Rights and moral relevance: A Dialogue with Bantu Philosophy

This thesis explores the limitations of dominant Western approaches to moral rights, especially their reliance on mental capacities like consciousness or rationality to determine who deserves moral consideration. These theories often struggle with edge cases such as infants, animals, or people with cognitive impairments, and face difficulties in clearly defining and measuring the relevant traits. In response, the thesis turns to Bantu philosophy for a different perspective. Drawing from Bantu metaphysics, which sees all beings as interconnected through dynamic relationships, the paper proposes a more flexible and inclusive way of thinking about moral relevance. In this view, moral worth doesn't come from isolated individual properties, but from the way entities relate to others and participate in a shared web of existence. This approach allows for degrees of personhood rather than rigid categories, and encourages an open, humble form of ethics that remains grounded in ontology...Show moreThis thesis explores the limitations of dominant Western approaches to moral rights, especially their reliance on mental capacities like consciousness or rationality to determine who deserves moral consideration. These theories often struggle with edge cases such as infants, animals, or people with cognitive impairments, and face difficulties in clearly defining and measuring the relevant traits. In response, the thesis turns to Bantu philosophy for a different perspective. Drawing from Bantu metaphysics, which sees all beings as interconnected through dynamic relationships, the paper proposes a more flexible and inclusive way of thinking about moral relevance. In this view, moral worth doesn't come from isolated individual properties, but from the way entities relate to others and participate in a shared web of existence. This approach allows for degrees of personhood rather than rigid categories, and encourages an open, humble form of ethics that remains grounded in ontology without demanding impossible levels of precision. By engaging with Bantu thought, the thesis suggests a path forward for building a more coherent and inclusive moral framework.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Rights and moral relevance: A Dialogue with Bantu Philosophy