What is Ubuntu Philosophy? (African Philosophy)

This video looks at three specific philosophical positions which can be drawn from the general Ubuntu Philosophy idea that a person is only a person through other people. Specifically it examines positions in Personal Identity, Rational Choice, and Justice, with a particular focus on the restorative justice advocated for in South Africa after apartheid.

Sponsors: João Costa Neto, Dakota Jones, Thorin Isaiah Malmgren, Prince Otchere, Mike Samuel, Daniel Helland, Mohammad Azmi Banibaker, Dennis Sexton, kdkdk, Yu Saburi, Mauricino Andrade, Diéssica, Will Roberts, Greg Gauthier, Christian Bay, Joao Sa, Richard Seaton, Edward Jacobson, isenshi, and √2. Thanks for your support!

Information for this video gathered from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy and more! (#Ubuntu #AfricanPhilosophy)

[gugulethudube]

The concept of "Ubuntu" is much wider that the identity of personhood but is derived from it. It claims that there is a humanness essence attached to every individual in that the person (umuntu [singular] is the bases of the shared humanness (ubuntu) but the relation is complementary in that the individual also benefits from being in community with others. By linking the individual to humanity, the highest value is then attached to humanness, it is the end goal of personhood: Ubuntu is therefore a core identity of all human beings which separates them from other non-beings, as such: (1) It can never be derogated (it resembles some form of Kantian dignity; (2) this inert value guides action and reason, (reasonable and justified conduct is in line with ubuntu, bad and evil conduct is against ubuntu). Ubuntu does not deprive individualism as the individual is a necessary element for ubuntu to exist in the first place, however, the individual is not a separate entity but is inextricable connected to the other persons such that when he or she becomes detached from humanity, he or she loses his or her essence.
As a side comment, the relationship between an individual and a community in African thinking is quite complex, its closest analogy is the Biblical assertion "Love your neighbour as you love yourself".

[ubuntuethics]

Ubuntu is deeper than your explanation but nice try.

[this_is_why]

In my mother tongue (Kirundi), Ubuntu means "dignity" or "grace" or "favor" depending on the context of its use.

[michaelpisciarino]

Analyzing Ubuntu Philosophy
Ubuntu= “Humanity”
A person is a person through other people

1:50 Roadmap for the video

(1) *Theory by Personal Identity* (2:46)
+ A consistent narrative of you
+ You are defined in your relations to others

(2) *Theory by Rational Choice* (8:12)
8:55 Defining ourselves in relation to others makes us consider what others have
10:30 To Be Human, act humanely

(3) *Theory by Justice* (13:12)
1. _Revenge_ against our oppressor
+ Justice(?)
- Ruining/Tainting your Humanity (?)
- Creates a negative cycle

2. _Restoration_
16:24 Nelson Mandela
18:44 Heal the pain

18:56 Next Up

[mr.blackculture]

To start your journey of please look the works Cheikh Anti Diop, Theophile Obenga, Neter Neb Youtube channel, review the ASCAC (Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations) to give a more to your path of study.

[DevinBigSeven]

$25K/24K is better than $240K/250K assuming everything else constant; a decrease in the total money stock increases a dollar's value.

[kmdash]

What's interesting is that in psychology we have a concept called "the looking glass self" which is when we develop our identity by interacting with other people. An example of this is a child does something and people laugh, giving the child positive attention, so the child learns they are funny. Being funny becomes a part of that child's identity.
We also see with brain damage cases or memory loss cases family will sometimes say "you aren't the same person." In social psychology, about half of who you are is defined by other people. The other half is internal.
However, philosophically, the west has traditionally used internal narratives to define identity because we live in an individualist society. Maybe this philosophy solves some problems.

[pmgl]

Rise up my fellow Afrikan people! Jah love!

[BiznizTrademark]

Interesting video. It seems to me that the main problem with Ubuntu (as presented here) is the difficulty of finding a compelling reason that one should be "human" (rather than "non-human"), without being circular or referring to another moral theory.

[altGoolam]

Ubuntu present in many ways. As opposed to radical individualism, it can be a radical selflessness. I become me through you. We emerge from human beings don't we? So how are we separate? We are humanised by human beings aren't we? It's the philosophy that explains "no man is an island".

[ezgikat]

Um... I guess you have confused the playlists, this video is in the Doubting Philosophical Distinctions playlist

[Dayglodaydreams]

You are one of the last philosophy educators who I would have thought would cover African Philosophy. I would have thought a Continental philosopher would cover that first, but I guess they are too wrapped up in phenomenology, critical theory, and psychoanalysis to go there, I guess.

[lawrencechams]

Your exploration of Ubuntu is interesting, although you stated at the beginning of the series that you don't intend to be exhaustive. I would suggest a couple of things: first, looking at the etymology of the term UBuntu so as to nuance it's philosophical thrust. Additionally, closely intertwined with uBuntu is Hunhu/Unhu philosophy, which potentially feeds into the dynamic nature of uBuntu philosophy and vice-versa.

[jacobedwinolano]

How does Ubuntu Justice apply to the Nuremberg Trials?

[dennysmith]

I AM because YOU are...

Having been born & grown up in Southern & Northern Rhodesia, I can honestly say that as a tiny "picanin" I experienced the most wonderful caring & nurturing attitude of the indigeny...Shona, Swahili, Ndabele, Zambians, Mozambicans, et al...

SO wish I'd learnt the language - my dad & brother did but it was more fanagalo than pure...

Oh but the marvelous memories as a child... halcyon days of fun in the best part of Africa ...

[nikowabantu]

Ubuntu in eastern bantu language (Swahili) is “utu” with the same meaning “Humanity”

[thomasenigmatic]

Makes good sense. Wisdom, no Matter where on the Planet!

[emilyruder]

does anyone else find the term ethnophilosophy problematic?

[ryanconti]

Many of these ideas seem very familiar. The arguments for restorative justice and the conceptualization of identity and rationality as being inseparable from one's relation to other people sound like things I have heard many times before. This makes me ask a question: is this because Ubuntu philosophy is the primary source of these ideas, and Ubuntu has actually gained significant traction in the US? Or are these ideas that have been independently created and disseminated throughout the US's sphere of thought — ideas that just so happen to replicate Ubuntu thought?

[inspirationalmindset]

I have a question. In Ubuntu philosophy is there freedom or individual rights? Or are people forced to help on another. Basically what I'm asking is this. Is Ubuntu a community philosophy or a communal philosophy?