Chapter 8: African Moral Theory

Question 1

What is the geographical view of Africa

Answer 1

This is viewing Africa through their land space and physical boundaries. In that there is no one African moral theory because of all the different countries and their cultural groups

Question 2

What is the world view of Africa

Answer 2

This is the connection between various ethnic and indigenous groups

Question 3

Differentiate between moral theory and African moral theory

Answer 3

• Moral theory: refers to normative ethics (how things ought to be). It is concerned with a system of rules about how an individual ought to behave in society, what is right or wrong
• African moral theory: provides some moral resources from an African perspective or worldview

Question 4

What are the sources of African moral theory

Answer 4

1) Oral traditions (proverbs; stories, poems and riddles) - short and concise sayings that claim some general principle, truth or advice.

2) Indigenous language - language carries with it beliefs, ideas, and values of the people who speak it

3) The work of African philosophers

Question 5

What are the foundations of African moral theory

Answer 5

• Command theory: a part of deontology, moral norms or principles, beliefs and moral terms like good, bad, right, and wrong originate from some religious precepts or divine being (God)
• Radical communitarianism: the community completely determines and forms the individual, such that the interests and good of the community are allowed to be valued and protected even if it means that those of the individual are ignored.
• Moderate communitarianism: the individual has some space within the communal setting i) does not wholly or completely determine the individual, ii) the interests of the community also serves the interests of the individual

Question 6

Explain Ubuntu

Answer 6

• The core is humanness, it has a communal moral outlook such as embodiment.
• It is best understood in the terms of relationship and interdependence of others

Question 7

What are the characteristics of the African moral theory

Answer 7

• morality of duty: what is expected of each individual, duty to show concern and interest of others. this refers to behaviour and obligations towards themselves, the other and the community
• social morality: concerned with social experiences, and perspectives of human beings as social beings (moral relativism)
• communal welfare or common good: Aristotle’s concept of common good, (interest of the collective is greater than the interest of the individual) that is the interest of everyone considered together, rather than the interest of the individual parts that make up the collective
• cosmopolitan humanity: the view of a common membership of one universal human family, all humans belong to a single community
• communal notion of personhood and humanity: community is the core of personhood or humanity, in which we associate with Ubuntu (to be a person is to relate to other people, it is to be in community with them)
• notion of humanism: it is to say that it’s foundation is not religious and that it originates from considerations of human welfare, needs and interest, rather than the interest of the divine