An African Epistemological Framework for Environmental Philosophy through Complementarity Epistemic Reflection (CER)

Akinpelu Oyekunle

doi:10.21697/seb.5896

Published: 2026-06-23

An African Epistemological Framework for Environmental Philosophy through Complementarity Epistemic Reflection (CER)

Akinpelu Oyekunle

Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5896

Abstract

This paper argues for an environmental philosophy grounded in African epistemology and a holistic ontology that integrates human and natural environments. It critiques the tendency of environmental philosophy to rely predominantly on ethical frameworks and proposes an epistemic approach as a necessary complement. Using a qualitative and conceptual method, the article examines Yoruba and Igbo thought in order to reconstruct forms of ontological and relational holism present in Indigenous African societies. Particular attention is given to the idea of Complementarity Epistemic Reflection (CER), developed from the philosophies of Sophie Oluwole and Innocent Asouzu, as a framework for understanding the interdependence of humans, nature, and knowledge. The analysis shows how Indigenous African knowledge systems can provide an epistemological basis for interpreting human–nature relations without relying on a strict subject–object dualism. The paper argues that African epistemology offers important resources for rethinking environmental philosophy in the Anthropocene by strengthening human–nature relatedness and supporting a more comprehensive, relational, and pragmatic approach to contemporary environmental crises.

Keywords:

African epistemology, environmental philosophy, Complementarity Epistemic Reflection, Anthropocene, holism, human-nature relationship , Joruba, Indigenous African knowledge systems, human–nature relations

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Oyekunle, A. (2026). An African Epistemological Framework for Environmental Philosophy through Complementarity Epistemic Reflection (CER). Studia Ecologiae Et Bioethicae. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5896

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