African’s philosophy or view of the world from the individual, family, village, community, society (country, continent and global), environment and spirituality.
Ubuntu is the worldview of Black people of Africa from where they derive relational, communal, societal, environmental and spiritual knowledges, values and practices (Mugumbate, Mupedziswa, Twikirize, Mthethwa, Desta & Oyinlola, 2023).
Ubuntu originated from the interaction of different groups of Black people in Africa for thousands of years. These Black people are the Bantu, Kush, Ba, Khoi, Masarwa, Hadza and Sandawe
The key values from Ubuntu philosophy are:
- Relations (ukama) – valuing parents, blood relations and tribal family; social, cultural, spiritual, economic and political relations.
- Culture (umuco/isiko) – valuing the way we do things (food, language, dress, knowledge, ethics and beliefs).
- Indigeneity (wazawa) – valuing being black Africans and being people of the African continent.
- Wholism/holistic (mzima/phelele) – valuing connection between people, their past and future, environment and spirituality.
- Justice and Freedom (uhuru) – valuing being free and independent from colonisation and injustice; valuing just laws and practices in relation to land, the environment, relations, economics and politics.
- Responsibility (mutoro) – valuing that we have a responsibility towards each other and future generations and a responsibility to our environment and responsibility to maintain relations (ukama).
- Community/collectivity (ujamaa) – valuing working together.
- Respect (girmamawa) – valuing humanity, treating a person as a person, elders, parents, land, ancestors and spirituality.
- History (sankofa) – look back to inform the future, reflect.
Different levels of Ubuntu
More about Ubuntu
- Ubuntu Synonyms
- Misconceptions about Ubuntu
- Shortcomings of Ubuntu
- Strengths of Ubuntu
- Ubuntu Values
- Ubuntu Ethics
- Ubuntu Maxims/Proverbs
- Ubuntu Theories
- Ubuntu in Simpler-Practical Terms and Everyday Usage
- Ubuntu Resources