No matter what may be the nature of the development of these tribes, the aim has been always to create a society where there is a reign of law and order. In other cases, they amalgamated to produce an offspring, which evolved into a new prototype. In some cases, they preserved their identity. Obedience to the tribe is thus inculcated in the tribes- folk from childhood.įrom our studies in history we learn that many tribes which came into contact with each other had discovered a way of living conterminously. Failure to comply with the collective will tantamount to an act of disloyalty which may be punishable with severe penalties. Within that tribe, customs and traditions are established to guide, direct and control the beliefs, attitudes, and habits of its individual members. How this reality of tribalism can be adapted to the unreality of national unity to make it a reality is the problem which I will now proceed to exegete.Įvery human being is a member of one particular tribe. National unity can be a reality but at present it is not quite a reality. In the light of the expositions made above about pragmatism, this, then, is my proposition: ‘If the concept and practice of tribalism would be a mode of adaptation to reality, then tribalism is an instrument for national unity.’ In further expounding his ideas of pragmatism, Dewey regarded concepts and theories as instruments, which he defined as ‘mental modes of adaptation to reality.’ My task in this lecture is to demonstrate how tribalism can become a pragmatic instrument for national unity. Schiller (1864-1937) emphasised ‘that philosophy as a theory of life is a practical, and not a speculative affair, and that the philosophical method should be scientific and based on experience.’ So far for the background of the philosophy of pragmatism. John Dewey (1859-1952) added a new dimension to this school of thought by postulating that the proper use of intelligence is to liberate and liberalise action for the satisfaction of needs. William James (1 842-1910) elaborated on Pierce’s philosophy by emphasizing the reality of particular sensible experience. Pierce held that the whole meaning of an idea is determined by its conceivable practical bearings and possible sensible effects. Students of philosophy attribute the origin of pragmatism to Charles Sanders Pierce (1839-1914) who conceived this idea after having been exposed to the philosophical writings of Immanuel Kant, particularly his Metaphysics of Morals.

As a theory of truth, it maintains that ideas are true, so long as they are satisfactory they are satisfactory as long as they are consistent with other ideas, can conform to facts, and can be subjected to the tests of practice and experience. As a method, it resolves metaphysical disputes by requesting for the practical consequences of any suggested idea. How can community-tribe be employed as a pragmatic instrument for national unity? To answer this question intelligently, we must pry into the meaning of the words ‘pragmatic’ and ‘instrument.’ The first terminology is a method in philosophy and a theory of truth. If the word ‘community’ is substituted for ‘tribe’, then my idea of tribe would have been conveyed to this audience. Each member of that community owes it allegiance and, in return, the community gives security and provides protection to the individual. The community thus develops into a small world with its own ethos and taboos. Therefore, consciousness of kind leads to community living. Very few normal human beings live in isolation from their kind.

Vice Chancellor, Ladies and Gentlemen:įrom time immemorial, the tendency of human beings is to live together. His lecture delivered on May 15, May 1964, under the auspices of the Nigerian Political Science Association, appears below. The following year he gave a public lecture on the benefits of tribalism in forging national unity in the Princess Alexandra Auditorium at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Nnamdi Azikiwe was selected as the first President of Nigeria.

National unity definition