(Kenyatta University Faculty of Arts, 1999) Makokha, K.
Philosophy like any other discipline has its branches, each of which is the concern of specific
philosophical problems. The main branches of Philosophy are: logic, which deals with correct
reasoning; epistemology, which inquires into the nature and claims about knowledge; axiology,
which deals with values in general, including ethical and aesthetic values and metaphysics which is
the main focus of this essay. This is because The African Psyche is a treatise in this field.
Etymologically, metaphysics is derived from two Greek words, meta and physika meaning that
which comes after or beyond physics. Thus, metaphysics by applying the basic principles that underlie
the workings of human mind such as the principle of contradiction, the principle of sufficient reason
etc., endeavours to come to terms with questions of ultimate concern such as the beginning and
destiny of the universe. Indeed, metaphysics, like philosophy in general, tries to account for the why
of things.