Ubuntu Virtue Theory and Moral Character Formation


Book Description

This book investigates the ubuntu theory-based conception of virtue and moral character formation in the northern, western, and eastern regions of Africa, suggesting a critical reconstruction of ubuntu by conceptualising the four different forms of practices in moral character formation. Arguing for the critical reconstruction of ubuntu virtue theory as more nuanced than simply the standard ubuntu normative virtue theories (which give priority to the community as the sole locus for understanding virtues and character formation in Africa), the book builds a comprehensive model of virtue and moral character formation that draws insights from the reconstructed notion of ubuntu and other theories within and beyond the African thought. Chapters feature experience from across Africa including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and centre on topics such as traditional cultural views and practices, political systems in various nations, neoliberalist thought, and primary, secondary and tertiary education systems in Africa and further afield. This is a valuable resource for scholars, academics, and postgraduate students, working in the fields of moral and values education, philosophy of education, and the theory of education more broadly. Those also interested in educational psychology may also find the volume of interest.




Ubuntu Virtue Theory and Moral Character Formation


Book Description

"This book investigates the ubuntu theory-based conception of virtue and moral character formation in the northern, western, and eastern regions of Africa, suggesting a critical reconstruction of ubuntu by conceptualising the four different forms of practices in moral character formation. Arguing for the critical reconstruction of ubuntu virtue theory as more nuanced than simply the standard ubuntu normative virtue theories (which give priority to the community as the sole locus for understanding virtues and character formation in Africa), the book builds a comprehensive model of virtue and moral character formation that draws insights from the reconstructed notion of ubuntu and other theories within and beyond the African thought. Chapters feature experience from across Africa including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and centre on topics such as traditional cultural views and practices, political systems in various nations, neoliberalist thought, and primary, secondary and tertiary education systems in Africa and further afield. This is a valuable resource for scholars, academics, and postgraduate students, working in the fields of moral and values education, philosophy of education, and the theory of education more broadly. Those also interested in educational psychology may also find the volume of interest"--




Meaning of Justice in African Philosophy


Book Description

The book examines the meaning of justice in African political philosophy, building on the use-theoretical approach. Currently, most of the philosophical works in this context advocate for a communal interpretation of the meaning of justice, such as the 'relational theory of justice' and 'Ubuntu justice as fairness.' The author argues that this foundation of justice in the community undermines the self, which is a major problem with these theories. As an attempt to go beyond communitarianism in African thought, the book recognizes other philosophical frameworks for elaborating the meaning of justice in ordinary people's experience, such as vitalism, theism, ubuntuism, and semantic framework. The author opts for a reconstructed ubuntu-based theory of the meaning of justice that reflects the traditional African experience and recuperates 'valuing self-existence' and 'valuing other-existence' as its foundations. The book further identifies the centrality of rights in defining justice in traditional African communities.




African Virtue Ethics Traditions for Business and Management


Book Description

African philosophies about the way to live a flourishing life are predominantly virtue-oriented. However, narratives of African conceptions of virtue are uncommon. This book therefore helps bridge an important gap in literature. Authors writing from South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Côte D’Ivoire and Nigeria share research on indigenous wisdoms on virtue, displaying marked consensus about the communitarian nature of African virtue ethics traditions and virtues essential for a flourishing life. They also show how indigenous virtue ethics improve corporate practices. This book will be a launchpad for further studies in Afriethics as well as a medium for sharing rich knowledge with the rest of the world.




The Pedagogy of the Community of Philosophical Enquiry as Citizenship Education


Book Description

This edited volume combines reflections, methods, and experiences from a globally diverse group of scholars to investigate the meaning, value, and effectiveness of the pedagogy of the Community of Philosophical Enquiry (CoPE) – derived from or in conversation with Lipman and Sharp’s Philosophy for Children (P4C) – in the context of civic education. Maintaining that a rich diversity of voices is an important corrective to narrower academic discourses, the chapters in this book bring an array of scholarly thought from across the world working in various political and educational contexts to bear on a common question: How can CoPE help practitioners engage in civic education? The contributions draw on qualitative methods, philosophical literature, and practitioner case studies to explore the benefits, challenges, questions, and methods related to the use of CoPE for the sake of citizenship education in Thailand, Malaysia, Italy, Iceland, Israel, Greece, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Ultimately, the book provides critical reflections and insights into the civic dimension of CoPE (and some CoPE-related practices) across a wide range of pedagogic, cultural, and political contexts. Addressing the need for a touchstone publication on the interplay between CoPE and citizenship education, the book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students interested in the philosophy of education, citizenship education, democratic education, and international and comparative education.




Civic Education at a Crossroads


Book Description

This book turns to political theory as a framework for understanding the rise of political and religious extremism, and in particular the Christian Nationalist position, identifying solutions to civic challenges, and arguing for the vital role that public schools play in providing the civic education that prepares young people for participation in democratic self-government. Drawing on scholarly debates between liberal and republican political theorists, the author maintains that if we want to preserve our republic, then policymakers and educators must unapologetically promote a normative “vision of good citizenship” that cultivates in students the requisite civic virtue and rational autonomy needed to defend democracy from the rise of illiberal extremism. A timely contribution to academic debates about the role of civic education in the preservation of democracy, it will appeal to scholars, educators and policymakers concerned with the future of civic education, as well as the philosophy of education, political science, and educational policy.




African Ethics


Book Description

This is the first comprehensive volume on African ethics, centered on Ubuntu and its relevance today. Important contemporary issues are explored, such as African bioethics, business ethics, traditional African attitudes to the environment, and the possible development of a new form of democracy based on indigenous African political systems. In a world that has become interconnected, this anthology demonstrates that African ethics can make valuable contributions to global ethics. It is not only African academics, students, organizations, or those individuals committed to ethics that are envisaged as the beneficiaries of this book, but all humankind. A number of topics presented here were inspired by a Shona proverb that says, Ndarira imwe hairiri (One brass wire cannot produce a sound). The chorus of voices in African Ethics demonstrates this proverbial truism.




The Challenges of Capitalism for Virtue Ethics and the Common Good


Book Description

The evolution of modern capitalist society is increasingly being marked by an undeniable and consistent tension between pure economic and ethical ways of valuing and acting. This book is a collaborative and cross-disciplinary contribution that challenges the assumptions of capitalist business and society. It ultimately reflects on how to restore benevolence, collaboration, wisdom and various forms of virtuous deliberation amongst all those who take part in the common good, drawing inspiration from European history and continental philosophical traditions on virtue.




African Personhood and Applied Ethics


Book Description

Recently, the salient idea of personhood in the tradition of African philosophy has been objected to on various grounds. Two such objections stand out – the book deals with a lot more. The first criticism is that the idea of personhood is patriarchal insofar as it elevates the status of men and marginalises women in society. The second criticism observes that the idea of personhood is characterised by speciesism. The essence of these concerns is that personhood fails to embody a robust moral-political view. African Personhood and Applied Ethics offers a philosophical explication of the ethics of personhood to give reasons why we should take it seriously as an African moral perspective that can contribute to global moral-political issues. The book points to the two facets that constitute the ethics of personhood – an account of (1) moral perfection and (2) dignity. It then draws on the under-explored view of dignity qua the capacity for sympathy inherent in the moral idea of personhood to offer a unified account of selected themes in applied ethics, specifically women, animal and development.




Indigenous Disability Studies


Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive approach to the perspectives, lived experiences, and socio-cultural beliefs of Indigenous scholars regarding disabilities through a distinctions-based approach. Indigenous people demonstrate considerable knowledge in a multitude of capacities in spite of legal, monetary, social, economic, health, and political inequalities that they experience within from administrative authorities whether health, education, or governments. By including various knowledge systems related to social-cultural, traditional governance, spirituality, educational, and self-representation within a communal understanding, the knowledge brought forth will be a combination of information from within/communal and outwards/infusion by Indigenous teachers, scholars, academics, and professionals who aim to combat the negative effects of disability labels and policies that have regulated Indigenous peoples. Comprised of five sections: The power, wisdom, knowledge, and lived experiences of Elders Reframing the narrative – Navigating self-representation Learning from within – Including traditional knowledge Challenging colonial authority – Infusing regional ideals and concepts Interpretations, narratives, and lived experiences of grassroots teachers and social service providers It will be an asset to those who seek out a deeper understanding of the complexity of Indigenous people and their knowledge, including anyone who deals with predominantly non-Indigenous mindsets and barriers to education. Courses on disability studies, Indigenous studies, social work, health, education, and development studies will all benefit from this book.