THE INVENTION
OF AFRICA
Gnosis, Philosophy, and the
Order of Knowledge
V. ¥. MUDIMBE
raDISCOURSE OF POWER AND
KNOWLEDGE OF OTHERNESS
Colosining Stace and Margins
Lond hep he am
Tile elmed Sing te cd wu
tee soseimeye iat rn a
See jms eran il bo
Bovis, Por ofthe Aes.
“The scramble lor Af, and the mot ate pend af solonztion sed
less than century These sent ich wsied the gate pt of the
Acancontinent, occured ferent ate inet andthe ee
‘sah cenres, Although a Aiea hor the clonal spenence rep
Sens but ttel omen fom che pespetea oy, tome
harged and contre, nce, th eet cme an hoe
form and the posable‘ rately naw spc of dues on Aan!
"adions and elu One igh sink at thi we hs for
mens, omit eign the nega ale conaicoy mtb namely the
“Hobbesanpturce 3 preEaropean Acs ch hee was mo eco
Time; no Ars; no Les ao Sosey which swat al omined
fear and danger olen death" andthe Rowseaion pre oft
Alcan gollen ge of pee bers, quay and sera (odin
‘Athoush gneralnaions a of courte dangeoas,cloiahin and ele
nani basally ean organtaon, aangevent The to oes doie
from the latin word cores meaning to ele to dele he
Peau comotatons thse word Bur ican be add tha he cle
Fists hose sting 3 gon a well the colonists those plone
terior by dominaing 3 local majong) have all ended organize sd
transorm non-Europen ars at andamentallyEopess consis,A “The neni Aa
imeitahly to what 1 have called she cloning structure responsible for
Frducing marginal soviet, eats, and human beings (Emmanuel,
"9 arch, 197) Theor for the pros of ln ater ot me
rake clarke dichowom tha thi te ees a whch i
‘har Sachs calls eorpeocenm lis del tae
nue out hata gen spec othe ele the
‘spason cpm andthe cll pens mak tte
‘ache oun al 9 Sones Codnonng eal neo
‘ree dears tay ise gor gab Bae
Teme ofthe elniaining race, a dichstomiing soem has
enced and wtb ia pea aero Cane maine opens
TES dol ne mayo ss pane,
Seana acount emis eer ab ad induced ca
‘er gra eal atc sonora bres he lay Eid
trom he pst fom me rag he re,
toast TM pppoe emp hom one me laceNeopn 6
then tile sn hese By eboney he mate
thal echo conan sgh led ge 9
cme ted ncaa eens xr ah
Imre ie pce mich sel sconce doe oe
Sic ftp (iy rss Sam op spe) Arsene
ina oraampe ithe statth os posi taduonal pect a
Insc fmt spd toe teeing ma a og
{ink an ung! as ee doped ys ned ob och
{Ependsapon mero male the ansaon hrm 3 as
fcne dearucitn ef odes ean ef areoe ad a
Ktotanoes, 75191 Ara campeon ol pid the oa
Sie of Ac sot nd th gig ur lt os
Sikhs ten stances wages aul en
Semi te; Mat 9751 Bola be ete Sod pow eb
‘hong che, pes ad andrsal ea he conan
Chie ditucd now ates whe ce comedy ad iy con
fs ae rms cui spl a nd ta enscon
Se bute ecards igo nop shes of mint
ayn ras enh se ama
Crum he wise dion mene ol epee
The paca sa mney tansormaion mean ae epee
ths hata was anon rte econ of weed pono ad
Sino
Power ans Others 7
Marginaiy designates the ieee space utmeen the soled NE
‘ican aon andthe projec modo clonal, i oppoeos
an tibanze space su which, + 5. Amn noe wes he pa,
“Spec the sural oasis that asl igre led ee
"cil fen consine wide the new rch sel nas,
‘soups defined by tae potion in he cpl stem) Lora 37h Th
{pice reels noo mach that new prunes cou hie op es
‘modern asthe fh despa gs thirst spce tapes
eine sd sito angen importance 3s Pio pa
sent
“he yourg nos ey kas hort wor salle pin he
“hid nur oy ae dapper re eo ad
"ebm man ior “reesei
“Thee otha endear in he
nid weds Ciara mn a akg eset
‘ns one rene: om da aes See
‘recep nan she Slee peau aenainy bse
ore hep om oe
Ar any ate, hs intermedi space sould veel a he major ge
fundertewlopment eral she sang teen beens mori tha
‘so anion af dseopment ads raion tha sometines eet
oor image ofa mythical pase Hao une he emp evidence oth
feesion by showing concee ewmpes of decent ves such