African Environmental Ethics

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiv

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2. Introducing African Environmental Ethics

   • Munamato Chemhuru

   Pages 1-5

3. Moral Status and the African Environment

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

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   2. An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism

      • Thaddeus Metz

      Pages 9-27

   3. The Moral Status of Nature: An African Understanding

      • Munamato Chemhuru

      Pages 29-46

   4. Environmental Ethics in the Context of African Traditional Thought: Beyond the Impasse

      • Patrick Giddy

      Pages 47-57

   5. The Criticism of Secular Humanism in African Philosophy

      • Motsamai Molefe

      Pages 59-76

4. Ubuntu and the Environment

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 77-77

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   2. Ubuntu Environmental Ethics: Conceptions and Misconceptions

      • Ephraim Taurai Gwaravanda

      Pages 79-92

   3. Ubuntu and Environmental Ethics: The West Can Learn from Africa When Faced with Climate Change

      • Aïda C. Terblanché-Greeff

      Pages 93-109

   4. African Environmental Ethics as Southern Environmental Ethics

      • Nompumelelo Zinhle Manzini

      Pages 111-123

5. African Ecocentric Environmental Ethics

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 125-125

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   2. A (South) African Land Ethic? The Viability of an Ecocentric Approach to Environmental Ethics and Philosophy

      • Ernst M. Conradie

      Pages 127-139

   3. African Environmental Ethics: Lessons from the Rain-Maker’s Moral and Cosmological Perspectives

      • Garikai Madavo

      Pages 141-152

   4. New Waves: African Environmental Ethics and Ocean Ecosystems

      • Michelle Louise Clarke

      Pages 153-172

6. Environmental Justice in African Philosophy

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 173-173

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   2. Environmental Justice: Towards an African Perspective

      • Margaret Ssebunya, Stephen Nkansah Morgan, Beatrice D. Okyere-Manu

      Pages 175-189

   3. The African Emphasis on Harmonious Relations: Implications for Environmental Ethics and Justice

      • John Mweshi

      Pages 191-204

   4. Expanding Nussbaum’s Eighth Capability Using African Environmental Ethics

      • Jessica van Jaarsveld

      Pages 205-219

7. Questions of Animal Rights in African Philosophy

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 221-221

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This book focuses on under-explored and often neglected issues in contemporary African environmental philosophy and ethics. Critical issues such as the moral status of nature, African conceptions of animal moral status and rights, African conceptions of environmental justice, African relational Environmentalism, ubuntu, African theocentric and teleological environmentalism are addressed in this book. It is unique in so far as it goes beyond the generalized focus on African metaphysics and African ethics by exploring how these views might be understood differently in order to conceptualize African environmental ethics. Against the background where environmental problems such as pollution, climate change, extinction of flora and fauna, and global warming are plain to see, it becomes useful to examine how African conceptions of environmental ethics could be understood in order to confront some of these problems facing the whole world. This book will be of value to undergraduate students, graduate students and academics working in the area of African Philosophy, African Environmental Ethics and Global Ethics in general.      

• African Environmental Ethics
• Environmental Ethics in Africa
• African Ethics
• African Philosophy
• African Land Ethics
• Environmental Justice
• Secular Humanism in African Philosophy
• The Moral Status of Nature
• African Traditional Thought
• Ubuntu Environmental Ethics
• Animal Rights in Africa

• Department of Philosophy, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

  Munamato Chemhuru

Munamato Chemhuru obtained his Doctoral degree in Philosophy from the University of Johannesburg in 2016. Upon completion of his doctoral degree in Philosophy, he was awarded a commendation bursary for outstanding performance in doctoral studies by the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Humanities. In 2017, he was awarded the prestigious Global Excellence Stature Fellowship (GES) for a post-doctoral research fellowship that he pursued with the University of Johannesburg’s department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities. After completion of his post-doctoral research fellowship, he was appointed as a Senior Research Associate in Philosophy by the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Johannesburg from 2018-2020. He is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Great Zimbabwe University. His current research focuses on various applied ethical issues in African Philosophy stemming from concepts such as African communitarian philosophy and the idea of ubuntu. He has published research articles in some central Philosophy journals like Amoye: Journal of African Philosophy and Studies, Caribbean Journal of Philosophy, Journal on African Philosophy, Africana Journal of African Studies, Philosophia Africana, South African Journal of Philosophy, Politikon, Theoria and Phronimon. He also has a book chapter in an edited book published by Lexington Books in 2014. Munamato has also presented conference papers at local and international conferences in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya and Greece.