How to Decolonize

This article addresses problematic interpretations of African decolonial thought. It begins by responding to a recentchallenge to efforts at decolonizing knowledge in political theory and philosophy, arguing Olúfémi Táíwò raisesprofound questions about what it means to do so. These problematize the market commodification of decolonialthought and highlight reasons for interpreting African philosophy as modern, universalist, and creolizing in JaneAnna Gordon's and Michael Monahan's senses. It next discusses the pathbreaking work of the late Ghanaianintellectual and Akan philosopher, Kwasi Wiredu, whose political thought I situate within a genealogy I callanticolonial West African liberalism. Subsequently, I examine Wiredu's method of conceptual decolonization,which remains an effective model for decolonizing knowledge production in philosophy. To show why, finally, Ithematize Wiredu's writings on truth and philosophy of mind, concluding they should continue orienting Africandecolonial theorists of the present generation as they struggle to advance the frontiers of knowledge beyond whatWiredu witnessed in his lifetime.