AFRICAN CULTURE AND MORALITY

Different thinkers have outlined on what differentiates an African and a Mzungu(European). My personal view point would be that Culture is the underlining principle that differentiates the above two creatures. In an African context, values and taboos are very much put into consideration.[1]They are conceived as beliefs that are held about what is right and wrong and at the same time what is important in life. 
Earlier, an African was Considered to be primitive and irreligious. Today we have a Westernized African whom we can refer to as “New Man” who is liberated from indigenous way of thinking. This liberation has led to the rebirth of Tragedy where by Morality is compromised. What was considered to be Wrong before, today is being debated upon for justification. Among the challenges that the New Man faces are on moral principle. Majority of Africans today have failed to live a moral life because of poverty. Take an example of a certain lady in a certain University who cannot sustain her financial status so as to cater for basic needs such as food. In order to survive in the University for the four Semesters she finds that the only solution is to allow herself to be used as an object by men. She knows that prostitution is evil but due to poverty she has to look for the ways to survive. In this case, one knows that a particular act is evil and is even forbidden in the society, but again what is the right thing to do in such cases? Could this be the effects of Christianisation and westernization? Francis bacon argued that knowledge is power and an African want to acquire this power. What are the means to use to get this power since poverty is at hand? The thirst of this will to power as Friedrich Nietzsche would call it, has led to the abolition of morals. In the Contemporary Africa, the elders are complaining of sexual immorality among the youths and this has hastened them into the graves. On the other hand, the young complain of having no role models since adultery sin, is no longer punishable. [2]In most cases even the young boys are forced by the circumstances to allow themselves be used as husbands by the so called “sweet mamas”. This is what Nietzsche would call the “sick animal”. Regardless to Poverty in Africa, we ought to accept that as Africans we are Ignorant as far as modes of existence are concerned. As a result of ignorance, we have even abandoned our moral values.


Immanuel Kant, offers two different imperatives; hypothetical and categorial imperative. Hypothetical imperatives imply conditions while Categorical imperative is duty for duty sake. [3]Categorical imperative calls for acts which are aimed at becoming Universal.Comtemporary Ethical Challenges in Africa today are caused by the subjective approach on morality. There is no objective morality and as a result wrangles arise in all corners. In most of the African countries abortion is not legalised. Nevertheless, underground people are still inventing their own methods. Earlier in an African Context, issues concerning morality were handled with high degree of respect but nowadays an African has forgotten his mode of being. Abortion is now used as a method of limiting births. [4]Previous in an African set up, such acts could be referred to as taboos and there were consequences, but in this case repercussions do not matter. We have forgotten our mode of being. Martin Heidegger, a German thinker offers two modes of existence; authentic and inauthentic. At this level being cannot avoid the question of personal authenticity. The being in the world in its authentic existence projects itself to a particular existential option. Again, in this authentic mode of existence being in the world become conscious of itself and above all the understanding of care. The Ethical challenges that are facing an African today are as a result of Inauthentic mode of existence. The culture of individuality has disappeared and as a result we are lost in “they”. We have allowed ourselves to be dominated by Western culture and the worst thing is that we don’t differentiate what is good or bad for us at the moment. We are doing simply because others are doing and since we have a certain degree of inferiority complex, we feel housed. We face challenges since our daily lives are not reflected upon and as Socrates affirmed it, “un reflected life is not worth living”. A good example could be on the manner of dressing. It sound approving of our ignorance to see an African who is walking half naked just because one has seen westerners doing so. For westerners the climatic conditions may allow but for an African lady walking half naked is a call for attraction to the opposite gender. We need to get back to our roots. Unless we revisit on what it means to be an African, we may find ourselves swimming but with no direction. No matter what, an African will remain to be an African.



[1] African Culture and Values,Gabriel E idang(Nigeria:Unisa Press,2015),pg.98

[2] Morality in Africa: Yesterday and today, B.J. van der Walt(University for CHE Press),pg4

[3] Kantian Ethics,.

[4] Abortion and Contraceptive Use in Sub-Saharan Africa