AN EVALUATION OF THE CONCEPT OF PERSONHOOD IN AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

The metaphysical notion, the relational and the existential constructs of African person is characterized by a conditional state of human values. These human values are directed by the conceptual analysis of African society. African personhood toed the path of the western tradition of Plato and Aristotle that no man can live in complete isolation from others in society unless such a man wants to be a beast or an angel. African society is defined by the relational context and the existential construction of the principles of communitarianism practices in Africa. This paper adopts the analytical framework in discussing the relational context, metaphysical and existential construction of personhood. The interpersonal context of African personhood lends credence to the comparative analysis of personhood between the western and African perspective. This paper provides an overview analysis of the existential construction, metaphysical and the relational context of personhood in African society. The findings of this paper are that (1) the interpersonal context of personhood has empirical, relational, existential, rational, psychological, ontological and social implications; (2) the empirical results of personhood reveals a normative assumption; (3) African personhood has a perceptional representation; (4) the existential construction of human personhood lends credence to a claim of truth and the idea of the comprehensive conception of the good in African society; the concept of personhood relates to the individual context and it is a universal phenomenon; and (5) African personhood is an essential characteristic of the human species and it is not limited to perception, cognition, societal values and human circumstances.