Godfrey Tangwa: A Select Bibliography

Godfrey Tangwa is a prolific writer whose his publications in academic journals, magazines and newspapers span a wide range of issues. He has written books including,  “Karl Popper:  A Thematic Critical Introduction,”  “African Philosophy in a Western Frame,” and “ Democracy and Meritocracy:  Philosophical Essays and Talks from an African Perspective,”  as well as journal articles including, “Traditional African Perception of a Person:  Some Implications for Bioethics” in the Hastings Center Report and “Globalisation or Westernisation? Ethical Concerns in the whole Bio-Business,” in the journal Bioethics.

Here is a sample of his published works:

Books: 

(1) Godfrey B. Tangwa (1990), Karl Popper: A Thematic Critical Introduction,

Yaounde: Luma Graphics.

(2) (1993) The Past Tense of Shit (Book One): Contribution of an Uncompromising Critic to the Democratic Process in Cameroon, Limbe: Nooremac Press. (Under the pen name Rotcod GOBATA).

(3) Godfrey B. Tangwa (1994), Introduction to Logic: Traditional & Modern (A Teach Yourself Course for Cameroon Students). Yaounde: (A self-published teaching aid).

(4) Godfrey B. Tangwa (1996), African Philosophy in a Western Frame, Bayreuth: Iwalewa-Haus Publications.

(5) (1996) I Spit on Their Graves (Book Two of the Past Tense…): Testimony Relevant to the Democratisation Struggle in Cameroon, U.S.A: Kola Tree Press. (Under the pen name Rotcod GOBATA).

(6) Godfrey B. Tangwa (1996), DEMOCRACY AND MERITOCRACY: (Philosophical Essays and Talks from an African Perspective), Glienicke-Berlin: Galda + Wilch Verlag.

(7)  Godfrey B. Tangwa (1998), Road Companion to Democracy and Meritocracy: (Further Essays from an African Perspective), Bellingham,

USA: Kola Tree Press.

Proceedings and Book Chapters:

(1) "For and Against God: A Consideration of Some Traditional Arguments on the Question of God", Philosophy and Culture: Proceedings of the XVIIth World Congress of Philosophy, Montreal, Vol. III, pp. 353-358, 1983.

(2) "The role of the Newspapers in the Democratic Process in Cameroon’, Anglophone Cameroon Writing, Bayreuth African Studies 30, WEKA No. 1, pp. 143-146, 1993.

(3) "The Other Side of Anglophone Writing", Anglophone CameroonWriting, Bayreuth African Studies, WEKA No. 1, pp. 166-171, 1993.

(4) ‘Prospects for Research in Cameroon’, Wissenschaftleraustahsch und Entwicklungszusammenarbeit vor der Jahrtausendwende (Bestandsaufrnahme, Probleme und Perspectiven) Sonderdruck, Baden-Baden, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, pp. 103-107, 1998.

(5) ‘African Bioethics and Globalisation’ World Development: Aid and Foreign Direct Investment 1999/2000, London, Kensington Publications Ltd. in Conjunction with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), pp. 115-118, 1999.

(6) ‘Anglophone Theatre in a Francophone City : The Flame Players and other Troupes in Yaounde’, New Theatre in Francophone and Anglophone Africa (MATATU 20) edited by Anne Fuchs, Amsterdam, Atlanta: Editions Rodopi, pp. 155-168, 1999.

(7) ‘GENETIC INFORMATION: Questions and Worries from an African Background’, GENETIC INFORMATION: Aquisition, Access, and Control, edited by Alison K. Thompson and Ruth F. Chadwick, New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, pp. 275-281, 1999.

(8)‘Circumcision: An African Point of View’, MALE AND FEMALE CIRCUMCISION: Medical, Legal, and Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Practice, edited by George Denniston et al., New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, pp. 183-193, 1999.

(9) “Traditional African Perception of a Person: Implications on Health Research Ethics”, ACTA TROPICA: (Supplement) Proceedings Seminar on Health Research Ethics in Africa, J. B. Rugemalila & W. L. Kilama (Guest Editors), Amsterdam, London, New York, Oxford, Paris, Shannon, Tokyo, ELSEVIER, Vol. 78, Suppl. 1, (S32-S39).15 January 2001.

(10) „ART and African sociocultural practices: worldview, belief and value systems with particular reference to francophone Africa“ Current Practices and Controversies in Assisted Reproduction: Report of a WHO Meeting, edited by Effy Vayena, Patrick J. Rowe and P. David Griffin, Geneva, World Health Organization, pp. 55-59, 2002.

(11) “A PANDEMIA DO HIV/AIDS: ÉTICA E POLÍTICA NA PESQUISA DE VACINAS NA ÁFRICA”, Bioéetica: Poder e Injustica, Volnei Garrafa/Leo Pessini (organizadores), São Paulo, Centro UniversitarioSao Camilo/Edições Loyola/Sociedade Brasileira de Bioetica, pp. 287-305, 2003.

(12) “Some African Reflections on Biomedical and Environmental Ethics”, A Companion to African Philosophy, edited by Kwasi Wiredu, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., pp. 387-395.

Journal Articles:

(1) "Parapoism: An Instantiation of the Fallacy of Provincialism", The Nigerian Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 53-62, 1981.

(2) "God and the Problem of Evil", Thought and Practice, (Journal of the Philosophical Association of Kenya), Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 79-85, 1982.

(3) "A Case for Positive Euthanasia", The Nigerian Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 4, No. 1&2, pp. 75-80, 1984.

(4) "Is Wole Soyinka an Atheist?", African Theatre Review (Special Editionon Wole Soyinka), Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 15-21, April 1987.

(5) "Bole Butake's Lake God: A Philosophical Review", African Theatre Review, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 142-144, April 1987.

(6) "Objective Knowledge and Gettier's Problem", Annales de la Faculte des  Arts, Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Vol. VI, Nos. 1&2, pp. 171-180, 1990.

(7) "Knowledge and Human Limitations", Cogito, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 20-24, (Spring 1991).

(8) "CRITICISM AND SURVIVAL: An Interpretation of Popper's Theory of Evolution", Quest: Philosohical Discussions, Vol. V, No. 2, pp. 32-48, December 1991.

(9) "AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY: Appraisal of a Recurrent Problematic. Part I: The Sources of Traditional African Philosophy", Cogito, Vol. 6, No.2, pp. 78-84, (Summer 1992).

(10) "AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY: Appraisal of a Recurrent Problematic. Part II: What is African Philosophy and who is an African Philosopher?",Cogito, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp.138-143, (Winter 1992).

(11) "Colonial Legacy and the Language Situation in Cameroon", Quest: Philosophical Discussions, Vol.VI, No. 2, pp. 24-43, December 1992.

(12) “The Compatibility of Freedom and Obligation: Using Popper to Rescue Kant and Sartre”, Sosongo: The Cameroon Review of the Arts and Social Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 163-173, January 1995.

(13) “Colonial Legacy and the Language Question in Cameroon: A Reply to Dissenting Voices”, Quest: Philosophical Discussions, Vol. 1X, No. 1, pp.121-130, June 1995.

(14) “Bioethics: An African Perspective”, Bioethics, Vol. 10, No.3, pp. 183-200, July 1996.

(15) ‘Can there be an Authentically African Literature in English?’, Quest: Philosophical Discussions, Vol. X1, No. 1-2, pp. 69-79, 1997.

(16) ‘Sagacious Reasoning’ (Book Review), Quest: Philosophical Discussions, Vol. X1, No. 1-2, pp. 175-182, 1997.

(17) ‘Globalisation or Westernisation? Ethical Concerns in the whole Bio-Business’, Bioethics, Vol. 13, No. 3 and 4, pp. 218-226, July 1999.

(18) ‘Colonialism and Linguistic Dilemmas in Africa: Cameroon as a Paradigm’, QUEST: An African Journal of Philosophy (LANGUAGE & CULTURE Special Issue), Vol. XIII, No. 1-2, pp. 3-17, 1999.

(19) ‘TRADITIONAL AFRICAN PERCEPTION OF A PERSON: Some Implications for Bioethics’, Hastings Center Report, Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 39-43, September-October 2000.

(20) ‘Moral Agency, Moral Worth and the Question of Double Standards in Medical Research in Developing Countries’, Developing World Bioethics, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 156-162, November 2001.

(21) ‘The HIV/AIDS Pandemic, African Traditional Values and the Search for a Vaccine in Africa’, The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Vol. 27, No. 2, (pp. 217-230), April 2002.

(22) ‘International Regulations and Medical Research in Developing Countries: double standards or differing standards?’, Notizie di POLITEIA, XVIII, N. 67 (pp. 46-50), 2002.

(23) ‘Between Universalism and Relativism: A Conceptual Exploration of Problems in Formulating and Applying International Biomedical Ethical Guidelines’, Journal of Medical Ethics, 30 (pp. 63-67), 2004.

(24) ‘Morality and Culture: Are Ethics Culture-Dependent?’ Türkiye Klinikleri Journal of Medical Ethics, Law and History, Vol. 12, No. 2, (pp. 92-97), 2004.

(25) (Jointly with Henk J. Van Rinsum) ‘Colony of Genes, Genes of the Colony: diversity, difference and divide’, Third World Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 6, (pp. 1031-1043), 2004.

(26) ‘Bioethics, Biotechnology and Culture: A Voice from the Margins’, Developing World Bioethics, Vol. 4, No. 2, (pp. 125-138), November 2004.

THESES / DISSERTATIONS:

(1) The Problem of Akrasia or Weakness of Will and Prescriptivism - for the B.A. degree (1977).

(2) Nkrumah and Nyerere on Socialism : A Comparative Study - for the M.A. degree (1979).

(3) Karl Popper's Theory of Indeterminism - for the Ph.D. degree (1984)