Knowing Ubuntu Is a Matter of Acting With Care

• In Event: Roundtable Session 45
  In Roundtable Session: Democratic Citizenship in Education Paper Discussion

Abstract

In this paper we argue that ubuntu (human interdependence) is not some form of essentialist notion that unfolds in exactly the same way. Rather, we offer a philosophical position that (re)considers the situation of the self in relation to others. Although the practice of ubuntu is lived out differently amongst Africa’s people, we want to add to the diverse ways in which ubuntu can both disrupt and offer ways as to how challenges of human conflict and violence can possibly be resolved. The paper finally addresses a couple of educational examples and argues that this approach, by being well-grounded in the life experience of learners, can critically assist the central role of education.

Author

• Paul Smeyers, Ghent University