The African Concept of Morality

Introduction

African society since time memorial has been embedded with strong moral considerations. This
has kept society remain rooted in its cultural values, although vices also do exist. The study of
earlier features of moral understanding is exceptionally important. Knowledge of morality, gives
us a clear understanding of the nature and origin of the concept morality. This is because people
who have evolved a culture would be expected to have a distinguishable epistemological and
conceptual knowledge of the basic components of their culture, including their ethics.1 It is a matter
of fact that morality is universal to humanity. This means that morality is essential to all human
beings no matter where they live or no matter what kind of life they lead. Morality is what makes
a person human. In this case, Wiredu argued t society without strong moral pillars collapses.2 This
being the case, however, many foreigners have an erroneous understanding of African morality.
Some even tend to regard Africans as devoid of morality and moral consciousness. For instance,
some asserted that Africans are unable to differentiate between good and evil; a very unfortunate
sweeping statement. Against this background, this research will present what African concept of
morality is in two parts. The first part will give the foundation of African concept of morality
which includes three elements; the family, religion and ancestors. The second part will present
the characteristics of African concept of morality. This will comprises community life,
anthropology, taboo, solidarity, and sexual ethics among others. This research will end with a
conclusion and a bibliography.

Foundations of the African Concept of Morality

There are four views among scholars of African morality concerning the foundation of morality.
The first, which seems to be predominant and shared by majority of elites, is that African morality
is founded on the African concept of religion. The second is that African morality is fundamentally
determined by the institution of the human family in society. Thirdly, Africans devotion to their

1
Claude Sumner, Perspectives in African Philosophy, Addis Ababa, University Press, 2002. p.29.
2
Okman Wiredu, K. “Moral Foundation of African Culture,” in P.H. Coetzee and A.P.J. Roux, The
African Philosophy Reader 2nd ed., Oxfordshire UK: Routledge,2003. p,78.
1
ancestor and elders have been taken as the characteristics of African moral awareness and
understanding. Reverence for their ancestors regarded as so typical of the indigenous culture that
some African morality are defined as sometimes ancestor worship. The fourth basis of African
morality is negative in the sense that is embedded with fear, shame and sorcery. People follow
moral guidelines because of fear of shame or fear to be bewitched. For example, one fears to steal
for fear of punishment that may be sent.

1. African Traditional Religion as Foundation of Morality

African religion is an embodiment of moral teachings and guidelines. Mbiti has this to say about
African culture intertwining with religion. Africans are notoriously religious, and each people have
their own religious system, with a set of beliefs and practices. Religion permeates into all the
department of life so fully that it is not easy or possible always to isolate it.3 A study of these
religious systems is therefore ultimately a study of the people’s culture and morals in all
complexities of both traditional and modern life. Religion is the strongest element in traditional
background, and exerts probably the greatest influence upon the thinking and living of the people
of Africa. In agreement with Mbiti, Ezeanya agrees that in Africa life is religion, and religion is
life. This means that religion cannot be divorced from morality. 4

African ethical system is rooted on religion since both religion and culture are concerned with
values of human life. In the same way, traditional Africa exalts the fact that what is morally good
brings a good name and dignity and respect to persons and their community. And what is morally
bad is what brings disharmony and scorn to the community. Furthermore, within traditional
African societies there is no differentiation between life, religion and, morality rather, an intrinsic
unity between them. Similarly, the relationship between culture, religion and morality as lived by
the community is one of unity .In this perspective, culture is life; religion is life; morality is life;
community is life. That is why from the African tradition understanding, morality is merged with
religion and with culture.5

3
John Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, London: Heinemann Publishers, 1969.p.39.
4
Ezeanya, S. N.,”The Contributions of African Traditional Religion to Nation Building,” in Open Journal
of Philosophy, Vol.5 No.4, (March 2015):pp.1-17.
5
Ibid.
2
2. Institution of Family Morality

The family is the first teacher that transmits the appropriate behavior patterns, values, attitude and
norms of the society to the child. It is only the family that has the role of “every time teacher” to
the child. In Africa, the family is known for instilling discipline, hard work and good behaviors in
its members most especially children so as to grow into morally upright individuals. Often times
when a youth is good or bad, people always trace it to the family background in terms of
upbringing. In certain cultures when a child behaves in a good way; the credit goes to the father
and when the behavior is bad; the scorn goes to the mother. Accordingly, one act may be good in
certain circumstances, while it is evil in others, depending on its impact upon the relation of the
parties involved. From this viewpoint, ethical education is the ultimate aim of education in the
traditional society.6 It is unfortunate, that contemporary society is lamenting a moral
decline..7Basically, the African morality is concerned with the goodness of all human being in the
family. Consequently, it is held that whatever happens to the individual is believed to happen also
to the whole family and whatever happens to the whole family happens to the individual. At the
same time, the misdeeds of an individual can bring problems to the immediate family, extended
family, his lineage and the entire community. This is because Africans see human person as
inherently communal being. 8
3. Ancestors as Watchdogs of Moral Behavior

Members of African community include the living and the living dead, the ancestors. It is common
knowledge in Africa that elders, ancestors and parents are supposed to be instillers of morals in
the younger generation. And not only instills but also supervises and keeps watch over the young.
Here the role that the ancestors play a critical role in the formation of African morality. The African
sees a manifestation of the past generation with the present generation. Cultural heritage is passed
from the elders to the young. In the African cosmology, life is grounded in the past, but experienced
in the present. Continuity oriented towards the past is apparent in the statement; I do this because

6
Kigongo, J.K., Ethical Education in the Reform of Secondary Education in Uganda, Kampala: Makerere
University Press,1991. p.123.
7
Kinoti, H.W., “African morality: past and present,”in Mugambi, J.N.K. & Nasimiyu-Wasike, A., eds.
Moral and Ethical issues in African Christianity,Nairobi: Initiatives, (1992): 73-82.75,86.
8
Opoku Kofi Asare, West African Traditional Religion, Jurong: FEP International, 1978,p.231.
3
my father did. And they did it because our ancestors did it. In this perspective, morality does not
only concern the individual’s behaviour but the whole of family.9
4. Shame-Oriented Morality

Witchcraft is a living vice in some parts of the world. It has been practiced for centuries and is still
deeply rooted in people's lives. It is one of the reasons why some people refrain from doing wrong
to others such as stealing. The voluntary confessions and lynching of witches prove that witchcraft
exists in Africa. Personal relationships and a good name are more important to an African person.
If an African realizes that doing something bad is going to ignite the other party to seek revenge
from the witchdoctor or medicine men then he or she will rather not do it.10 Fear of punishment,
of being killed and of being punished through the power of manipulating nature either by magic,
sorcery or superstition is one of the factors that keep Africans refrained from doing bad acts. These
acts include eloping with one’s wife, stealing from some ones garden and others. I witnessed the
power of witchcraft during the vanilla season, a man who went to steal vanilla got stuck in the
garden. These virtues of honesty in property rights and faithfulness in marriage some times are
motivated by fear. Fear because of the fact that the offended party will seek revenge from the world
of witches and sorcery. Fear is specific to those perceived as potential to cause harm.11

Characteristics of the African Concept of Morality

1. Communiteristic

African morality and ethics cannot be conceived outside of the community life. Gyekye regards
communalism not only as its outstanding but as its defining characteristic.Traditional African
society was therefore characterized not by one’s own rights but by duties towards others.12
The communalistic orientation means that an individual’s image will depend rather crucially upon
the extent to which his/her actions benefit others rather than him/herself, not of course, by

9
Nthamburi, Z, Morality in public life, in Mugambi, J.N.K. & Nasimiyu- Wasike, A., eds. Moral and
Ethical Issues in African Christianity, Nairobi :Initiatives,(1992): 107-118.p.110.
10
Lienhard R., “A Good Conscience: Difference between Honour and Justice Orientation,” in Missiology,
Vol.29, No.2 (April 2001)131-141,pp. 136-139.
11
Ibid.
12
Kollman P., “Tribalism and Justice, “in African Christian Studies, Vol.4.No.2(June 1988):49-70,p.59.
4
coincidence, but by design an individual who remained content with self-regarding success would
be viewed as so circumscribed in outlook as not to merit the title of a real person. 13

2. Anthropocentric

The African concepts of morality are generally of a human centered at all stages. Morality is rooted
in conceptual and empirical considerations about humanity’s well-being. Everything is done for
the wellbeing of the present human race and the generations to come. This is why the term
humanistic is a connotation proper to the African moral thinking. A human person is essentially
the center of the thick set of concentric circles of obligations and responsibilities matched by rights
and privileges revolving round levels of relationships irradiating from the consanguinity of
household kith and kin, through the ‘blood’ ties of lineage and clan, to the wider circumference of
human family hood. The concept of ubuntu is placed with much emphasis on life as the highest
and intrinsic good in the community.14

3.Religious Based

John Mbiti in his book African Religions and Philosophy of 1969 argued that “African people are
notoriously religious and religion permeates into all the departments of life so much so that it is
not easy or possible to isolate it.”15 As already stated earlier, from the African tradition, morality
is intertwined with religion. This confirms the view of religious foundation of African morality
evidence in the do’s and donts. This clearly implies that the moral beliefs and principles of Africans
are derived from their religion and that religion provides the necessary justification for moral
values and beliefs. Moral concepts, such as good, bad right and wrong, are defined in terms of
religious prescriptions or commands.

4. Taboo and Proverbs

In every African culture, there exists many proverbs, customs, set forms of behavior, regulations,
rules observances and taboos which constitute the moral code and ethics of a given community.

13
Gyekye K, “Person and community in African Thought,” in Coetzee, P.H. & Roux, A.P.J., eds.
Philosophy from Africa, Pretoria: International Thompson Publishing, 1998, pp. 317-336,p.318.
14
Okman Wiredu, “The Moral Foundation of African Culture,” in P.H. Coetzee & A.P.J. Roux, The
African Philosophy Reader, 1998, p.308.
15
Mbiti, S John, African Religions and Philosophy, London: Heinemann Publishers, 1969.p.1.
5
There are many things held to be morally wrong and a taboo. These are taught in speech under the
fire place, songs and proverbs by elders. For example restrictions of marrying within the same
clan, eating certain food stuffs and so on. Whoever does them is considered to be a bad or evil
person. Taboos may, however, be religious, social, sexual or a combination of one or two or even
16
all of these classifications at once. African morality laid a great emphasis on social conduct.
Basic moral principles and practices in the form of taboos guide people’s action and help them to
choose between right and wrong. For instance, children in African societies are taught basic
principles of morality embedded in taboos in proverbs, riddles or folktales. A system of taboos and
sanctions held in honor of the ancestors, divinities and spirits are used in the African societies to
enforce morality; and so they are agents of morality in traditional African thought.17

5. Pragmatic and Utilitarianism

Africans hold that keeping moral principles works for them and those social constructs appreciated
in terms of their usefulness. In other words, following moral codes is paying, it is rewarding. For
example, a virgin gets honored at her marriage and so is her family. Sex was not to be indulged in
for pleasure, it is only permissible in marriage. The penalty for a woman that commit adultery is
punitive. This is because African morality is a character-based ethics which maintains that the
quality of the individual's character is the most fundamental in human moral life. African societies
attest that moral beliefs and codes have guided their actions towards harmony and brotherhood for
centuries.18 In traditional African society intimately related to pragmaticism is utilitarianism; the
theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness and oppose actions that cause harm.
In the African society this theory is directed toward making society better in terms of honesty,
faithfulness and social harmony.19

16
Ronald M. Green, “Religion and Morality in the African Traditional Setting,” in Journal of Religion in
Africa, Vol. 14, No.1 (1983):1-23.p.6-8.
17
Ibid,
18
Gbadegesin S, “Individuality, Community and the Moral Order,”in Coetzee,P.H. & Roux, A.P.J., eds.,
Philosophy from Africa, Pretoria: International Thompson Publishing, (1998): 292-305.)p.302.
19
Bujo Benezet, African Christian Morality at the Age of Inculturation, Nairobi: Paulines Publications
Africa, 1990,p.50.

6
Conclusion

The moral beliefs and principles of the Africans are derived from their religion, family, community
and life experiences. These provides the necessary justification for moral values and beliefs. From
this viewpoint, moral principles are primarily concerned with promoting a good life and the
maintenance of good relationship with others. The concept of African morality can be described
in terms of communalistic; humanistic; religious; tabooed and ancestral. Virtues and taboos found
in African society should be accepted applied to everyday life, so that it strengthens the values and
moral beliefs which form the basis of social life. In general, African morality is determined by the
injunctions of an ancestors, the family and shame oriented. However, the African moral system is
under threat due to globalization, secularism, individualism and western culture.

7
Bibliography

Claude Sumner, Perspectives in African Philosophy, Addis Ababa, University Press, 2002.

Gyekye Kwame, Tradition and Modernity: Philosophical Reflection on the Africa Experience,
New York: Oxford: University press, 1992.

Ezeanya, S. N.,”The Contributions of African Traditional Religion to Nation Building,” in Open

Journal of Philosophy, Vol.5 No.4, (March 2015):pp.1-17.

Kigongo,K. James, Ethical Education in the Reform of Secondary Education in Uganda, Kampala:
Makerere University Press,1991.

Kinoti, H.W., “African morality: past and present,”in Mugambi, J.N.K. & Nasimiyu-Wasike, A.,
eds. Moral and Ethical issues in African Christianity,Nairobi: Initiatives, (1992): 73-82.

Opoku Kofi Asare, West African Traditional Religion, Jurong: FEP International, 1978.

Nthamburi, Z, ‘Morality in Public Life,’ in Mugambi, J.N.K. & Nasimiyu- Wasike, A., eds. Moral
and Ethical Issues in African Christianity, Nairobi: Initiatives,(1992): 107-118.

Lienhard R., “A Good Conscience: Difference between Honour and Justice Orientation,” in
Missiology, Vol.29, No.2 (April 2001)131-141.

Kollman P., “Tribalism and Justice,” in African Christian Studies, Vol.4.No.2(June 1988):49-70.

Gyekye Kwame, “Person and Community in African Thought,” in Coetzee, P.H. & Roux, A.P.J.,
eds. Philosophy from Africa, Pretoria: International Thompson Publishing, 1998, pp. 317-336.

Mbiti, S John, African Religions and Philosophy, London: Heinemann Publishers, 1969.

Ronald M. Green, “Religion and Morality in the African Traditional Setting,” in Journal of
Religion in Africa, Vol. 14, No.1 (1983):1-23.

Gbadegesin S, “Individuality, Community and the Moral Order,”in Coetzee,P.H. & Roux, A.P.J.,
eds., Philosophy from Africa, Pretoria: International Thompson Publishing, (1998): 292-305.

Bujo Benezet, African Christian Morality at the Age of Inculturation, Nairobi: Paulines
Publications Africa, 1990.