by challenging both Gates and Appiah-both the boss and the homeboy-to a public debate on Afrocentricity and multiculturalism in Philadelphia. Such debate never happens, and