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Abstract: One important feature of recent African philosophical works is the attempt by writers to interpret some key concepts from within the context of specific African cultures. The interpretations of such writers, however, particularly in connection with Akan thought, have not been without problems. One such concept is the concept of a person. From the largely general position that a completely physical conception of the person is inconsistent with Akan cultural beliefs, the precise characterization of the non-physical constituent of the human being has been a source of great controversy. An expression that has of recent times been put forward as descriptive of that constituent is the "quasi-physical." The notion of quasi-physicalism is the brainchild of an Akan philosopher, Kwasi Wiredu, and is strongly held also by Safro Kwame, another Akan philosopher. This article attempts an explanation of the notion and argues that it is conceptually flawed in diverse ways, and as such philosophically indefensible.
Introduction
The philosophical ideas of any culture, including the Akan, may be obtained from the language, beliefs, and practices of that culture. In this regard, an examination of some Akan cultural beliefs and language should aid in the understanding of the Akan concept of a person. In Akan language, the human body is referred to as honam, but there are two other expressions, ?kra and sunsum, which, together with honam, seem to suggest belief in the existence of two distinct components of the human being. These expressions are sometimes translated as "soul or mind" and "spirit' respectively and designated as being spiritual. Akan thinkers who hold spiritual conceptions of these entities include Asare Opoku, Peter Sarpong, and Kwame Gyekye.1 Even though Sarpong, for instance, correctly translates sunsum as "spirit," he nonetheless sees it as deriving from the father-an error that Gyekye points out.2 It is also held in Akan thought that the ?kra does not, just like the sunsum, form part of the brain or the body because of its complete spirituality. It is nonetheless believed to play some role in the person's ability to live, as it is seen to be a life force with spiritual attributes. It is these spiritual conceptions of ?kra and sunsum that Kwasi Wiredu and Safro Kwame reject. They argue-for reasons that I...