• icon+265(0)111 624 222
  • iconresearch@unima.ac.mw
  • iconChirunga-Zomba, Malawi

A Sketch of an Ubuntu Philosophy of Education


Author(s) : Chikumbutso Herbert Manthalu
Handbooks in Philosophy

Abstract


This chapter sketches an African Philosophy of Education. It advances the argument that the Ubuntu conceptualization of human nature in African philosophy demands that education aims must fundamentally center other-regarding values just as they are committed to self-actualization virtues. The argument builds on the position that assumptions of a human nature conception of a particular society’s philosophical orientation generally determine the form and substance of the aims of its education. Upon showing how a particular human nature conception anchors and determines the form of educational aims, the chapter draws out the fundamental implications of Ubuntu principles on educational aims, by highlighting the kind of knowledge, skills, attitudes, capacities, and values the education aims would necessarily require. With its framework stringently centering other-regarding virtues just as it does self-regarding ones, Ubuntu-grounded philosophy of education would require that education aims should as much achieve individual well-being and self-actualization, as it cultivates attitudes, knowledge, capacities, and skills for collective life. An Ubuntu education will simultaneously promote self-regarding virtues and other-regarding virtues. The other-regarding virtues are promoted based on the normative worth of human relations as being constitutive of what it means to be a complete human being.


Original language en
Pages (from-to) 1-16
Publication status Published - 2023

UN SDGs

This research output contributes to the following United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

sdg

Access document

10.1007/978-3-030-77898-9_23-1

License

https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/text-and-data-mining

UN SDGs

This research output contributes to the following United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

sdg

Access document

10.1007/978-3-030-77898-9_23-1

License

https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/text-and-data-mining
    1. S Benhabib (1992). .
      Benhabib, S. (1992). Situating the self: Gender, community and postmodernism in contemporary ethics. Polity.
    2. S Benhabib (2011). .
      Benhabib, S. (2011). Dignity in adversity: Human rights in turbulent times. Polity.
    3. D Cornell (2012). pp. 1.
      Cornell, D., & Muvangua, N. (2012). Introduction. In D. Cornell & N. Muvangua (Eds.), Ubuntu and the law: African ideals and postapartheid jurisprudence (pp. 1–27). Fordham University Press.
    4. D Cornell (2012). pp. 344.
      Cornell, D., & Van Marle, K. (2012). Exploring uBuntu: Tentative reflections. In D. Cornell & N. Muvangua (Eds.), Ubuntu and the law: African ideals and post-apartheid jurisprudence (pp. 344–366). Fordham University Press.
    5. JJ Divala (2016). Knowledge Cultures, Vol. 4, (4), pp. 90.
      Divala, J. J. (2016). Re-imaging a conception of Ubuntu that can recreate relevant knowledge cultures in Africa and African universities. Knowledge Cultures, 4(4), 90–103.
    6. HA Giroux (2010). The Educational Forum, Vol. 74, (3), pp. 184.
      https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2010.483897
    7. A Gutmann (2003). pp. 397.
      Gutmann, A. (2003). The authority and responsibility to educate. In R. Curren (Ed.), A companion to the philosophy of education (pp. 397–411). Blackwell Publishing.
    8. K Gyekye (2003). pp. 348.
      Gyekye, K. (2003). Person and community in African thought. In P. H. Coetzee & A. P. J. Roux (Eds.), The African philosophy reader (2nd ed., pp. 348–366). Routledge.
    9. V Held (2006). .
      Held, V. (2006). The ethics of care: Personal, political, and global. Oxford University Press.
    10. PH Hirst (2001). pp. 124.
      Hirst, P. H. (2001). The nature of educational aims. In R. Marples (Ed.), The aims of education (pp. 124–132). Taylor and Francis.
    11. PH Hirst (2001). pp. 27.
      Hirst, P. H., & Peters, R. S. (2001). Education and philosophy. In P. H. Hirst & P. White (Eds.), Philosophy of education: Major themes in the analytic tradition (pp. 27–38). Taylor and Francis.
    12. PH Hirst (2001). pp. 1.
      Hirst, P. H., & White, P. (2001). The analytic tradition and philosophy of education: An historical perspective. In P. H. Hirst & R. S. Peters (Eds.), Philosophy of education: Major themes in the analytic tradition (pp. 1–12). Taylor and Francis.
    13. GM Kayange (2020). South African Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 39, (1), pp. 1.
      https://doi.org/10.1080/02580136.2019.1665817
    14. M Letseka (2012). Studies in Philosophy and Education, Vol. 31, pp. 47.
      https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-011-9267-2
    15. A MacIntyre (2002). .
      MacIntyre, A. (2002). Dependent rational animals: Why human beings need the virtues. Open Court Publishing Company.
    16. CH Manthalu (2019). pp. 25.
      https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15689-3_2
    17. MB Masemula (2015). pp. 173.
      Masemula, M. B. (2015). Whose knowledge is transmitted through public education in Africa? In A. A. Abdi, L. Shultz, & T. Pillay (Eds.), Decolonizing global citizenship education (pp. 173–179). Sense Publishers.
    18. DA Masolo (1994). .
      Masolo, D. A. (1994). African philosophy in search of identity. Indiana University Press.
    19. AJ Mbembe (2016). Arts & Humanities in Higher Education, Vol. 15, (1), pp. 29.
      https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022215618513
    20. I Menkiti (2004). pp. 324.
      Menkiti, I. (2004). On the normative conception of a person. In K. Wiredu (Ed.), A companion to African philosophy (pp. 324–331). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
    21. T Metz (2007). The Journal of Political Philosophy, Vol. 15, (3), pp. 321.
      https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9760.2007.00280.x
    22. MF Murove (2014). Diogenes, Vol. 59, (3–4), pp. 36.
      Murove, M. F. (2014). Ubuntu. Diogenes, 59(3–4), 36–47.
    23. SJ Ndlovu-Gatsheni (2015). History Compass, Vol. 13, (10), pp. 485.
      https://doi.org/10.1111/hic3.12264
    24. JO Oviawe (2016). International Review of Education, Vol. 62, pp. 1.
      https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9545-x
    25. M Ramose (2003). pp. 379.
      Ramose, M. (2003). The ethics of Ubuntu. In P. H. Coetzee & A. P. J. Roux (Eds.), The African philosophy reader (2nd ed., pp. 379–386). Routledge.
    26. MB Ramose (2010). Journal of Moral Education, Vol. 39, (3), pp. 291.
      https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2010.497610
    27. P Standish (2003). pp. 221.
      Standish, P. (2003). The nature and purposes of education. In R. Curren (Ed.), A companion to the philosophy of education (pp. 221–231). Blackwell Publishing.
    28. MB Steger (2010). .
      https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780199560516.001.0001
    29. C Taylor (2003). .
      Taylor, C. (2003). The ethics of authenticity. Harvard University Press.
    30. CG Thomas (2008). International Journal of African Renaissance Studies - Multi-, Inter- and Transdisciplinarity, Vol. 3, (2), pp. 39.
      https://doi.org/10.1080/18186870902840333
    31. AY Vázquez-Arroyo (2008). New Political Science, Vol. 30, (2), pp. 127.
      https://doi.org/10.1080/07393140802063192
    32. E Venter (2004). Studies in Philosophy and Education, Vol. 23, pp. 149.
      https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SPED.0000024428.29295.03
    33. Y Waghid (2019). pp. 47.
      https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15689-3_3
    34. J White (2010). .
      White, J. (2010). The aims of education restated (e-book). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
    35. J Wilson (2010). .
      Wilson, J. (2010). Preface to the philosophy of education. Routledge.
    36. C Winch (1996). Journal of Philosophy of Education, Vol. 30, (1), pp. 33.
      https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9752.1996.tb00378.x
    37. PT Zeleza (2009). Transition, Vol. 101, pp. 110.
      https://doi.org/10.2979/trs.2009.-.101.110
    38. D Zyngier (2016). Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, Vol. 22, (7), pp. 782.
      https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2016.1185817

UN SDGs

This research output contributes to the following United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

sdg

Access document

10.1007/978-3-030-77898-9_23-1

License

https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/text-and-data-mining