Omoluabi

Dr. Segun Gbadegesin presented the lecture on Omoluabi: Self- Actualization and Communal Responsibility. Dr. Gbadegesin approached the topic by addressing the idea of Omoluabi as somewhat of a guideline to living. He discussed the actual meaning of omoluabi, the first written principles that people used as guidelines for living, and how Iwa (good character) relates to our seminar research question.

Dr. Gbadegesin literally defined Omoluabi for us as: a child begotten of the source of Iwa. Iwa means character. Therefore, Omoluabi translates to having good character and everything that character encompasses such as: knowledge, wisdom, principles, and community service. He showed the first guidelines for living, which were: The principles of Ma’at, Coffin texts, and Pyramid texts. These obviously existed before Sharia law, Greek governing laws, or even Christianity. However, the same principles of harmony, justice, order, and good character transcended throughout all of these texts. Some of the principles of Ma’at seemed identical to some of our Ten Commandments in the Bible. After presenting how Africans were the first to create character guidelines for civilized culture, Dr. Gbadegesin proceeded to address the seminar research question in relation to Iwa. He basically explained that Iwa- good character is what would be remembered in society about a person. Therefore what you did to benefit yourself through education and your community through service would be what people remembered long after you die. In relation to the research question, Iwa is how you use your knowledge to end enduring problems.

My overall impression of the lecture could have been better. It was kind of hard to stay interested and connect to the wide array of topics that Dr. Gbadegesin addressed. However, from what I did understand about the lecture, I agreed with and found interesting. One thing in particular that I found interesting was how similar the principles of ma’at were to the Ten Commandments. This idea that Africans were the first to create an idea of laws, principles, and ways to govern themselves related to Dr. Carr’s lecture when he also showed that Africans were the first innovators in terms of academia. Both Dr. Carr and Dr. Gbadegesin helped to show the relationship that philosophically and academically, Africans were the first to think of everything. Egyptians created the concepts of how to live life (Omoluabi) and make it easier by innovating. Africans have always naturally answered the seminar research question- how have scholars across the various fields of study advanced and transformed academic knowledge related to enduring problems of the human condition? It actually seems that it is an African tradition to live by answering this question. Hopefully this seminar continues to reveal the pre-existing nature we all have to be educated and use our college experiences to become innovators to stop world issues and create redefining world philosophies.