This book provides the original Latin texts with new explanatory annotated translations of two philosophical works by Anton Wilhelm Amo (c.1703-after 1752), the first African philosopher in early modern Europe. It also includes an extensive introduction intended to help readers contextualize and engage with his philosophical ideas and their historical and intellectual background and significance.
Amo, an 18th century philosopher from Africa who was trained in Europe and taught in Wittenberg, is little known among contemporary scholars. Yet his philosophy, as well as his biography, is fascinating. It's terrific to have a high quality modern edition of his work. The editors' well-developed introduction addresses matters of biography, reception, political and intellectual context, generic conventions, philosophical background, and provides a summary of Amo's arguments. This book will be used widely. Many of us are seeking to do a better job of conveying to students the global networks that have constituted philosophy across the centuries. Many will surely avail themselves of the opportunity to include Amo on a syllabus.