Law and the Public Sphere in Africa: La Palabre and Other Writings PDF
Preview Law and the Public Sphere in Africa: La Palabre and Other Writings
Law and the PubLic SPhere in africa worLd PhiLoSoPhieS bret w. davis, d. a. Masolo, and alejandro Vallega, editors Law and the PubLic SPher e in a fr ica La Palabre and Other Writings Jean Godefroy bidima Translated and edited by Laura Hengehold Foreword by Souleymane Bachir Diagne indiana university Press bloomington and indianapolis This book is a publication of indiana university Press office of Scholarly Publishing herman b wells Library 350 1320 east 10th Street bloomington, indiana 47405 uSa iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800–842–6796 Fax orders 812–855–7931 © 2014 by indiana university Press Titre original: La Palabre, Une juridiction de la parole 1ère édition en france en 1997 aux Éditions Michalon. copyright © Jean Godefroy bidima, 1997. Tous droits réservés. all rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The association of american university Presses’ resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. ∞ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the american National Standard for information Science—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, aNSi Z39.48–1992. Manufactured in the united States of america bidima, Jean Godefroy, [date] [Palabre. english] Law and the public sphere in africa : La palabre and other writings / Jean Godefroy bidima ; translated by Laura hengehold ; foreword by Souleymane bachir diagne. pages cm. — (world philosophies) includes bibliographical references and index. iSbN 978-0-253-01124-4 (cloth : alk. paper) iSbN 978-0-253-01128-2 (ebook) 1. Political anthropology—africa. 2. Public meetings—africa. 3. dispute resolution (Law)—africa. 4. africa—Politics and government. 5. africa—Social conditions. i. Title. GN645.b5213 2013 306.2—dc23 2013034754 1 2 3 4 5 19 18 17 16 15 14 When I was very young, my mother hung a world map next to the couch so that I would always learn the location and name of places in the news. This translation is dedicated to her, for without my mother’s encouragement to learn French and explore other cultures, it would never have come about. She is the one who gave me the courage to learn. contents acknowledgments \ Jean Godefroy bidima ix foreword \ Souleymane bachir diagne xiii Preface to the english edition: Justice, deliberation, and the democratic Public Sphere: Palabre and its Variations \ Jean Godefroy bidima xv Translator’s acknowledgments xl introduction: Speech, belief, Power \ Laura hengehold 1 La Palabre: The Legal Authority of Speech introduction 15 1 The Public Space of Palabre 17 2 a Political Paradigm 30 3 convergent Suspicions 36 4 a difficult Place in Political Thought 51 conclusion 70 Other Essays rationalities and Legal Processes in africa 75 Strategies for “constructing belief” in the african Public Sphere: “The colonization of the Lifeworld” 88 african cultural diversity in the Media 119 books between african Memory and anticipation 131 The internet and the african academic world 144 Notes 153 works cited 181 index 193 about the author and the Translator 198 acknowledgments Jean Godefroy bidima T he reader will have ample opportunity to decide whether this book is a sym- phony or a cacophony. however they may choose, readers are no fools and know that the signed personal adventure of any book or article responds like an echo to many individuals who have discreetly and patiently set this symphony or cacophony to music. The responsibility for errors and rough statements in this text should be laid at my own feet as the author; i turn over all the gratitude to those before me, who made this book possible at so many levels. i have to start with the most heartfelt thanks to antoine Garapon, magistrat and secrétaire général of the institut des hautes Études of Justice in Paris, who not only strongly encouraged this publication by welcoming it into the le Bien Commun series with Éditions Michalon, but also drew my attention to the relationship between Paul ricoeur’s work and problems associated with justice. i also give the friendliest recog- nition to Professor Laura hengehold, who committed herself to translating and mak- ing this book available to the american public, and whose questions pushed me to reconsider the relations between mystification and politics in the african public space. Many thanks as well to Publications de la Sorbonne, Éditions Michalon, Les Éditions de l’uNeSco, the journal Diogenes, and other publishers who gave permission for the reproduction of these texts. a particular note of acknowledgement goes to francis abiola irele, who tirelessly convinced me of the importance of orality despite the bad favor into which it has fallen due to the chorus of those opposing ethnophilosophy. a warm thanks to philosophi- cal friends and critics who enabled me to enrich this meditation and whose integrity and works, at once diverse and rich, have been a source of inspiration to me: Souley- mane bachir diagne, Nick Nesbitt, Seloua Luste boulbina, Mylène botbol-baum, and emmanuel hirsch. i will be forever indebted to the philosophical styles and the erudition of my pro- fessors at the Sorbonne: olivier bloch, olivier revault d’allonnes, and hélène Védrine. i am more than cognizant of the devotion and the enthusiasm shown by my teachers at the primary school St. Pie X in the village of Mfoumassi in cameroon: Madame Kavolo, Messieurs Grégoire Sala Mendzana, Jean (Le Grand) bidoung, Maurice ateba akono, florent bekolo, aloys Mendogo, and Jean bidoung (alias Petit Jean). My residency at university of bayreuth in Germany as Gastdozent (visiting associ- ate professor) enhanced my exposure to debates about the dialogical public sphere ani- mating the German philosophical scene at that time. My gratitude goes to Professor ix
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