Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Reclaiming Philosophical Agency in African and Global Contexts

The inaugural issue of Sober Search: A Journal of Philosophy foregrounds a rich tapestry of philosophical discourses that reflect both the depth and breadth of African intellectual traditions and their dialogue with global concerns. The selected articles span metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, philosophy of technology, political thought, and environmental consciousness—each marked by a shared commitment to critical inquiry and emancipatory thought. From a scientifically revitalised defence of Cartesian dualism to African critiques of algorithmic ethics, and from indigenous environmental rituals to the ethical reconsideration of religious pluralism, this issue converges around the theme of reclaiming philosophical agency in the face of historical silencing, colonial erasures, and epistemic marginalisation.

By juxtaposing African philosophical resources such as Ubuntu, Negritude, and communitarian ethics with pressing contemporary issues like AI ethics, environmental degradation, religious coexistence, and postcolonial identity, Sober Search Volume 1 positions itself as a vital platform for dialogue that is both rooted and transcendent. The articles challenge dominant paradigms not merely by critiquing them but by offering constructive, ethically robust alternatives grounded in lived African realities and universal human concerns. This maiden edition is not only a testimony to the resilience and relevance of African philosophical reasoning but also a call to reimagine philosophy as a tool for solidarity, justice, and transformative engagement in a pluralistic world.