POSITIVE CORNER #30: African Philosophy and Global Ethics
How can people from different cultures develop common standards for living together well? This is a central question for the global community and the United Nations as its central organization. The search for a global ethic has so far been heavily influenced by Western intellectual traditions. Philosophical approaches from Asia, such as Buddhism or Confucianism, are at least familiar to many people outside their regions of origin. An African perspective, however, is far less present in the global consciousness: the social philosophy of Ubuntu, which is widespread in Africa.
Even in academic debate, the limitations of the predominantly Western influence on ethical discourse are recognized (see Thaddeus Metz (2014) Harmonizing global ethics in the future: a proposal to add south and east to west, Journal of Global Ethics, 10:2, 146-155, DOI: 10.1080/17449626.2014.931875).
Ubuntu is often described as "I am because we are." This reflects an understanding of humanity that considers dignity, mutual respect, and responsibility not solely in terms of the individual, but in terms of the relationships between people. The question then becomes not only, "What am I entitled to?", but also, "How do we work together to ensure that all people can live in dignity?"
Ubuntu is not yet a widely known term outside of southern Africa. However, the philosophy is gaining increasing attention in international academic discourse, including in debates on global justice, leadership, education, and sustainability. Its contribution is not to replace Western or Asian traditions. It can complement and challenge them: What do we overlook when we understand freedom primarily as an individual attribute and pay too little attention to the quality of our relationships?
This is precisely where its potential for a global ethic lies. Shared values do not arise when a tradition declares its answers the norm for everyone. They can grow through dialogue, when different experiences and ways of thinking are taken seriously as equally valuable contributions. Ubuntu brings a simple yet challenging insight to this dialogue: Our actions must also be measured by their impact on the dignity of others and on our ability to live together.
Therefore, Ubuntu is also worth examining more closely with regard to the ω-dimension of leadership. Where this dimension inquires into the deeper meaning and responsibility of leadership, Ubuntu offers an important touchstone: Does an organization promote only results or also humanity? Does it strengthen trust, participation, and the ability to act together in the long term? Sustainability then concerns not only resources and key performance indicators, but also the social relationships on which every organization lives and is existentially dependent.
Ubuntu is not a ready-made answer to the questions facing the global community, but it is an enormous asset to a dialogical approach to finding those answers. Its various forms deserve careful examination rather than a hasty adoption as a management formula. Particularly in Africa itself, there is already a wealth of academic research and practical experience on not only the Ubuntu philosophy itself, but also its significance for leadership and organizational design, which deserves global attention.
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