Notes on Dogon Mythology and European Cultural Critique

Dogon Mythology: Yorugu

• Yorugu comes from Dogon mythology, a belief system of a small African group.
• Ama, a creator deity, created beings with twin souls (male and female).
• Yorugu disrupted his creation process, aiming to compete with Ama.
• Yorugu's creations were incomplete due to his missing female counterpart.
• His perpetual search symbolizes European cultural thought's perceived incompleteness.

European Cultural Thought and Behavior

• The study critiques European culture as a consistent system aiming for power and control.
• European anthropology is used to study African communities for control.
• The author reverses this to study Europeans, uncovering masked intentions.
• European culture is critiqued as a machine for dominance, affecting African self-perception.

Education and Indoctrination

• European education systems train African children to oppose their strengths.
• The Academy since Plato promotes a truth devoid of spirit, a European construct.
• Spirituality is crucial in African culture, but European systems de-spiritualize education.

Objectivity and Cultural Bias

• Objectivity in European thought is seen as a control mechanism.
• Claims of objectivity often mask political interests and cultural biases.
• African perspectives need to recognize the bias in European scientific and scholarly approaches.

Cultural and Psychological Extinction

• African people face cultural and psychological threats, not just biological.
• Focusing on young Africans is crucial to counteract European conditioning.
• Elders are seen as too conditioned by European ideas to lead effectively.

Historical Context: Maafa

• Maafa refers to the period of African cultural stripping and conditioning for inferiority.
• Africans internalized the belief of dependence on Europeans.
• The illusion of freedom persists while mental enslavement continues.

African Worldview vs European

• European culture seeks power through separation, while African culture values connectedness.
• Africans are seen as spiritual beings, integrated with nature and community.
• European objectification lacks spirit, seeks control, influenced by figures like Plato.

Plato's Influence

• Plato introduced the concept of the 'object', promoting rational thought devoid of emotion.
• This separation is used to justify control and hierarchy, foundational in European culture.

Role of Greek and Roman Influence

• Greek myths and Roman Empire tactics demonstrate themes of domination and control.
• Christianity and science have been used to solidify European cultural dominance.

African Centered Critique

• African critique targets European historical context and continuous global domination efforts.
• Studying African systems and ideologies is essential to counter European perspectives.

Spiritual Relevance and Rebirth

• African spiritual concepts emphasize interconnectedness and rebirth, contrasting with European individualism.
• African systems of thought and spirituality offer deeper, interconnected understandings of the universe.

Europeanization of Consciousness

• The shift towards materialism and denial of spirit in African consciousness is a form of colonization.
• Classical European art and concepts have been imposed as superior, overshadowing African heritage.

Final Thoughts

• Understanding European cultural tactics allows for a critique of their pervasive influence.
• African-centered education and spiritual understanding provide a basis for resistance and reclamation of identity.