Obafemi Awolowo’s Mental Magnitude: A Panacea to Nigeria’s Rape of Democracy

Abstract

The discourse on how to re-articulate good governance for Nigeria after the shackle of colonialism has always occupied the centre stage in the post-colonial discursions in the country. This is so, because a mega nation like Nigeria is still in a very controversial state in governance. In response to this search for an enduring political ideology for Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo postulated mental magnitude as a liberation ideology that will help fight against the rape of democracy by political class in Nigeria in his theory of democratic socialism. Mental magnitude is therefore a philosophical doctrine which derives from a theory of mind and body, with the assertion that the mental is superior to the physical element of a person, and should take control over the emotions, desires, and actions of man. The doctrine of mental magnitude is essentially Platonic, with Stoic and Cartesian flavors. It states tripartite divisions of man with physical, psychical and divine attributes, which invariably inform a rational being that can inculcate social and political values being advocated for Africans, depend on an African traditional way of life. Descriptive/Qualitative research design was adopted for this study. Materials were from books and other literature that may be connected or related to the various thought on governance in Nigeria. We analyze the contents of these books and materials with the view to evaluating them in line with the theoretical framework of our inquiry. The methodologies were historical, expository, analytical, critical and prescriptive from relevant literature material consulted.

Keywords: Mental Magnitude, Democracy, Nigeria, Rape of Democracy

DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/62-05

Publication date:March 31^st 2020