Through a rare autobiographical act, Zara Yacob, who acquainted himself with the teachings of the Catholic Church introduced by Portuguese Jesuit missions in Sixteenth-century Ethiopia, becomes the first self-conscious founder of a philosophical tradition in Ethiopia. Indeed, it is a mild exaggeration to assert that it is Zara Yacob who gave the continent of Africa an original autobiography, something that was at that time confined to literate traditions outside of Africa. His treatise is a masterful example of self-presentation, clearly and powerfully expressed in a captivating literary style.
“By locating Zara Yacob somewhere between classical Ethiopian philosophy
and Descartes, Teodros Kiros succeeds brilliantly in making very clear the
originality and modernity of this seventeenth century Ethiopian
philosopher. This is indeed a path-breaking achievement that shows us a
different side of African philosophy, particularly its long and complex
connections to the larger field of world philosophy. It is a must read!”