Abstract
The chapter examines traits of individualism in ordinary language use in the African thought. Although it is commonly argued that individualism is Western, the chapter shows that, individualism was practiced by some Africans even before the coming of the Western colonialists. Through the study of language in the African context, it deduces traits of individualism relative to ownership of private property, self-realisation, self-awareness, etc. The chapter confirms the philosophical hypothesis that African thought has both communitarian and individualist orientations.
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Notes
- 1.
This has been mentioned earlier in the discussion of ubuntu.
- 2.
I will not develop further neoliberalism (see Harvey 2008).
- 3.
For example in understanding the change of reference of indexical I, it may be used in two different contexts, (Speaker X): I am a boy [Context1], (Speaker Y): I am a boy [Context2].
- 4.
Refer to chapter 6 on the notion of truth.
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Kayange, G.M. (2018). Deducing Individualism in African Society Through the Study of Language. In: Meaning and Truth in African Philosophy. Philosophical Studies Series, vol 135. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01962-4_9
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