Western philosophers and anthropologists, for centuries argued that the African was inferior in intellect and was more inclined towards animal-like instincts. For example, Hegel said the African is devoid of consciousness or intellectual awareness and as result was sub-human or could not be said to exist in meaningful sense. This is recent history, which has been ground for both dehumanization of Africans in form of slavery, colonialism and dispossessing them of their land and cultural identity. Because the African is not fully developed and incapable of intellectual reflection, this would imply that the African probably cannot philosophize. Therefore, African philosophy cannot exist, in a true sense, except as a hybrid of western concepts simply contextualized for Africa. Therefore, the question of whether there is an African philosophy, should not only be taken for granted, because its subliminal implications carry far reaching consequences. It is an assumption that carries deep political, social, developmental effects regarding the humanity of an entire continent’s people.
Given that background, initially I would like to conceptualize the notion of philosophy from a cultural perspective, re-conceptualize the notion of Ubuntu as a philosophy and further elaborate by application the concept of Ubuntu among the ovaHerero people, as evidence of the existence of African philosophy. It assumes that given the complexity of developing a culture, it cannot be unless such people engage higher thinking to be able to cultivate such a system of life. The Westerners have overlooked this form of intelligence and thinking, in search for mono-perspectivism and thinking that is grounded in Greek conceptualizations.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Introduction and Background
Motivation of the Study
Statement of the problem
Literature review
Research Questions
Significance of the Study
Objectives
Research Methodology
Structure of the Research
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
What is Philosophy?
African philosophy
OvaHerero Philosophy and Ubuntu
CHAPTER THREE
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY
Introduction
Philosophy in western literature
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Logic
Ethics
Aesthetics
Conclusion
CHAPTER FOUR
WHAT IS AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY
Introduction
African Philosophy
Ubuntu
Ubuntu Ontology
Comparative analysis: Western, Confucius and Ubuntu philosophies
Critique on Ethno-philosophy, Professional and Sage philosophies
Conclusion
CHAPTER FIVE
OVAHERERO PHILOSOPHY AND UBUNTU
Introduction
The OvaHerero
ovaHerero Philosophy
African Ancestry of the OvaHerero
Conclusion
CHAPTER SIX
CONCLUSION
Research Weakness
Recommendations
REFERENCES
Objectives and Research Themes
This research aims to challenge the Western narrative that denies the existence of African philosophy by demonstrating that Africa possesses an independent, ontological philosophical system. The work seeks to conceptualize the African way of life through the lens of Ubuntu and apply this framework specifically to the ovaHerero people to validate its existence and relevance as a comprehensive philosophical structure.
- The ontological foundation of Ubuntu as a legitimate African philosophy.
- Application of Ubuntu principles to the sociocultural life of the ovaHerero.
- Critique of existing trends in African philosophy (Ethno-philosophy, Professional, and Sage philosophy).
- Comparative analysis of Western, Confucian, and Ubuntu philosophical systems regarding social solidarity.
- The interconnectedness of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics within African cultural systems.
Extract from the Book
Ubuntu Ontology
Since the Researcher claims, Ubuntu to be the major African philosophy, the onus then, is on him to make sure that its ontology lives up to this status. I will demonstrate this by revealing the five branches, as they exist, within Ubuntu philosophy and also show how Ubuntu is designed to protect and preserve itself.
Metaphysically the reality of Africans is religiously based, all of their reality is explained through a deity, the creator of the universe, what is real for the African, is that which has been created by the deity, as such, reality is also only perceived by the will of the deity, as well as being the influencer of all the events in the life of an African. Unlike foreign civilizations, the Africans do not treat separately their religion, politics, economy or traditions, for them all these systems are interrelated and forged into a single cultural system. However, the religious aspect enjoys the highest status, every other aspect is organized in relations to the religious conceptualization of the African life, this is so because the religious account provides the African with their genesis account, as such it becomes only logical to organize everything according to how they best understand their origins.
Africans understand reality in the strict religious sense, such that every natural thing is the creation of an all-powerful deity e.g. trees, animals and nonliving things, coupled with that is the believe that everything that happened, happens and is yet to happen is ultimately caused by the deity, as such, African embark on a religious system that seeks to protect this natural order of things. What is real for an African, is that which is willed and permitted by the deity. Even though there is no written or spoken evidence to show the religiously driven culture of Africans, their cultural organization speaks volumes. (Tempels, 1952) provides us with an account of the metaphysical organization of the Bantu people, I will use this to speak for all indigenous African, for reasons previously mentioned.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: This chapter introduces the core problem regarding the denial of African philosophy in Western academia and outlines the research motivation to validate Ubuntu as an African way of life.
CHAPTER TWO: This section reviews existing literature on African philosophy, defining its scope and identifying the specific need for an ontological account of Ubuntu.
CHAPTER THREE: This chapter defines philosophy through its five constituent branches—metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and aesthetics—to establish that culture and philosophy are synonymous.
CHAPTER FOUR: This chapter focuses on identifying Ubuntu as the ideological African philosophy and presents a comparative analysis with Western and Confucian traditions.
CHAPTER FIVE: This chapter applies the previously defined philosophical framework to the ovaHerero people, analyzing their social structure and descent systems as manifestations of Ubuntu.
CHAPTER SIX: This final chapter concludes that Ubuntu is the central African philosophy and addresses research limitations while providing recommendations for future study.
Keywords
African Philosophy, Ubuntu, ovaHerero, Ontology, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Aesthetics, Social Solidarity, Ancestor Veneration, Culture, Decoloniality, Indigenous Knowledge, Bantu, Communalism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research paper?
The paper primarily explores the existence of an inherent African philosophy, arguing that Ubuntu serves as this comprehensive philosophical framework.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
The work centers on the ontological nature of Ubuntu, the inseparable relationship between culture and philosophy, and the application of these concepts within African societies.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to refute Western academic claims that Africa lacks an independent philosophy by providing a formal ontological account of Ubuntu as a valid philosophical system.
Which methodology does the researcher utilize?
The author synthesizes existing literature with qualitative analysis, including the study of oral traditions, cultural practices, and ethnographic data from the ovaHerero people to substantiate the arguments.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body breaks down the five branches of philosophy—metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and aesthetics—and applies them to the Ubuntu philosophy and the specific cultural context of the ovaHerero.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The research is defined by terms such as Ubuntu, African philosophy, ontology, social solidarity, and cultural decoloniality.
How does the author interpret the term "Ubuntu" within this specific context?
The author moves beyond superficial definitions of Ubuntu as a mere human feeling, presenting it as a formal, communitarian-based ontological framework that organizes every aspect of African life.
How is the genealogy of the ovaHerero used to support the author’s thesis?
By tracing the ovaHerero roots and their similarities to other African groups, the author aims to demonstrate that Ubuntu is a common denominator and a universal feature of African aboriginal culture.
Why does the author critique previous trends like Ethno-philosophy?
The author argues that these trends are either too narrow, overly dependent on Western academic standards, or fail to provide a robust, systematic philosophical framework that covers the continent's diversity.
- Quote paper
- Paulus Kapepu (Author), 2020, Ubuntu as African Philosophy and the Ova Herero People, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/514283
