Human Dignity in an African Context

Contents
Notes on Contributors
Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Dignity in African Thought
	Introduction
	The Concept of Africa
	The Concept of Human Dignity
		The Contested Character of the Concept of Human Dignity
		Senses of Human Dignity
		Use of Human Dignity for Constraint, Empowerment, and Equality
	References
Chapter 2: Defending a Communal Account of Human Dignity
	Introducing Human Dignity in the African Tradition
	Grounding Dignity on Our Communal Nature
	The Strongest African Competitors
	Informed Consent
	Torture
	Concluding Thoughts on African Understandings of Human Dignity
	References
Chapter 3: An African Communal Approach to Punishment with Moral Dignity
	Introduction
	Personhood and the Basis for Moral Dignity
	Moral Dignity and African Communalism
	African Communalism and the Basis for Punishment
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 4: African Personhood, Metaphysical Capacities and Human Dignity
	Introduction
	Concepts of Personhood in African Philosophy
	Intrinsic and Achievement Dignity
	Ikuenobe’s Performance-Based Theory of Human Dignity
	Reason to Favour a Capacity-Based Conception of Personhood and Human Dignity
		Bioethics and Ikuenobe’s Theory of Human Dignity
	Animal Ethics and Ikuenobe’s Theory of Human Dignity
		Political Theory and Ikuenobe’s Theory of Human Dignity
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 5: Human Dignity, Ubuntu and Global Justice
	Introduction
	Human Dignity: Lessons from Some Influential Accounts in African Philosophy
	In Defence of Ubuntu-Inspired Human Dignity
	Ubuntu-Inspired Human Dignity and Global Justice
	Concluding Remarks
	References
Chapter 6: Moderate Communitarianism and Human Dignity
	Introduction
	Moderate Communitarianism
	Human Dignity in Moderate Communitarianism
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 7: An African Communitarian Conception of Dignity in Mutual Recognition
	Introduction
	Human Rights and Duties from a Transcendental Kernel of Inherent Dignity
	Communitarian Conceptions of Dignity from African Comprehensive Moral Doctrines
	On the Privatisation of an African Social Ontology of Dignity for a Public Grundnorm
	Born in the RSA: An African Theory of Respect for Universal Human Rights in Dignity
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 8: African Conceptions of Human Dignity and Violence Against Women in South Africa
	Introduction
	Menkiti’s Classic View of African Personhood
	Feminist Criticisms of African Personhood
	African Personhood Discriminates Beyond Gender
	Moral Standing (Dignity) in African Personhood
	In Conclusion: African Personhood and Violence Against Women
	References
Chapter 9: Intrinsic or Instrumental Value? African Philosophical Conceptions of Dignity
	Introduction
	Dignity as a Value in an African Episteme
	Intrinsic or Instrumental Value
	Dignity: Intrinsic and/or Instrumental Value
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 10: Un/Re-covering the Concept of Dignity in an African Thought Scheme Through Igbo Proverbs on Greatness, Nobility and Honour
	Introduction
	Dignity in Igbo Thought
		Proverbs That Reflect Dignity in Broad Terms
		A Critical Reading of the Concept of Dignity Through Proverbs That Reflect Dignity in Broad Terms
		Proverbs on Greatness (Ukwu) in Igbo Thought
		Proverbs on Nobility (Izu-oke)
		Proverbs on Honour
	Relating the Concept of Dignity in Igbo Thought to Igbo Existentialist Ontology
	References
Chapter 11: Conceptions of Human Dignity in African and European Legal Systems: Consonance or Dissonance?
	Introduction
	The Pre- and Postwar Paradigms of Human Dignity
		The Prewar Paradigm of Human Dignity
		The Postwar Paradigm of Human Dignity (Generic Human Dignity)
	Human Dignity in Africa
		Personhood, Community and Human Dignity
		Traces of the Generic Idea of Human Dignity in Africa
		Dignity Disambiguated from Dignitas
		Human Dignity, Discrimination and Oppression
	Features of European Constitutionalism
		Communitarian Perceptions
		Socio-economic Rights
		Collective Dignity
	The Migration of Judicialised Human Dignity Into African Constitutionalism
	Capita Selecta of Human Dignity Case Law in Various Jurisdictions
		Tyron v Board of Governors Achimota Senior High School and the Attorney-General [2021] DLHC 10297 (High Court of Ghana, Human Rights Division) Suit Nr HR/0055/2021
		African Echo (Pty) Ltd. t/a Times of Swaziland vs Inkhosatana Gelane Simelane (77/2013) SZSC 83 (3 December 2014)
		Law and Advocacy for Women in Uganda v Attorney-General, Constitutional Petition Nr 08, 2007
		The State v Willard Chokuramba [2019] ZWCC 10 (03 April 2019)
	Towards an Africanisation of Human Dignity?
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 12: Motho Ha Se Ntja Ha Lahloe: The Philosophy of Human Dignity in Sesotho Culture
	Introduction
	Concept of Human Dignity in Current Thinking
	The Concept of Human Dignity in Sesotho Culture
		Motho Ha Se Ntja Ha A Lahloe: An Inwards-Looking Account of Human Dignity
		O Se Re Ho Moroa: Moroa Tooe—An Outwards-Looking Account of Human Dignity
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 13: Wiredu on the Humanistic Orientation of Akan Morality
	Introduction
	Traditional African Theism and Wiredu’s Limited God Perspective
	Wiredu’s Humanistic Moral Framework
	On Human Dignity: The Attractiveness of Wiredu’s Humanistic Framework
	Conclusion
	References
Index