Philosophy Reflection: Relativism and Objectivism

Philosophy Reflection
Student
Institution
Course
Instructor
Date of Submission
Philosophy Reflection
The essay focuses on the two videos, reflecting on the issues. Through the analysis, we can understand important history, culture, and civilization issues. We are able to understand issues related to relativism and objectivism through the two videos. The two videos, "Dr. John Henrik Clarke vs. Mary Lefkowitz: The Great Debate (1996)" and "Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop – The African Origins of Humanity," are both centered about African history and its place in the world. While the first video is a debate between two scholars, the second is a lecture by Cheikh Anta Diop. Despite their differences in format, both videos provide important insights into African history's philosophical and historical implications. In "Dr. John Henrik Clarke vs. Mary Lefkowitz: The Great Debate (1996)," Dr. Clarke argues that the Eurocentric perspective of Western history has marginalized and erased the contributions of African civilizations. He contends that the Western world has long been obsessed with Ancient Greece and Rome's history while ignoring African civilizations' rich and diverse histories. Dr. Lefkowitz, on the other hand, contends that African history is not ignored but is given its proper place in Western history ("Dr. John Henrik Clarke vs. Mary Lefkowitz: The Great Debate (1996)," n.d.). She suggests studying history should be based on objective evidence rather than a desire to promote a particular ethnic or national identity.
The debate between Dr. Clarke and Dr. Lefkowitz reflects the broader philosophical debate between relativism and objectivism. Relativism asserts that there is no absolute truth or objective reality, and that knowledge is shaped by subjective factors such as cultural background, experience, and perspective ("Dr. John Henrik Clarke vs. Mary Lefkowitz: The Great Debate (1996)," n.d.). Objectivism, conversely, asserts that there is an objective reality and that knowledge can be discovered through empirical observation, logic, and reason.
Dr. Clarke's argument promotes a relativist view of history that emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity and historical context. He contends that the Western world's obsession with Ancient Greece and Rome has overshadowed African civilizations' rich and diverse histories. In this sense, his argument is consistent with a postmodernist view of history that emphasizes the importance of recognizing multiple perspectives and the social construction of knowledge.
Dr. Lefkowitz's argument, on the other hand, can be seen as promoting an objectivist view of history that emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence and objective facts. She suggests that the study of history should be based on verifiable evidence rather than political or cultural identity ("Dr. John Henrik Clarke vs. Mary Lefkowitz: The Great Debate (1996)," n.d.). In this sense, her argument is consistent with a rationalist view of history, emphasizing the importance of logic, reason, and objective evidence. The second video, "Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop – The African Origins of Humanity," is a lecture by Cheikh Anta Diop, in which he argues that Africa was the birthplace of human civilization and t...