Focusing on the written intellectual tradition of African thought, this book powerfully demonstrates that philosophy cannot be confined within geographical boundaries. Souleymane Bachir Diagne challenges reductive views that associate Africa solely with oral culture by foregrounding intellectual exchanges between the Islamic world and Africa, practices of translation, and the circulation of texts. Drawing on historical centers of knowledge such as Timbuktu, he reconsiders the role of writing, archives, and intellectual continuity across the continent.
As preparations for the 2026 Venice Biennale were underway, curator Koyo Kouoh—who passed away unexpectedly—highlighted the book in a May 2025 interview with the Financial Times, stating:
“The best book I’ve read in the past year was The Ink of the Scholars: Reflections on Philosophy in Africa by Souleymane Bachir Diagne, one of our most brilliant thinkers. He challenges the idea that there isn’t a philosophical framework to African societies. There are ideas around Africans being the great architects of hospitality, and Diagne reflects on what the African approach to humanity is. What does it mean to be careful, mindful and caring? It’s not just about welcoming people into your home or feeding them. Hospitality is about caring for people, making them feel comfortable in your environment—it’s intellectual and emotional.”
Book was published in 2016 by the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Dakar, Senegal.
Cover Image: © Musée du Louvre/Olivier Ouadah