Since time in memorial, human beings have been striving to understand everything within their range of encounter, such as, the universe in general, the "World" of the supernatural being-God and the spirits, the human person, animate and inanimate beings, all that there is and the meaning of reality itself, seeking to know everything. Hence the desire to have knowledge is as old as humanity itself. It seems that the faculty of having knowledge is one of those unique characteristics that set apart human beings from all other animals. No doubt the aptitude to question, to investigate, to analyze, to evaluate, to criticize, to research, to plan systematically and project to the future is properly human and other animals are thus not endowed.

In different epochs of human civilization, different people have been asking various kinds of questions due to a variety of reasons and goals. No single group of people has done such a tremendous, thorough, and profound and a systematic inquiry than the philosophers. No doubt it is rightly claimed that philosophy starts with wonder, that is, when one starts to question seeking to know the real reality; knowing things by their causes, having the highest form of knowledge by transcending all those limitations which hinder a person from acquiring true and the highest knowledge, that is, knowledge in the absolute sense, knowing that what it is that it is and what is not that it is not!

Philosophy, throughout the centuries, and principally in ancient Greece developed very successfully becoming the groundwork of all science. Indeed, even some philosophers have called it "the science." It is evident; looking at the history of human civilization, that we cannot develop as far as knowledge is concerned if we don't keep on asking the right kind of questions and seeking the right kind of correct answers. Besides, development in terms of knowledge is the most valuable and the most noble a human being can ever dream to achieve. Asking the right kind of questions and seeking the right kind of answers becomes therefore a perennial human endeavor.

Many people who have gone ahead of us, great men and women, people of the "sciences" have set the stage for us. We of this generation cannot afford to be indifferent; we cannot turn back but rather go ahead taking the stage of inquiry and having true knowledge to a higher level than our predecessors. Our quest is heightened by the fact that we are facing many unanswered questions and the reality demands that we unscrew the true meaning of human life, the universe and all that exists. We must be careful not to delude ourselves claiming that basically all the major questions and likewise right and correct answers have been provided! Thinking like this would be, to say the least, unrealistic, retrogressive, unproductive, shutting the door to any further human progress, and borrowing from Plato, it would be like going back to the cave and staying put!

Once again, our Salvatorian Institute of Philosophy and Theology edition of Africa Tomorrow, aware of the noble value of human progress in terms of knowledge and the imperative duty to keep on asking questions and searching for deeper and better answers, comes to the forefront offering to its distinguished readers some questions for reflection. We want to remember that the tree of knowledge must be watered by the relentless quest to know more and more, better and better. Enjoy your reading.