WHY YOU MUST STUDY CONSCIENCISM

TO THE YOUNGER READER: WHY YOU MUST STUDY CONSCIENCISM

I would ... ask you to study this theory from its original sources and not at second-hand; it is really much easier. Marx hardly wrote anything in which it did not play a part.

                                                                                       Fredriech Engels

Adapting this quote to Consciencism and Kwame Nkrumah, we would ask you to study Consciencism from its original sources and not at second-hand; it is really much reliable. Kwame Nkrumah hardly wrote anything in which it did not play a part. 

In the light of some disturbing publications on Consciencism in recent times it is deemed of utmost importance that we go to the text of its statement in the original form. In the unwarranted effort to show the continued relevance of the 1964 publication, some rather less careful writers have tried to revise it. The essence of the current revisionism is the rejection of the book’s mono-ideological thrust in favour of an ideological mish-mash.

The danger is that some people who have clearly not read the book or failed to read it in its entirety are taking in the revisionist’s stuff. The inevitable consequence is that these people are bound to be ideological liabilities unto themselves in the worldwide effort to eliminate neo-colonialism, the last stage of imperialism. This is certainly what they would not wish for themselves but are slowly and surely becoming.

Experience has shown that even great writers sometimes misinterpret their forebears. It is for this reason that it could take new theories decades or even centuries to be understood and accepted. It is also for this reason that secondary source reading of an original text without the consideration of the original text itself is not only injurious to the academic or intellectual health of the victim but also portrays that victim as one big bundle of laziness.

This author once had the opportunity of critically commenting on a friend’s draft doctoral thesis. It was found that the entire work done thus far was not only based on inaccurate secondary sources but more seriously the friend had never gone to the original texts that had been misinterpreted so badly. Upon heeding the advice to study the original texts he came out with a new draft that was refreshingly representative of the texts.  

Consider the massive embarrassment that such a person would have exposed himself to if he had presented that thesis to a panel only to be exposed as being very ignorant of what he was talking about. To avoid that kind of embarrassment in front of an even greater audience you need to study Consciencism in the flesh and not a caricature of its apparition.

The benefit from studying Consciencism in the flesh is not merely the understanding of it at first hand but more importantly being armed with a world-class outlook that enables one to see issues clearly and quickly. The constant application of such a world outlook assures consistent thoughts over a myriad of African and other issues. And consistency is the very essence and definition of greatness. Apply yourself to this book on your way to becoming one of the next most influential persons in the Pan-African anti-imperialist struggle for African Unity and Scientific Socialism. Yes, you can be!

T. Kodjo-Ababio Nubuor