Abstract
The notion of ubuntu and communalism is of great importance in anAfrican educational discourse, as well as inAfrican Philosophy of Education and in Africanphilosophical discourse. Ubuntu is aphilosophy that promotes the common good ofsociety and includes humanness as an essentialelement of human growth.
In African culture the community always comesfirst. The individual is born out of and intothe community, therefore will always be part ofthe community. Interdependence, communalism, sensitivity towards others and caring for others are all aspects of ubuntu as a philosophy of life (Le Roux, 2000, p. 43). The community and belonging to acommunity is part of the essence of traditionalAfrican life. Philosophy of life and Philosophyof Education, thus, go together, because aphilosophy of life helps to identify the goalsand purposes that a particular society holdsdear.
Humanness is very important in Africanphilosophy in the sense of seeing human needs,interests and dignity as fundamental to humanexistence and therefore it will also beimportant in African Philosophy of Education(Letseka, 2000, p. 182). According to Letseka(2000, p. 186) nobody is born with botho orubuntu– these are communally acceptedand desirable ethical standards that a personacquires throughout his/her life and thereforeeducation also plays a very important role intransferring the African philosophy of life.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Blankenberg, N. (1999). In search of a real freedom: Ubuntu and the media. Critical Arts, 13(2), 42-65.
Eygelaar, S. (1998). Ubuntu-sharing African values. Milmed, 4.
Higgs, P. & Smith, J. (2000). Rethinking our world. Juta: Kenwyn.
Higgs, P. & Smith, J. (2002). Rethinking truth. Juta: Lansdowne.
Higgs, P. & Van Niekerk, M.P. (2002). The programme for Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and higher educational discourse in South Africa: A critical reflection. South African Journal for Higher Education, 16(3), 38-49.
Le Roux, J. (2000). The concept of 'ubuntu': Africa's most important contribution to multicultural education? Multicultural Teaching, 18(2), 43-46.
Letseka, M. (2000). African philosophy and educational discourse. In: P. Higgs, N.C.G. Vakalisa, T.V. Mda & N.T. Assie-Lumumba (Eds), African voices in education. Juta: Lansdowne
Maluleke, T. (1999). The misuse of 'ubuntu.' Challenge, 53, 12-13.
Mkabela, N.Q. & Luthuli, P.C. (1997). Towards an African philosophy of education. Kagiso Tertiary: Pretoria.
Schiele, J.H. (1994). Afrocentricity: Implications for higher education. Journal of Black Studies, 25(2), 150-169.
Sindane, J. & Liebenberg, I. (2000). Reconstruction and the reciprocal other: The philosophy and practice of ubuntu and democracy in African society. Politeiea, 19(3), 31-46.
Teffo, L.J. (1996). The other in African experience. South African Journal of Philosophy, 15(3), 101-104.
Teffo, L.J. (1998). Both/ubuntu as a way forward for contemporary South Africa. Word and Action, 38(365), 3-5.
Viljoen, C.T. (1998). Facing the educational challenges in South Africa: An educophilosophical reflection. Koers, 63(1/2), 5-20.
Vilakazi, H.W. (2000). The problem of education in Africa. In: P. Higgs, N.C.G. Vakalisa, T.V. Mda & N.T. Assie-Lumumba (Eds), African voices in education. Juta: Lansdowne
Viljoen, C.T. & Van der Walt, J.L. (2003). Being and becoming: Negotiations on educational identity in (South) Africa. South African Journal of Education, 23(1), 13-17.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Venter, E. The Notion of Ubuntu and Communalism in African Educational Discourse. Studies in Philosophy and Education 23, 149–160 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SPED.0000024428.29295.03
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SPED.0000024428.29295.03