TOWARDS AN INCLUSIVE HUMANISM

Résumé

The emphasis on difference whether ideological, cultural or otherwise has blurred the minds of mankind to that which is truly human thereby creating myriads of problems for peoples of the world. Never in the history of the world have we found mankind as polarized as is the case today. This polarity, a corollary of 'difference' has generated tensions ranging from ethnicity, religion, corruption, cronyism, nepotism, terrorism, banditry, etc. The challenges are as a result of emphasis on the 'us' and the 'they'. In the face of global pandemic such as we witness today, it is expedient that we de- emphasize difference that divide mankind and evoke and evolve for himself truly humanistic moral virtues that could help to not only reaffirm but embrace our shared humanism that is pivotal to surmounting the hydra-headed concerns currently bedeviling the human race. The analytical, historical, critical and reconstructive methods of philosophy were employed. The analytical method helped in clarifying concepts like humanism, inclusiveness, communalism that are very central to the problematic. The critical and historical methods were employed to examine some theories relating to humanism. Finally the reconstructive method was adopted to establish the truism that until we all agree to be more humane than we currently are, the world may never surmount the challenges created by emphasis on difference. The paper recommends that relative global peace is only possibly if and only if cultures, traditions, identity groups, races and religions open up to each other in their quest for a more humanized world.