scholarly journals tenet of ubuntu in South (African) ethics

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vhumani Magezi ◽  
Clement Khlopa
Keyword(s):  
Pastoral Care ◽  
South African ◽  
Moral Theory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
African Philosophy ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
African Ethics ◽  
Contemporary Christian ◽  
African Worldview

The notion of ubuntu as a moral theory in the South African and African contexts presents attractive norms of an African worldview that can be articulated and applied to contemporary Christian ethics. The proponents of ubuntu perceive it as an African philosophy based on the maxim, “a person is a person through other persons”, whereby the community prevails over individual considerations. It is not merely an empirical claim that our survival or well-being is causally dependent on others but is in essence capturing a normative account of what we ought to be as human beings. However, ubuntu has shortcomings that make it an impractical notion. Despite its shortcomings, ubuntu has natural ethic potential that enforces and engenders hospitality, neighbourliness, and care for all humanity. This article contributes to further conceptualisation and understanding of the notion of ubuntu and its relationship with hospitality in order to retrieve some principles that can be applied to effective and meaningful pastoral care. The principles drawn from ubuntu are juxtaposed with Christian principles and pastoral care to encourage embodiment of God by pastoral caregivers.

tenet of ubuntu in South (African) ethics

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vhumani Magezi ◽  
Clement Khlopa
Keyword(s):  
Pastoral Care ◽  
South African ◽  
Moral Theory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
African Philosophy ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
African Ethics ◽  
Contemporary Christian ◽  
African Worldview

The notion of ubuntu as a moral theory in the South African and African contexts presents attractive norms of an African worldview that can be articulated and applied to contemporary Christian ethics. The proponents of ubuntu perceive it as an African philosophy based on the maxim, “a person is a person through other persons”, whereby the community prevails over individual considerations. It is not merely an empirical claim that our survival or well-being is causally dependent on others but is in essence capturing a normative account of what we ought to be as human beings. However, ubuntu has shortcomings that make it an impractical notion. Despite its shortcomings, ubuntu has natural ethic potential that enforces and engenders hospitality, neighbourliness, and care for all humanity. This article contributes to further conceptualisation and understanding of the notion of ubuntu and its relationship with hospitality in order to retrieve some principles that can be applied to effective and meaningful pastoral care. The principles drawn from ubuntu are juxtaposed with Christian principles and pastoral care to encourage embodiment of God by pastoral caregivers.

The Loss and Damage of Environmental Ethics in the Threshold of African Culture

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 85-99
Author(s):  
Essien D. Essien
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relational Theory ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
African Culture ◽  
Loss And Damage ◽  
African Ethics

It has been argued that human actions through pollution and other activities have imperil survival, harm health and dislocate the well-being of man on earth. This argument's corollary is that, given the curious datum that human beings are implicated in loss and damage of the environment, actions performed by individuals have aggregate negative consequences on the environment. Yet, what African culture is and how it matters in environmental ethics is regrettably unexplored and disproportionately contested. This study examines the contributions of culture toward the preservation and protection of the environment for future generation. The study adopts qualitative methodology and content analysis, as well as “relational theory” to respond to the thesis that African culture has a moral responsibility and an in-built mechanism to protect human interactions with nature and environment. The findings show that culture has the capacity to avert loss and damage of the African environment through African ethics.

scholarly journals A practical theology of bereavement care: Re-ritualization within a paradigm of “comforting presence”

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Gibson ◽  
DJ Louw
Keyword(s):  
Pastoral Care ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Century ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Symbolic Expression ◽  
Funeral Directors ◽  
Funerary Rituals ◽  
Bereavement Care ◽  
Cultural Shifts

The investigation focuses on a concern for the marginalization of bereaved human beings in the context of cultural shifts now shaping twenty-first century pastoral care. The article advocates for a practical theology of bereavement to aid in nurturing care and eudaimonic well-being (including both vocational pastors and funeral directors) within the paradigmatic framework of a theopaschitic understanding of compassion (oiktirmos). The investigation examines the growing threat of deritualization – a public openness to revise, replace, minimize the significance of, and even eliminate or avoid long-held funerary rituals to assist in the adaptation of loss. The notion of re-ritualization is operationalized as an intentional act of restoring and re-engaging in creative and meaningful ritual forms that give symbolic expression to significant thoughts and feelings of the bereaved within a social ethos that is no longer committed to a conventional or fixed approach to ritualization. In order to facilitate a process of re-ritualization, bereavement care is linked to the notion of “comforting presence”.

scholarly journals The power of musical sound and its implications for primary education in South Africa: An experiential discussion

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Auerbach ◽  
Alette Delport
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Musical Sound ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
And Performance

In this article, the power of musical sound and its transformative effects on human beings are explored, as perceived since ancient times and discussed in recent literature. An evolving research project is then reviewed, with a group of primary school children from disadvantaged backgrounds with no prior formal musical training.In essence, the aim of the study in progress is to determine how musical sound can be used to facilitate mindfulness, develop wholeness and facilitate the holistic growth of young South African learners, especially those from deprived backgrounds.Initial findings suggest that when musical sound experiences are included in everyday education of young learners, there are moments of joy, spontaneity, a sense of unity and well-being. The listening capacity of the children in the group has refined and performance levels at school have improved.

scholarly journals Job satisfaction among South African aircraft pilots

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hoole ◽  
L. P. Vermeulen
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
South African ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Major Contributor ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Aircraft Pilots

The importance of job satisfaction to human beings is a widely studied phenomenon, due to the assumption that job satisfaction is a major contributor to the well-being of employees and to several organisational outcomes. Most of these studies have focused on the influence of organisational variables on job satisfaction. Few studies have investigated the relationship between pilot-related factors and the job satisfaction levels of aviators. In a study of 704 South African pilots, significant differences were found in job satisfaction levels with regard to the nature of a pilot’s flying duty, area(s) of operation, type(s) of licence and level of command. Opsomming Werkstevredenheid en die belangrikheid daarvan vir die mens is ‘n onderwerp waaroor navorsing dikwels gedoen word. Die rede hiervoor is die aanname dat werkstevredenheid ‘n belangrike bydraende faktor is tot werknemerswelsyn en verskeie organisatoriese uitkomste. Die meeste van hierdie studies het gekonsentreer op die invloed van organisatoriese veranderlikes op werkstevredenheid. Min navorsing is egter gedoen oor die verband tussen vliegverwante veranderlikes en die vlakke van werkstevredenheid van vlieëniers. In ‘n studie van 704 Suid-Afrikaanse vlieëniers is beduidende verskille gevind tussen die werkstevredenheidsvlakke van vlieëniers met betrekking tot die aard van vlieëniers se vliegtaak, area(s) van werksaamheid, soort(e) lisensie(s) en vlak van bevelvoering.

Ubuntu/Botho: Ideologie oder Versprechen?

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 928-942
Author(s):  
Michael Onyebuchi Eze
Keyword(s):  
Moral Theory ◽  
Moral Agency ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
African Philosophy ◽  
Human Beings

AbstractThis article investigates the concept of Ubuntu/Botho as a possible foundation for an African moral theory. It departs from an analysis of the idea of “human personhood” as a basis for moral agency, which is controversially debated within African philosophy. This notion of personhood relies on an understanding of the mutual interdependence of human beings. As a next step, the author critically assesses the discursive function of Ubuntu/Botho in African societies and its misuse by political elites as ideological cover for exclusionary and violent practices. By way of conclusion, the article stresses restoration as a key value associated with African humanism based on Ubuntu/Botho.

The Loss and Damage of Environmental Ethics in the Threshold of African Culture

2020 ◽  
pp. 1589-1604
Author(s):  
Essien D. Essien
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relational Theory ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
African Culture ◽  
Loss And Damage ◽  
African Ethics

It has been argued that human actions through pollution and other activities have imperil survival, harm health and dislocate the well-being of man on earth. This argument's corollary is that, given the curious datum that human beings are implicated in loss and damage of the environment, actions performed by individuals have aggregate negative consequences on the environment. Yet, what African culture is and how it matters in environmental ethics is regrettably unexplored and disproportionately contested. This study examines the contributions of culture toward the preservation and protection of the environment for future generation. The study adopts qualitative methodology and content analysis, as well as “relational theory” to respond to the thesis that African culture has a moral responsibility and an in-built mechanism to protect human interactions with nature and environment. The findings show that culture has the capacity to avert loss and damage of the African environment through African ethics.

scholarly journals THE PROBLEM OF GOODNESS AND EVIL IN CHRISTIAN ETHICS

2017 ◽  
pp. 56-70
Author(s):  
Hryhorii Vasianovych
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Original Sin ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Moral Consciousness ◽  
Moral Goodness ◽  
Active Approach ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Right

On the basis of philosophical and ethical literature the concept of "goodness" and "evil" has been analyzed from the standpoint of secular and Christian ethics. It turns out that moral well-being is characterized as a positive phenomenon, and evil – as a negative one. It has been emphasized that Christian ethics considers God as a source of goodness, and a human being as a source of evil being associated with the original sins.It has been stated that goodness and evil exist in dialectical unity, while goodness is endless, whereas evil is finite, they have various forms of manifestation and differences. Moral goodness in Christian ethics acquires the status of all the universality of light, which can spread not only among believers, but also non- believers, it enriches the existence of human being and the whole world, while evil distorts this world. The moral goodness of human beings is realized in their worldview, action activity, as well as opposition to evil. Therefore, it is so important to use various forms, methods, and means in the process of educating true kindness, humanity, human mercy, and love.The problem of moral goodness and evil remains relevant both for secular and Christian ethics. Christian ethics considers God as a source of goodness and evil is a human being who broke God's laws and committed the original sin. Goodness and evil are in dialectical unity, but they are characterized by significant differences. The process of creating goodness requires a constant, well-organized education. At the same time, this process leads to active opposition to evil.It has been determined that philosophers, teachers, psychologists have proven: one of the effective ways of formation goodness is active approach. Creating situations in which a person could do goodness, reveal the kindness of his heart - this is the right path to the formation of moral consciousness, moral relations, and today it is especially necessary.

scholarly journals Intersecting Human Development, Social Justice and Gender Equity: A Capability Option

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice M'mboga Akala
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Human Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
And Gender ◽  
South African Higher Education

The greatest achievement of any education system lies in its ability to harness and develop human capabilities indiscriminately. This paper aims to show that the development of capabilities is crucial in bolstering individual well-being while at the same time propelling human beings to function adequately at various levels in society. I argue that, for a symmetrical development of capabilities to be attained for all, institutionalised unfreedoms that are perpetuated through entrenched classism, racism and sexism need to be addressed. The claims in this paper respond to the dilemma of continued marginalisation of women in South African higher education by arguing that a capability approach (CA) to human development should be considered as a possible framework through which gender and gendering can be investigated and evaluated. The paper has adopted a critical exploration methodology in discussing theories of social justice and a capability approach to human development. The paper concludes that education is an essential component of human development that should be enjoyed by all regardless of their creed, gender, race or social class.  

Persons Together

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan L. Mittleman
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
Jewish Tradition ◽  
The Political ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Political Dimensions ◽  
Market Relations ◽  
The Image Of God

This chapter moves into the political and economic aspects of human nature. Given scarcity and interdependence, what sense has Judaism made of the material well-being necessary for human flourishing? What are Jewish attitudes toward prosperity, market relations, labor, and leisure? What has Judaism had to say about the political dimensions of human nature? If all humans are made in the image of God, what does that original equality imply for political order, authority, and justice? In what kinds of systems can human beings best flourish? It argues that Jewish tradition shows that we act in conformity with our nature when we elevate, improve, and sanctify it. As co-creators of the world with God, we are not just the sport of our biochemistry. We are persons who can select and choose among the traits that comprise our very own natures, cultivating some and weeding out others.

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