This essay's aim is to reconceptualize Human Rights from an African perspective. Many have argued that traditional African societies gave no room for the expression of individual rights. What rather existed was group rights - i.e. group rights competed with and suppressed individual entitlements in the traditional African settings. Arguably, it must be said that whiles modern conception of human rights is attributable to the modern western history, no culture can claim any historical glory. The idea of equal and inalienable human rights was missing not only in non-western traditions but also in western societies. For many Africanists, traditional mores gave better expression to human rights than the current neo-colonial states. The different worldview regarding cosmology, ontology and metaphysics, gave expression to their human rights conceptions. African societies are built on the principle of communitarianism manifest in the extended family systems. Thus, the stricter sense of individualism, which is at the core of modernism is inconceivable in Africa. Individual and group rights are entwined in a typical African setting. Collective rights, arguably, complement rather than compete with individual rights. The full enjoyment of individual rights is inseparably conditioned on the rights of the group to which one belongs. I delve into this debate to examine the nexus between communism and expression of human rights in Africa.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEBATE
3. TRADITIONAL AKAN CONCEPTION OF BEING AND COMMUNISM
4. IMPLICATION OF TRADITIONAL AKAN WORLDVIEW FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
5. CONCLUSIONS
Research Objective and Key Themes
This essay examines the assertion that traditional African societal worldviews prioritize collectivism at the expense of individual rights by analyzing the traditional Akan conception of personhood and its relationship to individual dignity and human rights.
- Universalism versus cultural relativism in human rights discourse
- Traditional Akan philosophical concepts of the person (onipa)
- The intersection of communalism and individual rights in African society
- The role of kinship and extended family systems in social organization
- Re-evaluating the "groupist" nature of African human rights perspectives
Excerpt from the Book
TRADITIONAL AKAN CONCEPTION OF BEING AND COMMUNISM
The individual in the (African) Akan traditional setting had certain rights to himself and personal existence outside his community. There was a clear conceptual distinction between the individual and his society, community, or family, consequently their human rights. This can be found in the Akan philosophy or conception of the person (onipa) where the individual is perceived as a union of three elements: - life principle (okra) believed to come directly from the Supreme Being via which a person’s destiny is determined; the blood principle (mogya) inherited from the mother; and the personality principle (sunsum) inherited from the father. Out of each elements emanated a set of individual human rights (Frempong, 2006; Gyekye, n.d.).
For example, by virtue of the okra every person has an inherent value owe to no earthly circumstances or authority. This afforded the individual equal opportunity to pursue his or her destiny ordained by God. Life was therefore, regarded as sacrosanct (Frempong, 2006: 387-389; Wiredu, 1990; Gyekye, n.d.) by the African. This traditional Akan worldview of individual rights are evident in several maxims, proverbs and wise sayings. For example, an individual who feels pressurized to act against his or her own will could invoke the maxim which literally translates “Nobody was present when I was taking my destiny from God” (obi refrɛ ne Nyame no, na obi nnyina hɔ) (Frempong, 2006: 387). Another maxim that expresses dignity of the individual person reads: “All persons are children of God; no one is a child of the earth” (nnipa nyinaa yɛ Onyame mma; obiara nnyɛ asaase ba) (see Gyekye, n.d.; Wiredu, 1990).
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: Outlines the historical context of global human rights and introduces the central debate regarding the balance between collectivism and individual rights in African traditional societies.
THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEBATE: Explores the tension between the Universalist and Relativist schools of thought regarding the nature, origins, and applicability of human rights.
TRADITIONAL AKAN CONCEPTION OF BEING AND COMMUNISM: Examines the Akan philosophical view of personhood and how specific belief systems and proverbs reflect an inherent respect for individual dignity despite a communal social structure.
IMPLICATION OF TRADITIONAL AKAN WORLDVIEW FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: Analyzes how the Akan system balanced collective responsibilities with individual entitlements, specifically regarding fair treatment and land rights.
CONCLUSIONS: Summarizes the argument that there is a middle ground between contending schools of thought and reaffirms that African traditions embodied human rights conceptions that complemented individual rights with communal responsibilities.
Keywords
Human Rights, Akan, Collectivism, Individualism, Communitarianism, Universalism, Cultural Relativism, African Philosophy, Personhood, Okra, Dignity, Social Responsibility, Traditional Mores, Ghana, Group Rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper explores the intersection of traditional African worldviews—specifically the Akan perspective—and the contemporary concept of human rights, questioning whether collectivism inherently suppresses individual rights.
What are the central thematic fields discussed?
The discussion centers on the philosophical tension between universal human rights standards and cultural relativism, as well as the ontological understanding of the individual within African society.
What is the core research question?
The paper asks whether Africa has a unique conception of human rights that differs from international norms and whether traditional Akan values promoted individual dignity while maintaining a communal life.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The research relies on a qualitative review of secondary literature and an analysis of traditional Akan belief systems, expressed through artifacts, proverbs, and folklore.
What is the focus of the main body chapters?
The main chapters detail the historical development of the human rights debate, analyze the components of Akan personhood (the okra, mogya, and sunsum), and investigate how these concepts supported individual rights within a community structure.
How are the key terms defining this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as collectivism, human rights, Akan, communitarianism, and cultural relativism, which frame the debate on the nature of individual versus group entitlements.
How do the Akan people define the individual in relation to the community?
The Akan perceive the individual as a unique being created by the Supreme Being, possessing inherent value (the okra), yet existing in a society where security and welfare are interdependent with the community.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the universality of human rights?
The author argues for a middle ground, suggesting that neither the West nor any other culture holds exclusive historical glory in promoting rights, and that African traditions successfully supplemented individual rights with collective responsibilities.
- Quote paper
- Gilbert Arhinful Aidoo (Author), 2019, African Conception of Human Rights, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/506338
