Materialistic philosophy; a key to develop Africa

Africa's unacceptable underdevelopment status despite its resources can be changed for good by the adoption of the materialistic philosophy. But first the everyday misconception about this philosoohy that had been petrified among us ought to be corrected.

Materialistic philosophy or the philosophy of materialism is never the obssesive amassing of material things called wealth by individual, as it is portrayed out there daily. So read on to find out if this philosophy can really help us when adopted.

From leaders to followers that make up a nation, an operative philosophy is needed to glue them in their interactions. Not just any philosophy but a working one. For there are many unexamined philosophies, still, but unfortunately permeating and gluing Africans.

Every nation/continent aspires to develop. So is Ghana and Africa. Development is not immortalization of denizens, and neither is it a protective shield against existential challenges of life. But it is everything that minimizes the naked effects that emanates therein from such necessarily existential challenges of life. To put it succinctly, development is bringing a factual knowledge via various institutions to the benefit of as many people as possible. That is our collective aspirations, our destination.

The philosophy of Spirituality that had been operative philosophy in Africa,since time immemorial, can not drive a nation to its destination. There is no known nation on this earth that had developed; naturally and culturally transforming their environment to accommodate existential challenges with the spiritual philosophy. Time had no means of making a failed and non-working operative philosophy become a working achieving one.

But that is what Ghanaians and Africans seems to be hoping for, and expecting from time, hence their continual adherence to the Spiritual operative philosophy. For that matter it has become a chain holding us down in the abyss of underdevelopment. And we can not come out of it if we do not change the operative philosophy. What works is different from what does not, and there is no resemblance in any form between them whatsover.

They are forever and by nature opposite. The amalgamation of principles that are responsible for development is by definition and all in all different from that that leads to underdevelopment. Spirituality....as an operative-philosophy leads to, and ensures stagnation and underdevelopment. Materialism....as an operative-philosophy leads to, and ensures progress and development of a nation.

What then, is the philosophy of Materialism? The philosophy of materialism is about man and the world. That Man is capable of manipulating the matter-energy interactive reality of nature to meet his needs. That Man is responsible for his consequential actions and inactions towards the larger group called Mankind and the world. Therein lies the road to development in this philosophy.

The greatest inherent truth of this Materialistic philosophy is that, when operationalized by the people, it engenders accountability. And nothing matters more than accountability by people entrusted with leadership positions in the developmental journey of a nation.

At this point, it is necessary to indicate that, whilst the Materialistic philosophy teaches that Men in leadership positions for engineering the development of the nation are chosen/elected by the people, hence accountable to the people and not God. The Spiritual philosophy teaches that men in leadership positions are ordained by God, hence are accountable to God, and not men.

The Materialistic philosophy essentially gives the people the needed power to check the excesses of their leaders if things are to, statistically go right. But the Spiritual philosophy by its nature, denies the people this power to check such excesses...making them dormant in the socio-political environment.

As it is, the Spiritual philosophy is the best recipe for the flourishing of the possible excesses of men intoxicated by power, especially in leadership positions. Corruption is the summation of these attitudinal excesses of men in leadership positions, that eventually brings to a screeching halt every efforts towards development. With its detrimental and devastating effect, corruption must be fought from all fronts; via the active participation of leaders and followers that make a nation. If it can never be eliminated, at least it must be reduced to the bearest minimum.

This is where the imperative ratiocinations of the Materialistic philosophy comes in again. That the very people that elected/chose these leaders must in equal measure hold them accountable for their steawrdships. Unlike the Spiritual philosophy where we are to believe that they are ordained by, hence accountable to God, and not men.

At this point it should be clearer to us all why corruption persists in Ghana and Africa to our detriment. Also it must be clear by now that, corruption can never be fought fiercely and won, even with functional institutions on a continent where the masses are politically, philosophically and above all scientifically dormant....due to embracing the Spiritual philosophy with unshakable fervency and commitment.

To develop we must fight corruption. The easiest and possible means of winning the fight against corruption is by keeping the energy of accountability alive among the masses, including those in leadership positions as well. And that, is the otherside of the coin of the Materialistic philosophy, a vital component totally missing in the Spritual operative philosophy.

Africa's solution lies in this Materialistic philosophy because corruption is our greatest canker and cancer devouring our body. We must transform our worldview in order to transform ourselves and then the environment.

A worldview wherein the African is made to believe that, men in leadership positions locally and nationally are ordained by God, hence accountable to same must radically, pragmatically and demonstrably be changed to man is chosen or elected by man, hence accountable to man.

It is only when we come to that realization can corruption be minimized if not eliminated, for development on the continent. Let us adopt the Materialistic philosophy to develop this naturally and humanly resourced continent.

Stanley, Seshie

Email: seshiehanku@gmail.com

Whatsapp: 0508951323