Welcome
Welcome to today’s class. We’ve already done some work on Ubuntu. So today we are going to pick up on the question of the more challenging aspects of Ubuntu ethics, before trying to put our understanding of Ubuntu onto a more firm theoretical basis.
We’re also going to be looking (in brief) at the assignment briefing.
The Challenges of Thinking Ethics Differently
Here are some things that, according to Thaddeus Metz, are common (but not universal) moral intuitions in sub-Saharan Africa. These include the intuitions that the following are, in some way, immoral:
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making policy decisions in the face of dissent, as opposed to seeking consensus.
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making retribution a fundamental and central aim of criminal justice, as opposed to seeking reconciliation.
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creating wealth largely on a competitive basis, as opposed to a cooperative one.
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distributing wealth largely on the basis of individual rights, as opposed to need.
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ignoring others and violating communal norms, as opposed to acknowledging others, upholding tradition and partaking in rituals.
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failing to marry and procreate, as opposed to creating a family.
Let’s discuss these in more detail. To what extent do these fit with your moral intuitions? To what extent do they conflict?
Ubuntu as ethical theory
We’re going to finish this section by summarising Metz’s attempts to give Ubuntu a firm theoretical basis. There will be no homework for next time.