Confucianism and African Philosophy

Abstract

Although values indigenous to Africa have been compared and contrasted with Western philosophy and monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam, Metz contends that rigorous “South-South” engagements have been lacking. Philosophers representative of the majority of the world’s population have not spoken to one another directly anywhere near to the extent they have with the “North” (or “West”). In fact, it is only in the past five years that nascent dialogues have emerged between African philosophers and those in Latin America, India, and China. This chapter begins by recounting the most basic normative concepts that are salient in the Confucian and African philosophical traditions, and points out that there are many similarities between them, which make them aptly characterized as “relational” in contrast to the “individualism” that is much more common among Western philosophers. Then, it focuses on highlighting certain key differences between the two traditions, many of which are shown to follow from competing interpretations of the appropriate relationships to honor. Along the way, the chapter makes suggestions for further research on topics that should be explored in a world in which the South is on the rise.