Zara Yacob (1599–1692)

The African thinker known as Zara Yacob was a rationalist who challenged the status quo by elevating reason over faith in the quest for truth. He did so within a deeply conservative context in which little or no tolerance was shown toward dissenting interpretations of religious writings. Although Zara Yacob lived in a tumultuous time of religious persecutions, he believed that there is no good or bad time as such; rather, it is humans' actions that make the times good or bad.

Zara Yacob was born in Aksum, Ethiopia, in 1599 to a farming family. He attended religious school for many years and later spent his career as a teacher, writer, and philosopher. According to Claude Sumner, a scholar of the life and works of Zara Yacob, Yacob is credited with formulating modern philosophy in Ethiopia at the same time that it was developing in Europe, particularly in England and France. He thus secured an important place in the history of African philosophy.

For Zara Yacob, God is revealed through reason. In working out his understandings of knowledge and human nature, Zara Yacob affirmed a belief in the power of reason, using it to examine the dogma of the Church. Zara Yacob's thoughts parallel the ideals of the European Enlightenment. As a realist, he strongly believed that people should trust the evidence that comes through senses and practical proofs rather than the dogmas of teachers, priests, or prophets. He believed everything must be critically examined and inspected before it is accepted as true. This approach to knowledge and the process of knowing put Zara Yacob at odds with the Church authorities. To escape persecution he took refuge in a cave, where in solitary exile he developed most of his philosophical ideas. During his time, the rift between Catholics and Protestants in Europe also had an impact on Africa. Missionaries of both denominations were working hard to disseminate their respective religious views in Africa, and Ethiopia was a target. The Portuguese were important allies of the then-politically weakened king of Ethiopia, known as Susnios, whose sovereignty was threatened by low-lander Islamic political forces. with the help of the Portuguese, the king won the battle and responded by converting to the Catholic Church. Those Ethiopian Christians who were Orthodox and who openly challenged the king's conversion were persecuted; many were killed. Zara Yacob was among those fortunate enough to survive.

with the benefit of his formal education, Zara Yacob used his time in solitude to critically examine the practices of his time in religious matters—both in Ethiopia and Europe. He had the chance to debate with the European missionaries of the time. Based on his in-depth meditation, Zara Yacob systematically formulated philosophical explanations to some of the perennial questions. In this regard, Zara Yacob's thought can be categorized into three areas of philosophical inquiries: These are the methods of knowing, human nature, and the obligations of humans.

Zara Yacob's method of knowing is called Hassasa or Hatata—which means to question, [Page 1454]search, investigate, examine, or inspect. According to Teodoros Kiros, Zara Yacob's epistemological approach to knowledge and knowing involves discursive subjection and critical examination of truth through intelligence or natural reason. This extends to the acquisition of faith itself through a critical examination and rational reasoning. Thus, faith in God comes only after extensive reasoning. According to Zara Yacob, nothing should be taken for granted unless it is first subjected to critical examination by intelligence or natural reason. Such discursive method also applies to the faith in the conception of God. Meditation, according to Zara Yacob, is a method of thinking powerfully enough to explore the mystery of the notion of God, the principles of Christianity, human nature, and ways of life in general.

...