Western and African Communitarianism Comparison

Western and African Communitarianism Comparison
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Analytical Critique of Western and African Communitarianism
Communitarianism is a social and moral philosophy that rejects individualism and promotes collective rights and the adjustment of individual freedoms in favor of the good of the collective whole (Masolo, 2004; 483). This paper compares Western and African communitarianism, exploring their philosophical origins, Western manifestations, African variations, and implications for each.
Overview
Western communitarianism draws from Hegel's idea of the individual as part of a larger whole, whereby one achieves freedom by embodying a historically creative Mind (Masolo, 483). African communitarianism, in contrast, emerged through nationalist rhetoric and the ambition to create something radically different from colonizers’ political systems. African intellectuals turned to indigenous social and political orders to establish political programs combining African values with anti-capitalist ideology, ranging from secular altruism to Islamic religious values (Masolo, 489). Hence, while Western communitarianism is essentially a critique of liberalism, African communitarianism sought to break away from colonial systems and give communitarianism a prescriptive status.
Philosophical Similarities
Western and African Communitarianism differ in emphasizing collective interest over the individual. Although Western communitarianism emphasizes collective interests by asserting that the rights of individuals are not fundamental and that the collective can have rights independent of what liberals claim are the rights of individuals, African communitarianism expresses the notion of community through a prescriptive status of collective values. For example, African theologians such as Vincent Mulago and François-Marie Lufuluabo believe that African solidarity is based on participating in everyday life. In contrast, prominent African leaders such as Leopold Sédar Senghor, Kwame Nkrumah, and Julius Nyerere assert that community values override the freedoms and rights of the individual (Musolo, 489-491). Moreover, African beliefs about personhood, such as those of the Dogon and Luo of Kenya, also demonstrate how individuals depend on their ancestors for their physical and spiritual existence, emphasizing the importance of collective heritage in African communities (Musolo, 490). Thus, Western and African communitarianism differ in how they emphasize collective interest over the individual's, with African communitarianism relying heavily on a collective heritage and values.
In both Western and African communitarianism, personhood is understood to be a concept connected to the defining capabilities of humans. It is achieved through an educational process that begins at birth and intensifies at each stage of growth and development (Musolo, 491-492). Moral education and inculcating communal values are critical to initiation rituals in African societies. These rituals teach essential virtues, such as obedience and service to others, and help children gain knowledge of their close and distant family. To further underscore these values, African societies send children as messengers across villages to deliver messages, helping to sharpen their listening, understanding, remembering, and verbal communication skills. Seclusion in the forest during initiation rituals allows society to steep the person in the communal ethic and teaches them endurance and self-control (Musolo, 492). In addition, circumcision and other cultural practices symbolize the attainment of this stage of growth and development, marking the birth of a moral agent.
Philosophical Differences
African Communitarianism originates from the independence struggles against European colonialism and the importance of communal living in many African societies. Its principles accentuate practical altruism as a social virtue, with entities extending their duties beyond just their family. This concept of “the economy of affection” dictates that individuals should share with and support each other, with collective responsibility for creating humane conditions of life for everyone (Masolo, 494). This contrasts Western Communitarianism which generally focuses more on protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals and institutions. At the same time, African Communitarianism highlights empathy and other selfless feelings. African theorists like Kwame Gyekye and Kwasi Wiredu have argued that African Communitarianism can coexist with individual rights and can even be improved to incorporate aspects of individual rights into the conception of the communal good (Masolo, 495). This view is based on the understanding that human existence in a social space necessitates a duty of care toward creating a world that benefits humanity.
African Communitarianism stresses the implication of the group rather than the individual, striving to form an altruistic society wherein every person contributes to establishing an atmosphere of compassion. As evidenced in the traditional teaching and sayings of many African cultures, such as Luo's, ...