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This book is a contribution to African philosophy, by philosophers focusing specifically on the concept of human dignity in ethical theory. The concept of 'human dignity' denotes the intrinsic and superlative worth associated with human beings in virtue of which we owe them utmost moral regard. Although dignity is a foundational concept for African philosophy, there remains scant literature in African philosophy dedicated to critical and systematic reflection on the concept of human dignity. This volume responds to this lacuna by bringing together chapters that offer philosophical exposition, defense (or even rejection) and application of the concept of human dignity in light of intellectual resources in African cultures, such as ubuntu, personhood, and serithi.
List of contents
1. Introduction to Human Dignity in African Thought.- 2. Defending a Communal Account of Human Dignity.- 3. An African Communal Approach to Punishment with Moral Dignity.- 4. African Personhood, Metaphysical Capacities and Human Dignity.- 5. Human dignity, Ubuntu and Global Justice.- 6. Moderate Communitarianism and Human Dignity.- 7. An African Communitarian Conception of Dignity in Mutual Recognition.- 8. African Conceptions of Human Dignity and Violence Against Women in South Africa.- 9. Intrinsic or Instrumental Value? African Philosophical Conceptions of Dignity.- 10. Un/Re-covering the Concept of Dignity in an African Thought Scheme Through Igbo Proverbs on Greatness, Nobility and Honour.- 11. Conceptions of Human Dignity in African and European Legal Systems: Consonance or Dissonance?.- 12. Motho Ha Se Ntja Ha Lahloe: The Philosophy of Human Dignity in Sesotho Culture.- 13. Wiredu on the Humanistic Orientation of Akan Morality.
