Ubuntu

Cognito ergo sum Descartes Empiricism Introduction The proposition brought forth by Descartes states that if one thinks by that fact itself, they are and exist. He reaches this syllogism in his “Meditations on First Philosophy”, Cogito ergo sum -I think therefore I am- rationalises the existence of self independently of external from social influence. A large shortcoming of this is derived from the fact that one cannot perceive another’s thoughts, and by the posit that underlies Descartes’ rationale, no one else has existence. This shortcoming has been scrutinised for its overemphasised individuality and underemphasized roles of relationality, socialisation and communal nature. All of which are key elements of the human experience. This is in stark contrast to the African philosophy, Ubuntu, that emphasises individual existence through the collective identity. ….. Thus the shortcomings and similarities of Descartes’ meditations will be highlighted within the context of Ubuntu philosophy. This ontological investigation will …

Ubuntu definition (plagiarised) Background Ubuntu is a Nguni word that roughly translates to mean ‘humanity’ The concept is closely tied to the philosophy of Desmond Tutu and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa As this is an ethno-philosophy which is still being formed out of existing traditions and practices, there is disagreement as to how it should be codified. One common description of the philosophical position is that it is assent to the proposition that a person is a person through other people. While this offers some clarification about what kinds of things Ubuntu philosophy would support; it is not specific enough to fully formulate a position.
Identity The phrase, “a person is a person through other people” seems at first glance to be a t least partially about personal identity, what makes someone the same over time. Traditional theories of personal identity include psychological theories relying on internal mental states, somatic theories relying on physical characteristics and narrative theories relying on the story that one tells of oneself. A solution to this problem inspired by Ubuntu philosophy, is that identity requires relationships with others. In order for you to remain you over time, those in which you have close relationships with must continue to identify you as you. For such a theory, there is often both an external and internal component of personal identity. You must have a consistent narrative of yourself, and there must be a consistent narrative of who you are professed by those around you. Your actual identity lies somewhere in between those two visions of who you are. To understand this, imagine someone that goes through a sudden radical personality change in the way that they act and treat others. Perhaps they used to love to laugh and joke, but are now angry and violent towards those they love. They may internally believe that they are the same person and maintain the same internal narrative, but if those around them feel that they are a different person, there is some real way in which they are a different person, and some way in which they are the same person. A non-relational view of identity does not allow for us to account for this difference as from a psychological perspective (they retain the same memories), a somatic (they are in the same body) and a narrative (they can internally tell a consistent story of themselves) they are the same person/ Ubuntu and relational identity allow us to say that there us an important way in which they are a different person, because the way that they relate to others has changed. They are only really themselves through their relationships to other people. A person is a person through other people. Theories of relational identity are broadly discussed in the literature, not just in reference to Ubuntu philosophy, but this ethno-philosophical process of taking a cultural belief and demonstrating its philosophical implications is clear. It should be noted that, since the original cultural belief underpinning this position is not sufficiently explanatory or agreed upon, there may be proponents of Ubuntu who disagree with relational identity or thai interpretation. However, that is tangential to the strength of the argument for the position on its face. Since the cultures underlying ethnophilosophy are not perfectly determined, it is not problematic for multiple, inconsistent philosophies to develop out of them any more than it is not problematic for multiple inconsistent philosophies to have developed out of the values of Greek culture. I.e. There may be several interpretations that stem from the same underlying ethical principle, moreover, there is no deterministic, one and only philosophy to be derived from Ubuntu.
Objections: What if said person lives in isolation It doesn’t matter what other people think of them as they all perceive them differently based on their own experiences; to take an average of said experiences is impossible as taking the average of a collective unique and incomparable experiences doesn’t make sense.

Maybe talk about geist, altruism, relate to underlying social aspects of the human condition. Rationality:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_naFb_kdCQ Individualism versus the collective identity https://www.google.com/search?q=dialectic+dialogue+definition&rlz=1C1GCEA_enCA982CA982&oq=dialectic+dialogue&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBEAAYgAQyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIICAIQABgWGB4yCAgDEAAYFhgeMggIBBAAGBYYHjIICAUQABgWGB4yCggGEAAYDxgWGB4yCggHEAAYhgMYigUyCggIEAAYhgMYigXSAQkxMzY0MWoxajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

1 Chapter

Intro deduction and why there is a difference Explanation and analysis of descartes + ubuntu = how they interact (large portion)

Dialog of the two - plato esq - back and forth - …

Individualism as defined by Descartes

Chinese box analogy = counterexample FOR Descartes

Berkeley claimed that if you cannot observe an object’s primary qualities in isolation you are perceiving the object. Because of this link primary qualities are really secondary qualities. I.e. an apple with only shape cannot be imagined without colour - (the closest being transparent/black/white etc.) This is quite analogous of the ___

Empiricism - how do i know that other people are thinking ergo how do I know that they are real. - Primary qualities such as the physiological capacity to be real is the only thing that justifies other’s’ existence. We only actively perceive secondary qualities due to association and existence of qualia.

The natural conclusion of John Lockes’ primary and secondary qualities was met with Berkeley’s Esse est percipi (To be is to be perceived)

The problem with this interpretation is that when something isn’t perceived it does not exist - going unconscious inhibits one from perceiving themself - making them not real

‘Human being’ definitions by Descartes vs. Ubuntu The Primacy of Reason versus the Relevance of Social Interactions

Inherent Worth versus interconnectedness

The disconnect between mind and body and the role of the environment “Am I a material or physical being fairly recognisable over time to me and to others. I am a body … However there is another aspect of me not directly visible or definable.” - Mind, Spirit, Heart, Soul, Awareness, and Consciousness. Constant changing and evolving of self and collective A person is the conglomerate of the physical vessel and the consciousness that controls it - Descartes stance

Descartes notes: What can I know for certain → question of “what am I fundamentally” FOLLOW LOGIC IN MEDITATIONS → cogito ergo sum. = Cartesian perspective + dualism.

The constitution view - baker

Existentialist philosophers such as Buber i - thou, and i - it relationships”

Emmanuel Levians First person perspective

Religious influence on definition of self - (judeo)Christian beliefs - and eurocentric concept of an internal/immortal soul.

Individual and collective consciousness Local/cartesian doubts

Global doubts

Collective unconsciousness

Collective unconscious + external influence

— The link to Ubuntu

Ubuntu

→ Then contrast + compare

Imperialist/historical note as to how these philosophies came to be.

Criticism of Descartes - just because one thinks doesn’t necessitate that their thoughts correspond to the material world + qualia

Jung 3 — maybe.

https://www.educationtoday.com.au/news-detail/Ubuntu-5866 https://aeon.co/ideas/descartes-was-wrong-a-person-is-a-person-through-other-persons https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/503524-desmond-tutu-high-priest-of-ubuntu-true-humanism-quits-the-stage-by-toyin-falola.html?tztc=1 https://www.jstor.org/stable/45181097 https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-ideas/#pagetopright https://manypossibilities.net/2008/01/ubuntu-and-descartes/ https://emanuelkuntzelman.com/moving-from-descartes-to-ubuntu-philsophy/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_philosophy#:~:text=A%20person%20with%20Ubuntu%20is,when%20others%20are%20tortured%20or