The Typology of Spirits in Igbo-African Ontology: A Discourse in Existential Metaphysics

Abstract

Igbo-African metaphysics remains the most attractive and prominent aspect of Igbo-African philosophy especially as it is concerned with the ontological scheme of the individual person. This is based on the fact that the Igbo-African life is richly permeated by various kinds of forces and this has remained the primary code to understanding the Igbo-African personality, religion and reality. It is as a result of this premise that this paper sought to appreciate this allimportant aspect of the Igbo-African world and life in lieu of understanding and situating the Igbo-African properly in his/her world. This paper then employed the critical analytic approach coupled with some hermeneutic touch in it task of understanding the Igbo-African and his world. From this analysis, it became quite palpable that the Igbo-African world and its modus operandi et vivendi is closely bond with their interactions with forces and these forces come in various forms and style. This then made it imperative that if any Igbo-African is to live sanely and responsibly, the person must first of all understand and appreciate the origin, existence, nature and mode of operations of the various forces especially spirits-forces because they guide their existence and understanding of reality. It was also blatant that the Igbo-African has to abide by the codes that guide them as it concerns their interactions with the world and the forces around them taking cognizance of the obvious typology.