Reincarnation

Reincarnation is a focus of much debate in modern African thought. In this challenging study, Majeed rejects the denial of the existence of reincarnation in African thought by reference to Akan culture. However, he makes a clear distinction between metempsychosis and transmigration. Linking the past – ancient religious philosophies – with present African thought in sub-Saharan Africa, he strives towards an “African philosophy of mind”. Although Majeed acknowledges the popular scholarly opinion that reincarnation is a “pristine concept”, he shows that it is generally an irrational one. He boldly argues that the philosophical problem of personal identity is central to the rationale of reincarnation. This very irrationality in African thought raises our understanding of the constitution of a person.