Defining the Omoluabi

In the most recent session, Freshman Seminar welcomed Dr. Segun Gbadegesin, the Dean of the Humanities. Dr. Gbadegesin, or Dr. G received a doctorate in Philosophy and is highly regarded in the fields of African Philosophy, Yoruba Philosophy, and Ethics.

Dr. G spoke about the Omolabi meaning Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility. We began the session by repeating after Dr. G, the word Ijuba meaning homage. Ijuba is similar to an ‘Amen’ in which one pays homage to the creator, our ancestors, our elders and such.

Throughout the seminar, Dr. G provided information that would essentially help to answer the question, “How have scholars across the various fields of study advanced and transformed academic knowledge related to enduring problems of the human condition?”

Another concept we learned about was the word Omoluabi and how it came to be. Omo Olu Iwa Bi means “a child begotten of the chief of Iwa.” Orunmila was the Yoruba God of Wisdom and his wife was Iwa, Existence and Character. Orunmila mistreated Iwa and therefore she left him. Subsequently, he lost everything when he lost her, and spent the rest of his days in search of her. What I got from this story is without existence and character a person has nothing, and it is hard to find.

Lastly, Dr. G broke down the difference between knowledge, wisdom and intellect. Knowledge is factual info, while wisdom is applying that knowledge to human relations. Intellect is the ultimate knowledge in which one has learned to appreciate society’s broader needs.

In my opinion, Dr. G and Dr. Carr’s were dissimilar in their key concepts. I think Dr. G’s spoke more about knowledge and Dr. Carr’s discussed having a voice in the community.