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Abstract
This book offers philosophical interpretation and critical analysis of the African cultural experience in modern times. In their attempt to evolve ways of life appropriate to our modern world culture, African people and their society face a number of challenges; some stem from the values and practices of their traditions, while others rise from the legacy of European colonialism. Defending the cross-cultural applicability of philosophical concepts developed in Western culture, the book attempts to show the usefulness of such concepts in addressing a wide range of African problems. Among the issues are as follows: economic development, nation-building, evolution of viable and appropriate democratic political institutions, growth of appropriate and credible ideologies, political corruption, and crumbling of traditional moral standards in the wake of rapid social change. Throughout, the notion that modernity must be equated with Western values and institutions is challenged, arguing that modernity must be forged creatively within the furnace of Africa's multifaceted cultural experience.
... Similarly, more recent AI debates, such as those by Bryson (2018), follow this line of thought by arguing that cognitive capacities should determine how we ethically treat AI. However, Yoruba notion challenges this individualistic and cognitive-centered view of personhood by introducing a relational concept, where one's identity is affirmed through relationships with others and through adherence to social and moral codes (Gyekye, 1997). As Gyekye explains (Gyekye, 1997:106), "In the African view, to be is to belong to a community; and separation from the community represents a complete loss of identity for the individual." ...
... In addition to moral agency, social participation and relationships with others are often seen as vital components of personhood. Philosophers like Gyekye (1997) and Wiredu (1992) emphasize that personhood, particularly in African thought, is relational and communal, emerging from an individual's participation in social life. For the Yoruba, personhood is not granted at birth but must be earned through moral responsibility and communal engagement (Gbadegesin, 1991). ...
... The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into modern Yoruba society raises fundamental questions about how emerging technologies could redefine traditional roles, particularly in cultures with deeply entrenched social values. In Yoruba society as noted earlier, personhood is not an inherent status conferred by birth but rather a dynamic communal process shaped by moral responsibility and social participation (Gyekye, 1997). As AI technologies advance and take on roles traditionally held by humans, such as caregiving, teaching and decision-making, the implications for personhood and social roles in Yoruba society are profound. ...
This paper examines the concept of personhood within the Yoruba cultural milieu and its philosophical implications for understanding artificial intelligence (AI). In Yoruba culture, personhood is a dynamic process, deeply tied to moral responsibility, social roles and communal participation, rather than merely being a function of rationality or individual autonomy. The paper observes that in Yoruba culture, personhood is not merely biological or an inherent status but encompasses a moral and social paradigm defined by one's roles, responsibilities and relationships within the community. This stands in contrast to Western philosophical paradigms, which often emphasize rationality, consciousness, or individual autonomy as the defining traits of personhood. As AI continues to evolve, increasingly simulating human autonomy and decision-making, questions about its probable status as a "person" arise. This paper adopts a critical method to query whether Yoruba cultural paradigms, which stress moral worth and communal relationships, can offer new insights into the evolving definition of personhood in the age of AI. The paper therefore concludes that the integration of AI into Yoruba society will require careful deliberation of how these AI technologies will either align with or disrupt their long established cultural standard and perspective on personhood.
... Within much of African moral philosophy, personhood and selfhood are imbued with value, signifying that the primary objective of a moral agent should be the attainment of complete personhood or authentic selfhood. West African philosophers such as Wiredu (1992) and Gyekye (1997) have explored this concept extensively, highlighting the centrality of moral development in African thought. Moreover, the concept extends beyond mere individual fulfilment; it incorporates a communal ethos wherein the flourishing of the individual is intimately connected to the well-being of the community. ...
... This highlights the ideal of individuals sharing a collective way of life by viewing themselves as part of a cohesive 'we' and engaging in collaborative endeavours. Additionally, it involves caring for the well-being of others by actively seeking to assist them, often driven by feelings of sympathy and a genuine concern for their welfare (Gyekye, 1997). This notion of communal relationships diverges from prevalent forms of communitarianism in the Western philosophical tradition. ...
... Another influential theory in African philosophy regarding right action is Kwame Gyekye's moderate communitarianism (Gyekye, 1997). Gyekye argues that actions are morally right if they benefit the common good while also respecting individual dignity. ...
The push to create ethical universities is a shared global goal, reflecting the important role that higher education plays in shaping ethical development across societies. In the context of West Africa, this qualitative study explored the understanding and commitment to fostering ethical universities, drawing on the insights of 29 participants from universities across West Africa, including both lecturing and non-lecturing staff. The findings point to a distinctive understanding of ethical universities in West Africa, characterised by a commitment to communal and relational ethics as well as international standards. The research concludes by presenting key implications for university governance, offering recommendations for the integration of ethical frameworks in academic institutions, and suggesting strategies for universities in the region to serve as exemplary ethical behaviour and social responsibility in broader society.
... The question regarding what a person is in African philosophy has been polemic, and the Afro-communitarians have been at the heart of the controversy. The early debates were around the accusation that Afro-communitarians were radical and extreme for prioritising the community over the individual, and a more moderate Afro-communitarianism was required (Menkiti 1984;Gyekye 1997). Soon after that, the moderates were accused of not being fundamentally different from their radical counterparts (Matolino 2009;Famakinwa 2010). ...
... Because of this position attributed to the community in the constitution of persons by earlier Afro-communitarians, there have been criticisms regarding the position of individuality in these theories. Gyekye (1997) refers to Mbiti and Menkiti as radical communitarians, since these latter authors have exaggerated the role of the community and unwarrantedly sacrificed the individual. For him, both the individual biological entity and the community play an equal role in the constitution of persons, yielding what he terms a more moderate communitarianism. ...
... Nevertheless, for Gyekye (1997), the individual cannot exist outside a community, which makes the community prior to the individual. This means that the communitarian set-up requires individuals who will orient themselves in a manner that is consonant with the welfare of the community, such that, what actually confers the status of personhood on a biological individual is their promotion of the well-being of others. ...
... For instance, among the Akans of Ghana, Gyekye (1997) argues a moderate communitarianism of personhood. In this regard, he asserts that although there is a preponderance of interdependence within the space of social arrangements, an individual's sense of self and autonomy can still be observed. ...
... From this standpoint, he thus argues that although we are part of a larger group, our sense of individuality is not diminished. In this sense, Gyekye (1997) holds the view that neither a community nor the individual's aspirations is threatened in the kind of relationship that exists. He illustrates this in the following statement: ...
... (p. 35) While Gyekye (1997) held the moderate communitarian view by which individuals can attain full personhood status by themselves, Wiredu (1992) ascribed to the normative concept of personhood. He contended that the community was paramount in conferring personhood on individual members of the community as a social recognition of their adherence to social norms. ...
Understanding of local conceptions of personhood and mental illness is central for developing therapeutic alliance and treatment regimens for persons living with mental illness. Such persons are exposed to several discriminatory behaviours yet factors that seem to encourage these behaviours are still not entirely understood. Personhood as construed from an emic perspective could potentially guide an understanding of societal attitudes toward individuals suffering from mental illness. This study explored Akan and Ewe conceptions of personhood in relation to mental illness. Using a semi-structured interview guide, seven Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted in the Tutu and Taviefe communities of the Eastern and Volta Regions of Ghana. A thematic analysis of interviews brought out three main themes: loss of sense of personhood during mental illness; liminality of personhood status after mental illness; and restoration of personhood status. Within these conceptions, activities such as restoring routines and occupational therapy could be utilized to “restore personhood” at least at the performative level. This demonstrates the dynamic interface between notions of personhood and mental illness with implications for stigma reduction.
... As communitarianism continues to inform African thought and practice, it is essential to recognise the deliberate intention to rework the concept by social theorists to make it fit the contemporary African experience (GYEKYE 1997, EZE 2008, MATOLINO 2008, 2014, 2018. This reworking of Afro-communitarianism is, for me, a commitment to the development of modern Afro-communitarianism. ...
... Furthermore, he argues that the insufficiencies of the classic radical Afro-communitarian views (TEMPELS 1959, MENKITI 1984, 2004 and the moderate views (GYEKYE 1997) require a new vision of personhood -one that takes cognisance of the social realities of contemporary Africa. Limited communitarianism as a socio-political theory aims to capture the modern African experience, realities and 1 The modern form of Afro-communitarianism is characterised by its reconstruction of the notion of community entrenched in the traditional Afro-communitarian view and the relationship between the self and its community (GYEKYE 1997, EZE 2008, MATOLINO 2008, 2014. It offers a new interpretation of persons that fits the modern context of community and can help the individual actualize the self and their claims. ...
... The reality of the community and the reality of the individual could both hold primary status. Gyekye's (1997) thesis of the equal worth of duties and rights as an outcome of the equal worth of the sociality of self and the individuality of self grounded on communal structure/relations and the metaphysical capacities, respectively, is an essential reference in this regard. It is also a viable proposition and solution to the challenge of individual rights implicated in traditional Afro-communitarian thought because it offers an appreciation of individuality (see ADEATE 2023a). ...
As human behaviour, practices, and needs evolve in Africa, there is
doubt regarding the continued application of Afro-communitarianism
as an explanatory model. This doubt could be resolved by classifying
Afro-communitarianism into dissimilar kinds to capture the divergent
interests of traditional and modern African societies. In this article, I
argue for a more nuanced distinction between traditional and modern
Afro-communitarianism and locate Bernand Matolino’s limited
communitarianism in the latter. I show that by establishing this more
nuanced distinction between traditional and modern Afro-
communitarianism, we come to a better understanding of how Afro-
communitarianism might be useful to African societies, in so far as it
is contextualised. So, while traditional Afro-communitarianism might
explain the realities of small monolithic African societies, modern
Afro-communitarianism, such as Matolino’s limited
communitarianism, reflects and fits into the realities of modern Africa
and also reflect the thoughts required to capture those current realities
about persons and society. Also, with this nuanced distinction, I
demonstrate that traditional Afro-communitarianism poses the
problem of humiliation, in which an individual’s selfhood and agency
are delimited by communal ways of life. To overcome this problem, I
draw from Matolino’s limited communitarianism to propose the de-
essentialisation of African thought to accommodate plural
conceptions of personhood.
... Menkiti further comments that the individual realizes "the community as a stubborn enduring fact of the psychophysical world that the individual also comes to know himself as a durable, more or less permanent, fact of this world (Menkiti 1984: 172). The views of Mbiti and Menkiti succinctly explored above have been taken under the umbrella of radical communitarianism by Gyekye (1997). It is however worth demanding the praxis upon which Gyeykye employs to brand Menkiti as a radical communitarian (Molefe 2017). ...
... Furthermore, Gyekye argues that Menkiti's position runs into difficulty because it necessarily conceives of old people as having the disposition or ability to practice moral virtues. Gyekye (1997) notes that there are a lot of elderly people who are known to be immoral yet we would not rush to identify them as non-persons. ...
... In recent times however, there has been a bold attempt to revise the discourse on communitarianism as it connects to rights and the principle of binary complementarity. These moves were initiated through a critical reflection on the efforts of Gyekye (1992Gyekye ( , 2004) by Oyowe (2014); Matolino (2009); Famanikwa (2010) who were implicitly using the principle of binary complementary for their examination of Gyekye's outlook on communitarianism. ...
This chapter contributes to the discourse on the substance of African communitarianism, and the search for variable(s) that ought to make it distinctively African. The chapter further critiques the Western metaphysic-logic model, which hinges on the principle of binary opposition. Binary opposition, which thrives on the law of excluded middle term, stresses that of two alternatives at one instance, only one is valid. From this framework, scholars like Friedrich Hegel, Charles Taylor, and Alasdair MacIntyre have taken to exalting the whole over the individual in their reflections on the relationship between persons and the state. In recent times however, there has been the renewed interest connected to the place of rights in Afro-communitarianism. A perusal of the works of Motsamai Molefe as an instance not only underscores the place of rights but also displays the yet to be validated principle of binary complementarity which is suggestive of the Afro-ontological perspective. It is the aim of this chapter to explore the meta-ontological principle of complementary dualism which hitherto has been given lesser emphasis.
... Philosophic sagacity plays a crucial role in affirming the legitimacy and richness of oral traditions as significant sources of philosophical insight within African cultures. Scholars such as Gyekye (1997) argue that oral narratives, proverbs, and folktales encapsulate profound ethical and existential reflections that are integral to understanding African worldviews. These oral forms serve not merely as entertainment but as vehicles for transmitting knowledge, moral values, and communal wisdom across generations. ...
... The concept of philosophic sagacity significantly contributes to the development of traditional African wisdom by emphasizing the importance of experiential knowledge and communal values. Scholars such as Kwame Gyekye argue that African philosophy is deeply rooted in the lived experiences and cultural practices of its people, which are often overlooked in mainstream philosophical discourse (Gyekye, 1997). This perspective challenges the Western-centric view that prioritizes abstract reasoning over practical wisdom. ...
... By advocating for the recognition of indigenous knowledge systems, philosophic sagacity encourages communities to value their historical narratives, practices, and ethical frameworks. Scholars like Kwame Gyekye (1997) have argued that traditional wisdom encapsulates a wealth of insights into human existence, morality, and community living that are essential for social cohesion. This perspective aligns with the views of other scholars such as Menkiti (1984), who posits that African communalism is rooted in these traditional values, emphasizing the importance of collective identity over individualism. ...
This paper critically examined the contribution of the concept of philosophic sagacity to the development of traditional African wisdom. Odera Oruka's work primarily centered on identifying and documenting the wisdom of individual sages within African communities, challenging the stereotype that African cultures lack philosophical traditions. The article analyzed the concept of Odera Oruka's philosophical sagacity in the context of Tharaka traditional wise sayings to understand its contribution to the development of traditional African wisdom. There has been an over-emphasis on systematic Western philosophy that has continued to devalue traditional African wisdom which was not only a foundation of African philosophy but also the wisdom behind African traditional societal development. The study used rational-analytical philosophical approach. The study employed postcolonial theory to interrogate the enduring impacts of colonialism on cultures, societies, and intellectual traditions. The study was library-based, drawing resources from published and unpublished works, journals as well as digital sources. The study found that philosophic sagacity has significantly contributed to the development of traditional African wisdom by bridging oral traditions and written philosophy, recognizing the philosophical depth of African wisdom, emphasizing communal knowledge, enriching global philosophical discourse, and inspiring contemporary African philosophers.
... Consensual democracy is not strange to African societies; historically, it stems from traditional African communal practices of democratic political decision-making. Advocates of consensus describe it as possessing a political virtue which is essential to rescue the African political system from the developmental concerns occasioned by the competitive Western-influenced multiparty majoritarian approach to democracy, which is said to generate violent politics and to result in the exclusion of citizens' voices that lose out to a winning party (Gyekye 1997;Teffo 2004;Wamala 2004;Wiredu 1997Wiredu , 2001. ...
... One way to enhance consensus-seeking mechanisms in substantive systems of representation at a smaller, local level, is for government to recognise the creation of smaller political units (see Gyekye 1997). Such arrangements ought to formalise street-to-street consultations with the people to identify their needs and to represent them at either the local council or the state council. ...
Afro-communitarian thinkers have often pointed to consensual democracy as a valuable feature of traditional African societies. African philosophers, including Kwasi Wiredu and Bernard Matolino, have drawn attention to this pattern of political arrangement to consider what the political practice means for modern African politics. While Wiredu praissed consensual democracy and sought to explore how it could be relevant for contemporary African democratic development, Matolino finds it undesirable. In the book Consensus as Democracy in Africa, Matolino identifies several significant concerns with the theoretical and practical feasibility of consensual democracy, such as the concern with individual freedom. He rejects consensus as a viable democratic theory for modern African politics. In this article, I respond to Matolino's objection. My responses demonstrate a persuasion for a consensus-imbued majoritarian model of governance. While noting that consensus is conceptually reconcilable with party politics, I argue that a consensual orientation allows for expanded freedom of association that helps check abuse of party-political loyalty.
... These cultural ideals of beauty vary significantly across the African continent, reflecting the diversity of ethnic groups, languages, and traditions. However, a common theme is that beauty in African cultures is not only about physical appearance but also about a person's moral character, social standing, and their connection to the community (Gyekye, 1997;Mutua, 2020). ...
... The preference for fuller bodies in African cultures is rooted in the importance of fertility and community wellbeing. In many African traditions, a woman's ability to bear children is highly valued, and a fuller figure is often associated with fertility and the ability to nurture (Gyekye, 1997). This ideal body shape reflects not only personal beauty but also a person's perceived ability to contribute to the continuity and health of the community. ...
The concept of beauty has always been deeply intertwined with cultural, social, and historical contexts. In African societies, traditional views of beauty are not merely about physical appearance but are also reflective of cultural identity, communal values, and social norms. This paper therefore examines the intersection of enhancement technologies and traditional African perspectives on beauty, highlighting the impact of globalization on beauty standards in contemporary African societies. As cosmetic procedures, body modifications and other technology and enhancement products become more accessible, the perception of beauty is increasingly influenced by globalized ideals, which are often at variance with traditional African concepts of beauty. The paper analytically explores how enhancement technologies challenge these indigenous beauty ideals and calls for a redefinition that synchronizes modern innovations with African cultural aesthetics. The ethical, cultural, and social implications of beauty enhancement in African contexts are also addressed, emphasizing the importance of conserving cultural genuineness while embracing change.
... The role of African philosophy in design education extends beyond a mere addition of non-western content; it represents a profound shift in the foundational principles that guide the teaching and practice of design. By incorporating African philosophical tenets, educators can foster a design ethos that privileges communal well-being, social justice and ethical considerations (Gyekye 1997). These principles challenge the individualistic and often consumerist focus of mainstream design education, instead promoting approaches that seek to benefit society as a whole. ...
... Moreover, African philosophy's emphasis on the interconnectedness of all things can lead to design solutions that are more sustainable and environmentally conscious. This is in harmony with current global imperatives for ecological responsibility and can significantly influence how design problems are approached and resolved (Gyekye 1997). By valuing the wisdom embedded in African environmental philosophies, design education can produce designers who are equipped to tackle contemporary challenges through innovative, yet culturally grounded and ecologically sensitive strategies. ...
This article presents an extensive exploration of design education in Africa, with a focus on Ghana, employing storied-ethnography to critically contrast it with conventional western methodologies. It draws upon the narratives of prominent Ghanaian design educators – Sela, Isaac and Patrique – whose experiences and insights emphasize the need to integrate cultural, historical and social realities into the design curriculum. This study uncovers a significant divergence from western educational paradigms, which often prioritize technical proficiency and a universal design approach, potentially neglecting the rich cultural specificities integral to the African context. The research highlights the necessity for a design education system in Africa, particularly in Ghana, that balances technical skill with a deep-rooted connection to local culture and social nuances. It advocates for a model that honours and preserves African cultural heritage while preparing students to make impactful contributions in both local and global design spheres. The findings shed light on the complex nature of design education in Africa, calling for a decolonized, inclusive and culturally sensitive educational model, with profound implications for policy-makers and educators across the continent. Relevance to design practice: This research offers practical insights and strategies for integrating Indigenous knowledge and contemporary methodologies, shaping a more culturally nuanced and globally relevant design practice.
... This view has sparked significant discourse on the compatibility of individual rights with communitarian needs. Critics like Gyekye (1997) and Matolino (2009) contend that Menkiti's perspective may diminish individual autonomy by prioritizing communal interests over individual rights. The first thinker to critic Menkiti's position is Kwame Gyekye (1997), who argues that while the community plays a crucial role in shaping individual identity, it is essential to recognize and protect individual rights. ...
... Critics like Gyekye (1997) and Matolino (2009) contend that Menkiti's perspective may diminish individual autonomy by prioritizing communal interests over individual rights. The first thinker to critic Menkiti's position is Kwame Gyekye (1997), who argues that while the community plays a crucial role in shaping individual identity, it is essential to recognize and protect individual rights. He posits that a healthy community must foster both individual autonomy and collective well-being. ...
In the corpus of African philosophy, Bernard Matolino has made a substantial contribution to the development of communitarian theory, offering a fresh perspective on the concept. While his predecessors, such as Ifeanyi Menkiti and Kwame Gyekye, proposed radical and moderate forms of communitarianism, Matolino argues that these accounts are inadequate in capturing the rapidly evolving African reality. For instance, Menkiti’s radical communitarianism emphasized the community’s role in shaping individual identity, whereas Gyekye’s moderate approach sought to strike a balance between individual and communal interests. In response, Matolino introduces the concept of limited communitarianism, which acknowledges the dynamic nature of African societies and offers a more nuanced understanding of communitarianism. This concept recognizes that communities are not static entities but rather adapt to changing circumstances, and, thus, our understanding of communitarianism must also evolve. This article serves as a timely reminder to scholars and theorists of communitarianism to re-examine their assumptions and approaches to the African reality with a more nuanced and adaptable perspective. It underscores the importance of recognizing the complexities of our past, acknowledging the diversity of our present, and envisioning a future that is responsive to the changing needs and aspirations of African communities. By doing so, we can move beyond dogmatic and rigid interpretations of communitarianism and instead embrace a more inclusive and dynamic understanding of African reality.
... Lastly, and much more recently, is Gyekye's (1997) suggestion of deliberately forging meta-national states, an endeavour that he frames as inspired by reflections on African political situations, especially that in Ghana. When building a house, Gyekye observes, stones, sand, wood and cement are combined to produce a unity that is also a new thing. ...
... Relying on these existing forms of political belonging as a basis for state recognition would sediment them, interfering with the deliberate creation of a compelling meta-state. Gyekye (1997) is resolute: political power that is not satisfactorily shared will inevitably endanger national integration, allegiance and legitimacy. As with Cabral's football team, social mobility could nurture cross-cutting allegiance through binding individuals of different ethnicities by social and professional commitments and interests. ...
While the Euromodern model of the nation-state has been the subject of unremitting, exhaustive and merited political criticism, this article advances an anti-anti-statism. Oriented by warnings of theorists who have advanced plurinational states, creolising the nation, separating states from nations and abolishing the state, I turn to Fanon's insistence that states be re-envisioned beyond Cold War alternatives and narrowing nationalisms; Cabral's modelling of political unity on an effective football team; and Gyekye's suggestion of deliberately forging meta-national states. I argue that we need the institutional rejection of states reliant on racialised enslavement and colonialism as the exclusive custodians of bestowing and withholding political recognition. We must also premise rightful belonging not only on historical group identities but on how these are expressed in records of political activities demonstrating commitment to the cultivation and extension of national consciousness or the meta-state as the basis of political legitimacy.
... As such, we approach mutual aid as a constantly negotiated and contested process of relational resource redistribution whereby creative workers strive to accomplish harmonious relations with specific relational others positioned at varying degrees of social proximity, while at the same time maintaining economically viable creative businesses. Aligning with the moderate communitarianism of Gyekye (1996Gyekye ( , 1997, Wiredu (2008), and Molefe (2017aMolefe ( , 2017b, we argue that failing to accomplish economic sustainability is tantamount to a failure to relate harmoniously within specific circles of mutual aid and that--vice versa--the achievement of successful creative business reflects success in averting discord. Our study thus reveals how economic and work lives in the creative industries in Ghana are upheld by practices of relational resource redistribution, further showing how the dynamics, content, and intensity of these practices are contingent on the particular relational-affective and ethical-principles of interaction specific to each relational tie in which mutual aid occurs. ...
... Together, the right to be other-regarded and the duty to be other-regarding, lock individuals in circles of mutual aid that are upheld and lubricated by practices of help-giving and help-receiving (Wiredu 2018). Each circle of mutual aid necessitates the practical harmonization of relational resource redistribution, including the balance between selflessness and other-centredness with self-interestedness and self-centredness (Gyekye 1997;Wiredu 2009). Achieving this balance is inherently complex, for while the well-being of all people is deemed important, in practice the intensity and type of resource redistribution--including care, financial support, labour, and favours-is contingent on the type of each relationship. ...
Studies of non-standard, project-based forms of work prevalent in the creative industries have typically theorized the relational dynamics of work as a competitive process of social capital accumulation involving an individualistic, self-enterprising, zero-sum, and winner-takes-all struggle for favourable social network-positioning. Problematizing this prevailing conceptualization, our empirical case study draws on fifty in-depth interviews and two focus groups with creative workers in Ghana to show how relations of mutual aid, including elaborate efforts to live harmoniously with others, are intricately intertwined with economic practices of getting by and getting ahead. Our analysis abductively mobilizes insights from Afro-communitarian ethics to theorize the mutual aid we observed as a complex socio-economic practice of relational resource redistribution contingent on degrees of social proximity. In applying “a theory from the South” to foreground the role of moral obligations, social harmony, and hands-on practices of mutual aid in non-standard forms of work, we contribute a “decolonial critique” of relationality of relevance to scholars of creative work and business ethicists.
... Apart from hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1987), ideals of patriarchy (Walby, 1990) and African communalism (Gyekye, 1997) are central to understanding these dynamics. In these regions, social parenting, where the community or extended family assumes caregiving roles for children, often transcends biological ties (Nsamenang, 2002). ...
The study explores the psychosocial experiences of men identified as non-paternity fathers through a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) paternity test. A total of 22 non-paternity fathers from a DNA paternity test and two key informants provided the data. The study, guided by a descriptive phenomenological approach to data analysis, revealed five intricate themes associated with experiences of non-paternity fathers from DNA paternity tests: emotional distress and confusion, a sense of betrayal and mistrust, stigma and discrimination, a feeling of identity loss and crisis, and social isolation. Findings demonstrate that DNA paternity tests can have significant and far-reaching psychosocial consequences for non-paternity men. The study concludes by calling for holistic and coordinated aftercare psychosocial support programs and men-centric policies to support the well-being of men.
... However, in rural areas, traditional greeting customs remain strong, and individuals continue to follow established protocols, especially when interacting with elders or in formal settings. This dynamic reflects the tension between modernity and tradition in African societies, where greetings serve as a site of negotiation between old and new ways of life [17]. ...
This study explores the cultural variations in traditional greetings between the Ikare Akoko and Iwaro-Oka Akoko communities of Ondo State, Nigeria, highlighting their socio-linguistic and cultural significance. Rooted in Yoruba culture, greetings transcend mere pleasantries, serving as vehicles for expressing respect, social hierarchy, and cultural identity. Using qualitative research methods, the study examines variations in greeting practices, comparing phonological, lexical, and syntactic differences while preserving the shared cultural essence. Data collected from elders in both communities emphasize the context-specific forms of greetings, morning, afternoon, and evening salutations, as well as their unique linguistic adaptations like "Emooku ojumo" in Ikare and "Ewin-karo" in Iwaro-Oka.Politeness Theory and Speech Act Theory serve as the theoretical frameworks, revealing that greetings are performative acts fostering social cohesion and maintaining respect. Non-verbal elements, such as kneeling or prostrating, further illustrate the communal and hierarchical nature of Yoruba greetings. Despite the linguistic divergence, both communities share a cultural commitment to fostering interpersonal relationships and upholding social values.The findings indicate that while globalization and modern influences have introduced shifts in traditional practices, these communities continue to emphasize the cultural importance of greetings. The study underscores the need for preservation efforts, recommending documentation, inclusion in educational curricula, and promotion through modern media platforms to maintain the linguistic and cultural heritage of these practices.In conclusion, this comparative study demonstrates how greetings, as sociolinguistic tools, reflect the dynamic interplay between culture and language. By documenting these practices, the research contributes to the understanding and preservation of Yoruba cultural traditions in the face of modernization and global linguistic influences.
... According to Gyekye (1997), self-reliance is crucial for fostering innovation, self-confidence, and national pride. By empowering local experts to undertake developmental projects, Ghana can significantly reduce capital flight and bolster its economy. ...
Abstract
Self-reliance, in its fundamental sense, signifies the ability of individuals or nations to independently manage their affairs without undue external assistance.This paper explores the concept of self-reliance in the context of Ghana’s socio-economic development. It argues that self-reliance is pivotal for national progress, particularly in harnessing both human and natural resources. The paper highlights the importance of self-reliance in economic sustainability, national pride, and the reduction of external dependency while acknowledging the inevitability of some level of interdependence in the globalized world.
... This means that one's status as a person is contingent upon their active engagement and adherence to communal values and norms. Secondly, Gyekye (1997) acknowledges the possibility that the community can deny an individual their personhood if they have not possessed and observed certain communal virtues and norms. This implies that moderate communitarianism allows the community to restrict an individual's personhood based on their failure to meet communal expectations. ...
... 12 In African Philosophy, universalism is a school of thought which holds that philosophy uses one method and it is the same everywhere. 13 The Idea of revisiting the past is synonymous to (re)collection which is the first level of ethno-philosophy. 14 The idea of distilling has the same rendering as the analysis level of ethno-philosophy. ...
In line with the tradition of the Conversational School of Philosophy, this essay provides a rare and unique space of discourse for the authors to converse about the place of the 'ethno' in African philosophy. This conversation is a revisit, a renewal of the key positions that have coloured the ethnophilosophy debate by the conversers who themselves are notable contributors to arguments for and against the importance of ethnophilosophy in the unfolding of African philosophy particularly in the last decade or so. There are four key positions that have been argued for in the pages of this paper: (1) ethnophilosophy is not African philosophy and it is useless and inimical to the growth of African philosophy and should thus be jettisoned-Matolino; (2) ethnophilosophy is the foundation for African philosophy as it provides the raw materials for African philosophical discourse-Ogbonnaya and Agada; (3) ethnophilosophy has some value for African philosophy but it is definitely not the foundation for genuine African philosophy the way criticism and rigours are-Attoe; and (4) ethnophilosophy can be adequately conceived as African philosophy particularly in terms of its etymology as culture or race philosophy, dealing with a philosophical or critical reflections on, and exposition of, immanent principles in African thought-Mangena and Etieyibo. These conversers provide good arguments for the positions they hold, arguments that are of course, open for further interrogation. Two points can be concluded from the ethnophilosophy debate provided in this essay: (1) the disparities in views among conversers it seems, stem ultimately from the understanding of ethnophilosophy that each converser holds, which varies from the notion of a method used at some point in the history of African philosophy, to an etymological understanding as culture philosophy; and (2) the debate about 112 ethnophilosophy in the spirit of any philosophical tradition remains a perennial one that is yet to be concluded. This essay certainly concretises what is on ground and paves the way for further discussions.
... Collective solidarity should be developed through a continuous, shared approach to problem-solving that confronts oppressive power structures. What Gyekye (1997) calls 'meta-national states', she insists, must be sufficiently decentralised to facilitate sensitivity to local participation and localities, drawing selectively on historical and cultural resources to engage in ongoing development and evolution. Although she admits that creolising is typically more evident in music, food and dance than in intellectual or political activities, she maintains, the onus is on citizens to counteract elitism in creolised states. ...
A context of protracted postcolonial misrecognition and social injustice brought most of the contributors to this special issue together. This context raises an acute awareness of the ideological limitations not only of the dominant normative frameworks of recognition, developed by social and political theorists such as Axel Honneth, Nancy Fraser, and Charles Taylor, but of the African philosophical conceptions of recognition represented by ubuntu. What is the ethical or normative status of the insights into social ontology that we find in theories of recognition? The authors acknowledge the entanglement of norms of recognition in contested relations of power that influence the formation of subjects and the normative ambivalence of recognition which enables and constrains subjective agency. Ongoing inequality and social injustice makes palpable the practical effects of norms of mis/recognition. The authors reinterpret the concept of recognition to allow for normative ambivalence and ideological sensitivity in the current postcolonial setting.
... Portanto a qualificação das culturas e religiões ancestrais africanas como tradicionais não se deve à sua antiguidade, pois algumas são contemporâneas ou até posteriores à própria modernidade ocidental. Em vez disso, refere-se à sua condição "degradante" e "desprezível" perante as luzes da "civilização", do "progresso" e da "salvação" representadas pela cultura, ciência e religião ocidentais respectivamente (Gyekye, 1997;Ngoenha, 1994, p. 15). Segundo Silva e Soares (2020, p. 4), ancestralidade africana é "uma forma de ver e estar no mundo não só dos vivos e das coisas, mas de se relacionar com as divindades, os deuses e os ancestrais". ...
Este estudo procura contribuir no processo de construção de relações inter-religiosas pacíficas. Para tal, o estudo descreve e analisa como as pessoas, no distrito de Mandlakazi, sul de Moçambique, articulam o cristianismo e a religião ancestral africana, para verificar que possíveis lições sobre a convivência inter-religiosa esta prática oferece. O estudo resulta de uma pesquisa qualitativa, cujos dados foram recolhidos através da observação participante e entrevistas semiestruturadas e interpretados a partir de uma perspectiva interdisciplinar que articula a antropologia, a teoria decolonial e a teologia. Os dados indicam que, ao contrário do discurso oficial protestante e neopentecostal que encara o duplo engajamento religioso como um mal a ser combatido, na sua vida quotidiana, as pessoas engajam duplas práticas religiosas, seja de forma aberta ou dissimulada, porque consideram que, embora distintas, ambas complementam-se na busca do seu bem-estar. A partir desta constatação, o estudo destaca a complementaridade religiosa como um modelo fecundo tanto para a transformação social, uma vez que ajuda a moldar atitudes e comportamentos de colaboração e respeito mútuo entre as religiões e seus praticantes, como em termos teóricos, pois permite-nos prestar atenção à forma pela qual as pessoas, enquanto agentes activos, mobilizam e negoceiam as religiões de acordo com a sua agência.
... Hence the respect and care for the ageing population is not limited to health situations, it encompasses, adhering to their guidance, constant visits and calls, financial assistance and to some extent ensuring they do not live alone. Gyekye (1997) highlights that, in the African kinship system, it is not an individual responsibility but a communal effort to ensure elders receive physical, emotional and financial support as they age. ...
In the context of the African kinship system, providing care for elderly individuals to ensure their well-being poses intricate challenges and uncertainties. This article delves into the multidimensional nature of elderly care within the traditional African familial structure. Strong familial bonds and a collective approach to caregiving characterise the African kinship system. The intersection of traditional values with modern realities creates ambiguity in how elderly care is approached within the African kinship system. Balancing respect for cultural norms with the demands of contemporary life poses unique dilemmas for families navigating the care of their ageing members. To verify the hypothesis that elderly care in the African kinship system is complex and ambiguous in recent times, data was collected through qualitative methods and documentary sources. Individual interviews and documentary literature were combined to collect data that was analysed using content analysis. The article reveals that elderly care within the African kinship system presents opportunities and challenges. Thus, understanding the intricacies and ambiguities inherent in African kinship systems enables us to conclude that, it is possible to improve the quality of care provided to elderly members of African communities in recent times.
... Various African moral traditions are similarly relationship-oriented (e.g., Gyekye, 1997;see Metz, 2021, for an overview; for a link to psychology, see Calcott and , as are some theories developed within feminist philosophy, most notably, the ethics of care (Held, 2006; for a more global perspective, see Raghuram, 2016). The British philosopher P. F. Strawson (1962) is another example of someone whose moral theory is grounded in relational or intersubjective terms. ...
Moral psychology research often frames participant judgments in terms of adherence to abstract principles, such as utilitarianism or Kant's categorical imperative, and focuses on hypothetical interactions between strangers. However, real-world moral judgments typically involve concrete evaluations of known individuals within specific social relationships. Acknowledging this, a growing number of moral psychologists are shifting their focus to the study of moral judgment in social-relational contexts. This chapter provides an overview of recent work in this area, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and describes a new 'relational norms' model of moral judgment developed by the authors and colleagues. The discussion is situated within influential philosophical theories of human morality that emphasize relational context, and suggests that these theories should receive more attention from moral psychologists. The chapter concludes by exploring future applications of relational-moral frameworks, such as modeling and predicting norms and judgments related to human-AI cooperation.
This paper interrogates moral insanity as expressed in selected detective Shona novels. The novels under study are Kawara’s Sajeni Chimedza (1984), Masundire’s Mutikitivha Dumbuzenene (1991), Mahanya’s Munzwa Mundove (1999), and Zvaita’s Dandemutande (1998). Moral insanity includes acts such as theft, nepotism, embezzlement of funds, corruption, falsification, and abuse of public authority with the intent to extract personal rewards at the expense of the public. The publication of many novels discussing moral perversion is a clear testimony that the theme is topical in literature. In these novelistic discourses, writers portray people in influential positions as having a voracious desire for self-aggrandisement and wealth accumulation at the expense of the general citizenry. Nevertheless, this study argues that negative images of people in influential positions portrayed by the writers foster what Chinweizu (1987, xii) calls “intellectual meningitis” which cripples the development of purposeful literature as it is anchored on blaming the victims of a system. Guided and informed by Afrocentricity, the study argues that novelists should go beyond satirising and chastising people in influential posts and provide home-grown solutions to the problem of moral perversion.
PROCEEDINGS OF FULAFIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024
The fundamental issues that prompted the postulations of Kwame Gyekye's moderate communitarianism are a result of the persistent tension between the individual's agitation for the assertion of his rights and expression of his interests on the one hand and the community's demand for conformity to its values and authority on the other. In the course of finding ways to address the inherent tensions in the relationship between the individual and community, which were not adequately addressed by various theories of individualism and communitarianism in their extreme forms. Kwame Gyekye proposes Moderate Communitarianism as a theory for balancing the extremist and absolutist positions held in the various theories before it. However, this paper finds Kwame Gyekye's theory inadequate for balancing the conflict between the individual and the community. Though it argues for equal moral balancing of individual rights and the common good. He was unable to follow the logic of his position to the end. It is against this backdrop that this paper aims to reconstruct Kwame Gyekye's moderate communitarianism using cultural dialectics as a framework for resolving the conflict of interests and responsibility respectively. The paper adopts conceptual and critical analysis as a method of approaching the issues raised in the work. This reconstruction is significant for affirming the possibility of harmony and peaceful coexistence among people with or without similar cultural orientations and also for evaluating the problems arising in the course of individuals' quest for liberty and its expressions.
Artificial Intelligence holds the potential to benefit communities in numerous areas, including health. Artificial intelligence health research is, among other things, advancing the accuracy of diagnosis, enabling new drug and treatment options, and reducing costs in healthcare. Like elsewhere, artificial intelligence health research is rapidly expanding across the African continent; however, numerous co-travelling ethical challenges - including those related to data protection, equitable access, and data colonization - are under-addressed. Community engagement is a process through which a number of pertinent health research ethics issues affecting communities can be identified and collaboratively pursued; however, there currently is limited understanding of the opportunities and challenges for community engagement in artificial intelligence research globally. In order to advance collective understanding and support policy and practice innovation, this paper interrogates how communities in Africa could be engaged in artificial intelligence health research. It provides a justification for community engagement in artificial intelligence health research, and discusses its application in African communities. It concludes by offering some context-specific recommendations for priority attention.
This book makes an argument for pluralizing political philosophy, thereby focussing specifically on economic and ecological inequalities. By reducing the current marginalization of a range of traditions and approaches in political philosophy, especially as it is practised at universities in the Global North, political philosophy will have access to a richer range of theories. The chapters in this edited volume illustrate the wide range of perspectives that exist to analyse economic and ecological inequalities. In addition to critical discussions of liberal egalitarianism and green liberalism, contributing authors also offer discussions of Māori philosophy, ecofeminism, Confucian political philosophy, an ethics of care, Ubuntu philosophy, Buen Vivir, and hybrid approaches. In addition, other chapters offer meta-theoretical discussions of the reasons for global justice scholars to work towards a more inclusive agenda and approach; they examine what explains the canon in political philosophy; and they discuss what the scope of political philosophy is, or should be. The volume closes with four shorter chapters that provide some meta-theoretical reflections and make suggestions on how to further pluralize political philosophy.
On a global scale, the cleaning up and the reduction and recycling of plastic waste has become increasingly significant as the production of plastic is expected to be on the rise, and hence, its waste progressively causes environmental pollution and health problems. In the past, plastic waste management in the Global South has often been implemented top-down with a focus on technical solutions, such as the setting up of nets to fish up litter from the bottom of the sea. A problematic aspect of these solutions, which on other levels can be great, is that technology does not move local people to think about the dark sides of plastic, nor does it create environmental awareness. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the embeddedness or inclusivity of plastic waste management in local practices in the Global South. More specifically, it will concentrate on the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu and Ubuntu-like elements in Akan philosophy and culture in Ghana and (neo) Confucianism in Malaysia to gain an intercultural philosophical understanding of inclusive, sustainable plastic waste management. More based on pathos and ethos than logos, this inclusive management aims to reach and mobilise the local community to adopt a cooperative attitude in the management of plastic waste.
This chapter investigates whether the concept of Afro-communitarian (or Ubuntu) reconciliation can be applied to gender in South Africa. Is it the case that there is a need for reconciliation between the genders, given the amount of gender-based violence which is rife in the country? Or is the concept of reconciliation, which is usually applied to categories such as race, ethnic or religious groups, not the correct way of trying to overcome gender-based violence? The chapter will first argue for a particular interpretation of the term gender-based violence. An account of reconciliation according to an Afro-communitarian ethic will then be given, after which it will be argued that Ubuntu reconciliation can and ought to be applied to the issue of gender in South Africa. This is so since what is necessary to overcome gender-based violence is the transformation of gender roles and identities, and it is exactly the transformation of identities which is at stake in Ubuntu reconciliation. It will also be emphasized that in a country such as South Africa, any solution which is not intersectional and does not also address the legacy of trauma in the country due to colonialism and apartheid will be inadequate, since identities and persons are complex and comprise issues of gender, race, economics and ethnicity. This is another reason why Ubuntu reconciliation is important, since it would address all these facets of a person’s identity and does not focus on one aspect only.
The world is currently experiencing a devastating environmental crisis that is threatening global human development. The environmental crisis is manifested in different interconnected ways such as global warming, climate change, frequent and intensive draughts, wildfires, storms, floods, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, deforestation, loss of animal and plant species. It is undeniable that the global environmental crisis is persistently putting more pressure on governments, communities and world organizations to find solutions for the environmental crisis. The Western moral theories such as animal liberation, biocentrism, ecocentrism and ecofeminism as well as scientific approaches that include mitigation and adaptation have been utilized in order to solve the problem. These theories and approaches seem not to be enough. This is proven by the continuing and escalating environmental crisis in the whole world. However, the African theories and approaches that can complement the Western approaches have not been employed. This chapter seeks to argue that the Western ethical theories have deficiencies that make them ineffective. The paper further argues that the African ethics of Botho can positively contribute to the current environmental crisis discourse that aims at reducing environmental risks for global human development. The ethics of Botho advocates for the establishment and maintenance of humane relations between all human beings and nature. This implies that the environmental crisis that the world is experiencing today, is rooted in the existing inhuman relations between human beings and nature. Therefore, the chapter concludes that the ethics of Botho as an African philosophy should be taught globally from early childhood in families to adulthood at tertiary level in order to address the prevailing environmental crisis that is threatening the global human development.
The concept of Ubuntu originates from the Nguni languages of South Africa. However, the concept has met a Pan-African resonance and extends to other continents since it evokes an aspiration towards a wholesome caring, interconnected and interdependent human community. Ubuntu thus entails a journey to the heart of African culture postulated as a concept that could shape the vision and provide a model for African political, cultural, social and economic transformation. It refers to an ideal human being who respects him or herself, the norms and values of the family, community and the society at large. This chapter explores Ubuntu philosophy which holds that an action in one or the other sphere of reality affects the whole in a spiral and wave-like reactions. Reality is therefore not made of independent units or compartments. It is instead continuous and interconnected. Right action is hence necessary and should basically be humane, just, fair, truthful and respectful for harmony to prevail. The chapter further considers five examples of right actions in relation to Ubuntu. It assesses gender inequality in Kenya by providing examples from the 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) Report to underscore prevailing Gender inequality. This shall be further interrogated in view of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 which seeks to achieve gender equality and SDG 10 which seeks to reduce global inequalities across board. This essay sums up that a careful enactment of Ubuntu should lead to right action in society where all women, children and men flourish and inequality is mitigated.
Even after all its nations have attained political independence, Africa still relies on foreign aid for economic development. Scholars are divided when it comes to the question of whether aid is good or bad for Africa. Through the use of conversational thinking as a method, on the one hand, we interrogate the views of scholars such as Sachs (End of poverty: Economic possibilities of our time. The Penguin press, New York, 2005), Easterly (2006), Collier (The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About it. Oxford University Press, New York, 2007), who believe that aid is good for Africa’s development. These scholars give the impression that Africa is incapable of economic growth without Western assistance. On the other hand, there are scholars such as Abuzeid (Stanford Journal of International RelationsXI(1):16–23, 2009), Moyo (Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is A Better Way for Africa. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2009), Deaton (The Great Escape: Healthy, Wealthy, and the Origins of Inequality. Princetown University Press, New Jersey, 2013), who argue for Africa to be self-sufficient and do away with aid, citing that it keeps Africa economically dependent, encourages corruption and conflict and discourages free enterprise. This position seems to neglect the global interconnectedness and lack of self-sufficiency of nations. Contrary to these two positions, Metz (2019) argues that since its nations are not technologically self-sufficient, Africa needs to enter into a relationship of interdependence with West in order to become technologically and economically viable. In this chapter, we seek to affirm Metz’s relational ethics which is informed by Ubuntu ethics and argue further that his notion of economic interdependence must be built on the idea of economic self-reliance in Africa and among Africans. The notion of economic self-reliance that we argue for is one that acknowledges the technological insufficiency of Africa that should warrant its borrowing technology from the West in order to grow its local economy, without depending on external economic aid.
Race has played a significant role in African history. As part of historical events such as colonialism, slavery, and racism, race has been used as a reason for Western superiorism, and the oppression and exclusion of Africans in intellectual and social spaces. Africans have been seen as culturally immature, rationally incompetent, and intellectually passive. Through the examination of the concepts of Ubuntu and race, this chapter critically examines the applicability of Ubuntu to the discourse of race. Given the various values implicit in Ubuntu, I intend in this chapter to contribute to the discourse of Ubuntu by showing how Ubuntu can be applied to the discourse on race.
This study investigated the effectiveness of religious and moral education (RME) programs in Ghanaian basic schools, prompted by concerns that an emphasis on STEM education may contribute to rising immoral behaviour among students. Recognizing schools as crucial venues for academic and moral development, the research aimed to evaluate how effectively these institutions instill virtues and values in students. Employing a descriptive survey design, data was gathered from 104 participants in the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality. The findings indicate a gap between the intended RME curriculum and its practical implementation, with students needing more comprehensive integration across subjects. While some students appreciate varied teaching methods, others criticize the predominant reliance on the Bible, potentially alienating those from diverse religious backgrounds. Parents expressed concern over the declining emphasis on Ghanaian cultural values and norms within the curriculum, as well as a reduction in parental involvement and essential resources. Teachers highlighted challenges such as disciplinary constraints and resource shortages, yet reaffirmed their commitment to imparting moral values through engaging methods. The study recommends enhanced collaboration among stakeholders to effectively fulfill their roles in RME, promoting a more inclusive and culturally relevant approach. Despite existing challenges, the research concludes with a positive outlook on the potential of schools to impart values, moral education, and virtues. This study contributes to scholarship by emphasizing the importance of holistic development and cultural preservation in Ghanaian education and offering insights relevant to the fields of education, sociology, and religion. Keywords: Religious and Moral Education, Values, Virtue, Cultural Norms, Students, Curriculum, and Ghanaian Basic School.
In recent times, there has been a burgeoning interest in religion as a category of analysis in development studies. Through its values and its potential for social and ecological activism, religion plays an important role in the sustainable development agenda. However, drawing on women’s experiences in patriarchal spaces, this chapter argues that while religion is constructive, it can also be damaging to women’s identities, to the extent of thwarting development. That women’s worth is defined by their ability to produce offspring, especially “heirs,” infringes on their health rights, thus defeating the sustainable development envisioned by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5. Informed by the African feminist theory as a theoretical framework, the study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on scholarly analysis and literature review to explore the socio-cultural and religious dynamics affecting women’s reproductive rights. The sociological approach and interpretive phenomenological analysis were handy in contextualizing reproductive health rights violations within intersecting cultural and religious realities in patriarchal spaces, with lobola religio-cultural practice being the focus. The chapter concludes by stating that women’s freedom from patriarchal “claws” is a prerequisite to the full realization of the SDG agenda. Thus, without a heightened commitment to address the root cause for the infringement of women’s and girls’ rights to sexual and reproductive health rights, SDG 5 on gender equality will remain nothing more than an unrealized goal.
This chapter focuses on the migration of skilled healthcare workers from Africa to the rich countries of the Global North, a phenomenon known as the medical brain drain. I examine this phenomenon from an African moral perspective, a viewpoint that is often neglected in bioethical debates. I argue that medical migration is a betrayal of the African notions of personhood, community, and individual responsibility. However, I also maintain that appealing to African moral values alone is not likely to stop the migration of healthcare workers from the continent. Medical migration is demand driven, and the focus must shift away from the individual migrants to the destination countries themselves, as the latter bear more moral responsibility for exacerbating the already fragile healthcare systems in African countries. To promote global justice in health, the recruitment of doctors from Africa by rich nations must be criminalized in the destination countries themselves. The latter have a responsibility to avoid harming the vulnerable in Africa.
In Menkiti’s Moral Man, Oritsegbubemi Oyowe aims to provide a sympathetic interpretation of the works of Ifeanyi Menkiti as they address personhood, community, and other facets of morality. This article maintains that while Oyowe’s Menkiti is more plausible than the way Menkiti has often been read, there are still respects in which the account of personhood advanced invites criticism. One criticism is that it is implausible to think that personhood is constituted by others recognizing one as a person. Instead, insofar as community constitutes one’s personhood, it is insofar as one has lived up to norms of interpersonal morality. A second criticism is that there are intuitively some dimensions of personhood that are not constituted by the community or other-regard at all. In particular, this article argues that there are moral duties to oneself that exist and that are not well captured by any sensible understanding of the view that community alone constitutes personhood, such that part of what it is to be a full person is to treat oneself in certain ways. In sum, personhood, while admittedly social, is not as social as Oyowe’s Menkiti believes.
The subject of personhood has received substantial discussion in contemporary African philosophy where communitarianism happens to be the dominant approach. In his new book Menkiti’s Moral Man, Oritsegbubemi Anthony Oyowe enters this discussion as a repentant critic of Ifeanyi Menkiti’s version of communitarianism, the plausibility of which he attempts to defend with compelling arguments and interpretations. In this book, especially in chapter 4, Oyowe addresses the subject of women’s social recognition and inclusion in the African community. In view of this, this article extends the discussion of the subject of social recognition and inclusion to the LGBTQ+ people. Therefore, this article critically engages the place of LGBTQ+ people in the contemporary African community and argues for their inclusive recognition. The article contends that the nonrecognition and exclusion of LGBTQ+ people within the African community constitute a social and epistemic injustice. The article also argues that, since, like other recognized community members, LGBTQ+ people duly discharge familial and communal obligations, display good conduct in the community, and share in the responsibility to respect nonpersons, humans, and nonhumans alike, they deserve social recognition.
Interest in temporality and the effects of social movements over periods of time has increased over the past few years. This has created the need for diachronic approaches to the study of movements and accounts for how movements create social change and have an impact on the course of history. There have been some struggles to account for history in existing approaches to social movements, with eventful or ruptural accounts of social change remaining prominent in some recent works. This article proposes a conversational philosophy between African philosophies such as ubuntu and ibuanyidanda and Marxist humanism as an approach that can allow us to explore dynamic ontologies. Marxist approaches to social movement studies have so far yielded the most dynamic approaches to social change. I contend that ubuntu and ibuanyidanda offer ontological perspectives that allow us to understand humans and the societies they create as dynamic, changing, and interrelated, in a way that can complement, and enhance, the historical materialist model of a society created by collective human agency, albeit not in circumstances that they choose.
AMAMIHE: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHILOSOPHY VOL. 22. NO. 6
Modernization and Western religious beliefs have rendered most cherished African beliefs and ways of living obsolete. The current study investigated the social control mechanism of the Kulango people of Ghana, taking into consideration the role of Christianity and modernization. Through a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered from 10 old-aged Indigenous Kulango people. The findings revealed that the primary means of controlling human behaviour in the context of the Kulango people included the various forms of taboos, some of which were related to natural resources, and rites of passage that are meant to transition people from one stage of life to another. It was revealed, however, that the emergence of formal education, conformity with human rights principles, and people’s allegiance to Christianity have incapacitated the functioning of most of the social control mechanisms of the people.
The paper argues that the close relationship between Ghana’s largest church, the Church of Pentecost, and the country’s main political parties is indicative more generally of an increasingly close relationship between Christianity and politics, including in relation to seeking to amend and improve the moral behaviour of Ghanaians which in turn could help improve the quality of the country’s democracy, said to be declining. The paper adopts a comparative and qualitative methodological approach while also drawing on Afrobarometer’s quantitative data. The key result is that there is a link between morality and democratic health in Ghana, while the major conclusion is that the potential to improve democratic health by improving national morality is limited, mainly because many citizens are sceptical that such a path is likely to achieve the desired objective.
Buchi Emecheta is one of the most renowned female writers from Nigeria. Her writing expresses the conflict of native heritage and western culture in hybrid Nigerian society. She resists the traditional indigenous practices that confine women to African patriarchal structure. She portrays women in Africa under Igbo culture and tradition. At the same time, she talks about her perception of life as a strenuous African effect to ensconce her identity in a Western country and then discusses her character and how she has been entrapped into two different worlds: the native African Igbo culture and the Westernised culture. This article presents the main character, Kehinde, as distinct from an ordinary Igbo woman. The reason is her strong determination to mould her life away from the old Igbo traditional practices. Kehinde is an educated modern African woman who is independent, assertive, courageous, and liberated.
This theoretical chapter engages with traditional just war theory to initiate a debate on the ethics of conducting war, rules of combat, and what to do in the aftermath of conflict. This is to compare these military ethics with Afro-communitarianism, with the latter commencing with coverage on communitarianism and principles of Ubuntu to harness an understanding on communal solidarity, goodwill, benevolence, sharing, caring, and forgiveness. The role of the community binds all humans together that cannot function without other humans and thus the community is of upmost importance. If peaceful relations are broken within a community, then dialogue should commence to form a resolution or settlement without the use of violence. However, this does not mean that Afro-communitarianism does not disregard violence because enmity-like violence may be needed to rebut violence with staged forms of sabotage, guerrilla warfare, terrorism, and open revolution, but the stages must be gradual and cease once a settlement has been reached. This is demonstrated with the context of rebutting the apartheid regime in South Africa and a range of anti-colonial movements fighting against European imperialism. This will comprise the motives and enmity-like violence from the belligerents, including liberation fronts, rebel militias, and insurgencies, involved.
This research sought to understand how honour and shame are defined in both Matt. 5:38-42 and Unhu Philosophy, and how they can be analysed alongside each other as a possible way of curbing political violence in Zimbabwe. To explore the possibility of how the Matthean Jesus’ context illuminate the Zimbabwean context the researcher used Social Scientific Exegesis to answer three critical questions; how are the values of honour and shame defined in Matthew 5:38-42?, what is Unhu philosophy and how do the concepts of honour and shame feature within it?, what are the differences and similarities between understandings of honour and shame in Jesus’ ethics as reflected in Matt. 5:38-42 and the way honour and shame feature in Unhu Philosophy?
This research contains six chapters. Chapter one is the introduction providing the aim and focus of the study, research questions, the importance of the study and the methodology. Chapter two focused on honour and shame in Matthew as well as the understanding of honour and shame in the Jewish and Greco-Roman world behind the text. Chapter three gives an overview of the Sermon on the Mount and undertakes the Social-Scientific exegesis of Matt. 5:38-42. Chapter four provided a general overview of the African context and investigated how the Bible should be interpreted from a Postcolonial perspective. Chapter five focused on honour and shame in Unhu Philosophy and chapter six concluded the research by indicating similarities and divergences between the Matthean Jesus’ context and the Unhu Philosophy oriented Zimbabwean context.
The research identified some similarities in the role played by the values of honour and shame in the Matthean Jesus’ community and the Zimbabwean community in as far as violence was/is concerned. This research established that the Matthean Jesus’ approach to violence as captured in Matt. 5:38-42 was different from his contemporaries. While the Matthean Jesus participated in the game of honour and shame he also changed the game’s rules. This research concluded that if the custodians of Jesus’ ethics i.e., the Church adopt the Matthean Jesus’ approach she might contribute effectively to the stopping the vicious circle of political violence in Zimbabwe and contribute positively to the dialogue of national healing and reconciliation. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
This article presents a theory of corruption which unifies the moral, political, economic and social causes and patterns of corruption in one theoretical framework. The theory is constructed from the scattered insights about the @'corruption of the body politic,@' building in particular upon the work of five theorists--Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli and Rousseau. Corruption is defined as the moral incapacity of citizens to make reasonably disinterested commitments to actions, symbols and institutions which benefit the substantive common welfare. This extensive demise of loyalty to the commonwealth comes from the interaction of human nature with systematic inequality of wealth, power and status. The corruption of the polity results in certain identifiable patterns of political conflict and competition. The central feature of these patterns is the emergence of quasi-governmental factions and an increasingly polarized class system. The politics of the factions leads to an undermining of the efficacy of the basic political structures of the society and the emergence of systematic corruption in all aspects of political life. The theory advanced in this article identifies several crucial prescriptions to stave off the tendency towards corruption. Among these are an extension of maximum substantive participation by all citizens in all aspects of political life and a stringent control over all sources of great or permanent inequality in the polity.
A better understanding of the present situation in sub-Saharan Africa may be gained by comparison with analogous developments
in Europe. The role of absolutism in nation-building is paralleled by the Colonial period, the European nation-state by the
emergent nations of the post-Colonial period. Three types of nationalism can be distinguished in European history: (a) demotic
nationalism which aims at homogenizing culturally heterogeneous populations included arbitrarily into political units according
to democratic principles, (b) ethnic nationalism aiming at the inclusion of each major ethnic society into one state of its
own, and (c) restorative nationalism which advocates the autonomy and ultimately independence of formerly independent political
units now submerged into larger political structures. Demotic tendencies in African nationalism may be recognized among leaders
bent upon the building of a new nation within the given boundaries of Colonial administrative units according to the Western
democratic model. Pan-Africanism on the other hand appears to be a type of ethnic nationalism while restorative tendencies
find their expression in tribalism. On the basis of this comparison and past experiences in European nation-building seven
hypotheses are presented regarding the relevance of the ethnic factor in nationalist ideologies and policies.
Prof. Lodge explores the use of ideology as a concept to understand ethical issues. He observes an ideological transition occurring in the United States, one that has been under way for some 80 years from what he refers to as Individualism to Communitarianism. Many ethical questions depend for an answer on which ideology is dominant or which is appropriate.
A quarter-century after its inception, the diversity within ‘African socialism’ remains astonishing. This category now includes development strategies which range from traditional capitalism with limited sectoral planning to collective forms of national autarky. Although it is generally agreed that none of the forms of African socialism incorporates an ‘orthodox’ type of Marxism, the tremendous intellectual impact which Marx and Lenin have had on all aspects of social, economic, and political thought means that it is impossible to construct a theory of socialism which is totally outside their shadows. In effect, Marxist orthodoxy inevitably serves as a tool for the evaluation of socialist theory.
ABSTRACT In this paper I argue that the economistic conception of development which has all along been touted by development ‘experts’and which has been made the monolithic framework for understanding and tackling the problem of development, is lopsided and terribly inadequate. That conception, it seems to me, fails to come to grips with the complex nature of human society and culture. That complexity, I argue, calls for a comprehensive, not segmented, approach to the development of human society. I therefore argue also that development must be perceived in terms of adequate responses to the entire existential conditions in which human beings function, conditions which encompass the economic, political, social, moral, cultural, intellectual and others. It is pointed out that these conditions are greatly helped by a congenial political climate and a viable ethical and cultural framework.