Omoluabi

            Dr. Segun Gbadegesin, came to talk to us in our second lecture about Omoluabi, self-actualization and communal responsibility. Dr. Gbadesgesin stated that Omoluabi means child begotten of the chief (or source) of Iwa. It is a person of good character and of good upbringing, also, a person “putting knowledge acquired through education to the service of the community, and not shying away from personal sacrifices when needed.” A point he made was that we should all be Omoluabis to achieve self-actualization and to aid in enduring the problems of the human condition. I think that I could be an Omoluabi and help solve the problems of the human condition.  

            The Human Condition was another point Dr.Gbadegesin established. He described the human condition as the way we are as people in the world, for example the poor and sick. He also gave a rationale for solving our research question, if we acknowledge the human condition and its enduring problems, the role of various fields of study, and so on, it could lead to the transformation of academic knowledge. Prior to this discussion, I did not know what the human condition was or that it had problems that needed to be addressed. This part of the lecture was eye-opening to me.

            In his talk about academic Knowledge, Dr.Gbadegesin gave three distinctions; knowledge, wisdom, and the Intellectual. “Knowledge is the acquisition of factual information without insight into their supporting reasons. Wisdom-‖the wise (person) is skilled in turning (his/her humanly oriented knowledge) to serve the process of human relations. The Intellectual has knowledge and appreciates its relevance to the broader needs of society, but he/she does not necessarily have the skill for ordering personal relations harmoniously.” Clarifying the difference between the three helped me to better understand academic knowledge.