African philosophy as a philosophical enterprise was shrouded in doubt as people defer over its existence. At the onset of debate over the possibility of African philosophy, many voices were on the negative side. Their doubt was anchored on two things viz; lack of justification for its existence, as well as its identity. The first has been answered in affirmation as many African thinkers tried to defend African philosophy by way of responding to critics of African philosophy thereby becoming apologetic.  The identity of African philosophy became the preoccupation of contemporal African philosophers as many things presented as African philosophy do not pass for it. Here, the issue of ethno – philosophy surfaces, and effort has to be made to clear African philosophy from the clings of pseudo ideas.  Thus, Hountondji has it as rooting out the myth (ethno – philosophy) from reality in African philosophy. Now the question is which philosophy passes for African philosophy, and whether what passes for African philosophy is truly philosophy.

      Attention shifted from the possibility of African philosophy to discuss on the methodology, content, types, authorship etc.  In order to have a holistic discussion on African philosophy,  we must have as sources, the three stages of development of the concept.  They are:  a: Ancient literate thought,

                 b: traditional oral thought.

                  c. professional philosophy in contemporary Africa.