Zera Yacob

Ethiopian philosopher whose 17th-century rationalist treatise challenged theological dogma and championed reason as a universal human faculty.

Zera Yacob (1599–1692), an Ethiopian thinker contemporary with Descartes, authored Hatata (《The Inquiry》), a philosophical masterpiece that predated European Enlightenment by decades. Forced into exile by religious persecution, Yacob developed a radical epistemology asserting that reason, not tradition, should guide human ethics and spirituality.

In Hatata, Yacob critiqued the arbitrariness of religious doctrines, arguing that moral truths like the Golden Rule are accessible through rational reflection. He defended gender equality, writing: 'God created women and men with equal capacity for wisdom.' His critique of slavery and emphasis on individual conscience anticipated later humanist movements.

Yacob's work remained obscure until 20th-century scholars like Enno Littmann rediscovered it, sparking debates about African contributions to global philosophy. Unlike Descartes' dualism, Yacob's system integrated body and soul, viewing nature as divine revelation. His synthesis of Ethiopian Orthodox teachings with critical reasoning makes him a unique bridge between medieval and modern thought.