Afrocentric vs. Eurocentric Worldviews

The Afrocentric, or African-centered, worldview is very different from the Eurocentric, or Europe-centered, worldview. Afrocentrism is centered around the beliefs that:

The highest value of life lies in the interpersonal relationships between men;

One gains knowledge through symbolic imagery and rhythm;

One should live in harmony with nature;

There is a oneness between humans and nature;

The survival of the group holds the utmost importance;

Men should appropriately utilize the materials around them;

One's self is complementary to others;

Change occurs in a natural, evolutionary cycle;

Spirituality and inner divinities hold the most significance;

There are a plethora of deities to worship;

Cooperation, collective responsibility, and interdependence are the key values to which all should strive to achieve;

All men are considered to: be equal, share a common bond, and be a part of the group;

The Afrocentric worldview is a circular one, in which all events are tied together with one another.

The Eurocentric worldview is centered around the beliefs that:

• The highest value of life lies in the object, or in the acquisition of the object;
• One gains knowledge through counting and measuring;
• One should control and dominate nature;
• There is a dichotomy, or separateness, between nature and humans;
• The survival of the fittest holds the utmost importance;
• Men should have an unlimited exploitation of the materials around them;
• One's self is distinct from others;
• Change occurs to meet the immediate objectives, and is quite arbitrary;
• A distant, impersonal god holds the most significance;
• There is only one supreme deity to worship;
• Competition, independence, separateness, and individual rights are the key values to which all should strive to achieve;
• All men are considered to be individualistic, unique, and different;
• The Eurocentric worldview is a linear one, in which all events are separate and there is no togetherness.