Description

This study examined Paul Ricoeur's conceptions of creativity and truth and related them to identity and development issues in Africa. The study argued that what is presented as unique-single-pristine African identity does not exist; to insist on creating and/or sustaining such falsity discourages self-reflexivity and has continued to have very negative impacts on the development of countries like Nigeria, and Africa in general. More specifically, this study argues that: (i) based on Paul Ricoeur's idea of enabling a true self-understanding to emerge after creating meanings, there is nothing like 'a unique African Identity', and what is called the 'Nigerian state' is self-deception; (ii) the appeal to cultural egalitarianism is a caricature of the idea of African and/or Nigerian Identity. This appeal discourages self-reflexive cultural evaluation and hampers social development; and (iii) a reconstruction of the foundations of deconstruction shows that it is both a perplexity and a shrink away from the normative/regulatory demands of truth.