Abstract

The paper interrogates the issue of existential despair and anguish that characterized the developing nations of the world, with particular references to the African people. It advances the fact that contrary to the popular belief that humans ought to accept existential conditions as their fate in life based on the fatalistic conception of destiny as championed by the Yorubas, humans have the capacity to constantly make choices that will influence their choices and redirect their life trajectory. The thesis is built on the Sartrean notion of freedom by advocating for responsive freedom among humans. That is, humans must be responsible for the choices they make and should be weary of how their own choices have the capacity to affect others. The paper is a radical critique of Ori (Destiny) as being fatalistic in the Yoruba ontology, which has been championed by some very many Yoruba scholars like Bolaji Idowu and Oduwole Ebunoluwa.