THE YORUBA CONCEPTION OF A PERSON AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON FATALISM, DETERMINISM AND HUMAN DESTINY

ABSTRACT

The Yoruba conception of a human person is usually seen in the light of hard determinism and sometimes fatalism. Yoruba statements such as “Ayanmo o gbogun” confirms this. This study is an examination of this assumption. The study examines some scholar’s account of the Yoruba conception of a person in lieu of freewill, determinism and fatalism. The study will be structured into three chapters. In chapter one of this study, I will examine the Yoruba conception of a person. I will be examining different philosophers and scholar’s perspective on the discourse. I will attempt to compare and contrast their views on the Yoruba conception of a person. In chapter two of the study, I will examine the notions of freewill, determinism, fatalism and human destiny in relation to the Yoruba conception of a person. I will attempt to argue that these notions occupy a center stage in the discussion of a Yoruba conception of a person. Chapter three of this study will explore the possibility of reconciling soft determinism and hard determinism in the Yoruba conception of a person by refuting the arguments given by hard determinists. This essay will conclude that contrary to the popular opinion that the concept of “ori” leads to hard determinism or fatalism, it is more compatible with soft-determinism.