Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

African Conceptions of Human Dignity: Vitality and Community as the Ground of Human Rights

  • Published:
Human Rights Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. For influential sceptics, see Macklin (2003), Pinker (2008) and Schüklenk and Pacholczyk (2010). I do provide an analysis of the concept of dignity in the second section of this article, which implicitly grounds responses to them.

  2. For counterexamples, see Kolnai (1976: 61–62).

  3. For discussion of these and related types of dignity, see Kolnai (1976) and Nordenfelt (2004).

  4. Here, I tightly summarise anthropological and sociological findings from a variety sources, including: Fortes and Evans-Pritchard (1940), Forde (1954), Abraham (1962), Carlston (1968), Mbiti (1990), Gyekye (1996) and Wiredu (2008).

  5. The rest of this paragraph borrows ideas and some phrasing from Metz (2011).

  6. E.g., Gyekye (2010) appears to take wellbeing to be basic.

  7. If a human person were essentially immortal and spiritual, then why should killing her body be considered so disrespectful, as doing so could not harm or otherwise affect herself?

  8. For the closest kin, see especially Aristotle on friendship and the young Marx on species being.

  9. I first articulates this conception of dignity in detail and applied it to moral debate about the death penalty in Metz (2010)

  10. Of the sort former President de Klerk of South Africa has maintained was the intention, albeit not the practice, of apartheid architects.

References

  • Abraham WE (1962) The mind of Africa. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Bikopo D and van Bogaert J (2010) Reflection on euthanasia: Western and African Ntomba perspectives on the death of a chief. Developing World Bioethics 10:1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botman HR (2000) The OIKOS in a global economic era: a South African comment. In: Cochrane JR and Klein B (eds) Sameness and difference: problems and potentials in South African civil society. The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington, DC http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-6/chapter_x.htm. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Bujo B (2001) Foundations of an African ethic: beyond the universal claims of Western morality. McNeil B (tr) Crossroad, New York

  • Carlston K (1968) Social theory and African tribal organization. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiano T (2008) Two conceptions of dignity of persons. In: Sharon Byrd B et al (eds) Jahrbuch für Recht und Ethik (Annual review of law and ethics), volume 16. Duncker and Humblot, Berlin, pp 101–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillon R (2007) Respect. In: Zalta E (ed) Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (fall 2008 edition). http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/respect/. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Donnelly J (2009) Human dignity and human rights. Available at: www.udhr60.ch/report/donnelly-HumanDignity_0609.pdf. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Dzobo NK (1992) Values in a changing society: man, ancestors, and God. In: Wiredu K and Gyekye K (eds) Person and community; Ghanaian philosophical studies 1. Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington, DC, pp 223–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Ejizu C (2011) African traditional religions and the promotion of community-living in Africa. http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/community.htm. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Forde D (ed) (1954) African worlds: studies in the cosmological ideas and social values of African peoples. Oxford University Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Fortes M and Evans-Pritchard E (eds) (1940) African political systems. Repr. Kegan Paul, London, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  • Gbadegesin S (1991) African philosophy: traditional Yoruba philosophy and contemporary African realities. Peter Lang, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gyekye K (2010) African ethics. In Zalta E (ed) Stanford encyclopedia of ethics. Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2010/entries/african-ethics/. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Gyekye K (2004) Beyond cultures. The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Gyekye K (1996) African cultural values. Sankofa, Elkins Park, PA

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart HLA (1961) The concept of law. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill T (1980) Humanity as an end in itself. Repr. in: Hill T Dignity and practical reason. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1992, pp 38–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Iroegbu P (2005a) Do all persons have a right to life? In: Iroegbu P and Echekwube A (eds) Kpim of morality ethics. Heinemann Educational Books, Ibadan, pp 78–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Iroegbu P (2005b) What is life: body, mind and soul? In: Iroegbu P and Echekwube A (eds) Kpim of morality ethics. Heinemann Educational Books, Ibadan, pp 435–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Iroegbu P (2005c) Beginning, purpose and end of life. In: Iroegbu P and Echekwube A (eds) Kpim of morality ethics. Heinemann Educational Books, Ibadan, pp 440–445

    Google Scholar 

  • Iroegbu P (2005d) Right to life and the means to life: human dignity. In: Iroegbu P and Echekwube A (eds) Kpim of morality ethics. Heinemann Educational Books, Ibadan, pp 446–449

    Google Scholar 

  • Kant I (1785) Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. Repr. in: Paton HJ (ed) The moral law. Paton HJ (tr) Routledge, New York, 1991, pp 51–123

  • Kasenene P (2000) African ethical theory and the four principles. In: Veatch RM (ed) Cross-cultural perspectives in medical ethics. Jones and Bartlett: Sudbury, MA, pp 347–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasenene P (1994) Ethics in African theology. In: Villa-Vicencio C and de Gruchy J (eds) Doing ethics in context: South African perspectives. David Philip, Cape Town, pp 138–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Kass L (2002) Death with dignity and the sanctity of life. In: Kass L Life, liberty and the defense of dignity. Encounter Books, San Francisco, pp 231–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolnai A (1976) Dignity. Repr. in: Dillon R (ed) Dignity, character, and self-respect. Routledge, New York, 1995, pp 53–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Koop CE (1982) The right to live, the right to die. Living Books, Wheaton, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • Macklin R (2003) Dignity is a useless concept. British Medical Journal 327:1419–1420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magesa L (1997) African religion: the moral traditions of abundant life. Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Mbiti JS (1990) African religions and philosophy, 2nd edn. Heinemann, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Metz T (2007) Toward an African moral theory. The Journal of Political Philosophy 15:321–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Metz T (2010) Human dignity, capital punishment, and an African moral theory. The Journal of Human Rights 9:81–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Metz T (2011) Contemporary African philosophy. In: Pritchard D (ed) Oxford bibliographies online: philosophy. http://oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/view/document/obo-9780195396577/obo-9780195396577-0164.xml. Accessed 26 July 2011

  • Mill JS (1861) Considerations on representative government. Repr. in: Wollheim R (ed) John Stuart Mill: three essays. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1975, pp 143–423

  • Mkhize N (2008) Ubuntu and harmony: an African approach to morality and ethics. In: Nicolson R (ed) Persons in community: African ethics in a global culture. University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg, pp 35–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Mokgoro Y (1998) Ubuntu and the law in South Africa. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 1:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Murove MF (2004) An African commitment to ecological conservation: the Shona concepts of Ukama and Ubuntu. The Mankind Quarterly 45:195–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Noonan J (1970) An almost absolute value in history. Repr. In: Feinberg J (ed) The problem of abortion, 2nd ed. Wadsworth: Belmont, CA, 1984, pp 9–14

  • Nordenfelt L (2004) The varieties of dignity. Health Care Analysis 12:69–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Novak D (2007) The sanctity of human life. Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Onah G (2011) The meaning of peace in African traditional religion and culture. http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/goddionah.htm. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Organization of African Unity (OAU) (1981) African charter on human and peoples’ rights. http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/treaties.htm. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Paul II J (1995) The gospel of life (Evangelium vitae): on the value and inviolability of human life. USCCB Publishing, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinker S (2008) The stupidity of dignity. The New Republic. http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/articles/media/The%20Stupidity%20of%20Dignity.htm. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • Rawls J (1971) A theory of justice. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Schüklenk U and Pacholczyk A (2010) Dignity’s wooly uplift. Bioethics 24:ii

  • Shutte A (2001) Ubuntu: an ethic for the new South Africa. Cluster Publications, Cape Town

    Google Scholar 

  • Tempels P (1959) Bantu philosophy, 2nd edn. King C (tr) Présence Africaine, Paris

  • United Nations (UN) (1948) The universal declaration of human rights. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2005) Universal declaration on bioethics and human rights. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31058&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. Accessed 30 June 2011

  • United States Catholic Church (2003) Catechism of the Catholic church, 2nd edn. Doubleday, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiredu K (2008) Social philosophy in postcolonial Africa: some preliminaries concerning communalism and communitarianism. South African Journal of Philosophy 27:332–339

    Google Scholar 

  • World Medical Association (WMA) (2008) Declaration of Helsinki: principles for medical research involving human subjects. http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/index.html. Accessed 30 June 2011

Download references

Acknowledgments

For helpful written comments on a prior draft of this article, I thank Stephen Kershnar and two anonymous referees for Human Rights Review. This work has also benefited from oral input received from participants in: a Symposium on a New Humanism held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advance Study (STIAS); a session of the Justice Working Group run by the Wits Centre for Ethics (WICE) in Johannesburg; and a seminar at the Centre for Aplied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE) in Canberra.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Philosophy Department, University of Johannesburg, B-603, POB 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa

    Thaddeus Metz

Authors
  1. Thaddeus Metz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thaddeus Metz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Metz, T. African Conceptions of Human Dignity: Vitality and Community as the Ground of Human Rights. Hum Rights Rev 13, 19–37 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12142-011-0200-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12142-011-0200-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation