The Concept of Time in African Cultures

Language, religion, and culture often create barriers that hinder understanding among people from diverse backgrounds. However, the continuous passage of moments—from the past, through the present, into the future—suggests a universal connection. Or does it?

It turns out, the interpretation of time varies significantly.

For instance, in some African societies, the notion of the future may be absent, implying that time flows differently. A recent post highlights this idea.

According to Kenyan philosopher John Matty, he posits that “Time is a vibrant being from a long past and is a two-dimensional phenomenon with a practical future.” He illustrates how the present encompasses “now, the recent past, and the near future,” which he describes as a realm where all events endure endlessly. However, he further clarifies that “time is made up of events,” suggesting we can’t truly be part of the future unless we first experience those events.

In this framework, a year isn’t simply the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Instead, it’s delineated by events. For example, “The year ends when these four seasons occur, which could mean a year length of 365 to 390 days. That doesn’t really matter,” she explains. This contrasts strongly with the Western view of time, often treated as a “commodity” that can be “used, saved, or wasted.”

This particular understanding of time is a reason many African languages lack words for the distant future. It can be quite perplexing for those from Western cultures, who are generally fixated on future-oriented thinking.

As noted by a commentator, this disparity raises significant questions about collaboration. Could this difference in understanding time explain the persistent economic and social challenges facing parts of Africa? Are our worldviews fundamentally incompatible?

One of the key questions posed is: “If there’s no future, how do you plan for anything? How can you understand the concept of sacrificing for future prosperity?” This insight could affect both individuals and broader societal structures. After all, how can a system dependent on timelines, delivery schedules, and future commitments function if the concept of time is event-based?

The absence of terminology for future events might hinder those from such cultures from integrating into systems that rely on those constructs, potentially resulting in disadvantages in the global economic landscape, as mentioned.

Admittedly, this perspective is primarily Western-centric. Emphasizing the European way of viewing reality, which can be criticized as “racist,” does raise valid points about operation and cooperation in a globalized world.

Of course, this doesn’t imply animosity or ridicule towards differing worldviews. But when making decisions about societal integration or applying systems universally, these discrepancies definitely warrant consideration.

To delve deeper into this intriguing analysis, there’s more to explore in the episode linked above.