Essay
Essay - the main argument in Gyekye's communitarianism
- Institution
- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Critical discussion on Kwame Gyekye’s main arguments on moderate communitarianism
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Essay: Kwame Gyekye Main ArgumentsNB: The question can be phrased in the following ways
● Gyekye’s communitarianism is an attempt to strike a balance between an
extreme individualism and communitarianism pertaining to human rights.
Does he succeed in doing so? Discuss.
● Discuss critically Kwame Gyekye’s moderate communitarianism. In your
discussion do show if Gyekye’s attempt to strike a balance between an
extreme individualism and communitarianism was successful or not
● Kwame Gyekye is regarded as a 'moderate' communitarian. What is the
main argument in Gyekye's communitarianism?
● In his paper "Person and community in African thought" Kwame Gyekye
(2002) uses the concept of moderate communitarianism. In your paper
discuss this concept and what makes it so different from an extreme form of
communitarianism
Introduction
This essay discusses Kwame Gyekye’s essay, Person and community in African thought
to establish the main arguments put forward by the author. Gyekye’s advocates for a
moderate communitarianism which is built on three main tenets: (1) the social and rational
nature of the individual, (2) the recognition of individual rights, and (3) the moral
supremacy of the community. In exploring his main argument, this essay shall give a brief
definition and or description of communitarianism. It shall distinguish between radical
(unrestricted) and moderate (restricted) communitarianism. Lastly it shall explorer
individual rights versus duties towards the community as highlighted by Kwame Gyekye.
Gyekye and Person and community in African thought
Gyekye in his article Person and community in African thought, highlights the different
approaches to the problem of personhood and community in African thought, he brings
into the debate the problem of rights. His primary concern is with the space that is given
to the human person for the exercise of his or her individual rights within the terrain of
, communitarianism. He examines the question of rights in relation to duties. The
relationship between the community and the individual which forms the basis of Gyekye’s
criticism, of which he explores Menkiti’s ideas of personhood in Africa;
A brief definition or description of communitarianism
Gyekye argues that a human person in African cultures is a communitarian being (p. 24).
He or she is born into a community and is shaped and influenced by it. But what is
communitarianism? Communitarianism is a philosophy that emphasizes the connection
between the individual and the community.
Its overriding philosophy is based upon the belief that a person's social identity and
personality are largely moulded by community relationships, with a smaller degree of
development being placed on individualism. This can be seen in Gyekye argument that a
human person in African cultures is a communitarian being (2002: 24). They are born into
a community and are shaped and influenced by it. Gyekye claims that the community
plays a vital role in the formation of the individual’s personhood or identity. This claim
emanates from his belief that a person when born finds themselves, not in isolation, but
among other individuals and this establishes the social or relational nature of a person.
According to Gyekye (p.37), communitarianism can generally be described as an “ethical
and political theory, which considers the community as a fundamental human good [and]
advocates a life lived in harmony and cooperation with others, a life of mutual
consideration and aid and of interdependence, a life in which one shares in the fate of the
other…”. In other words, A communitarian, thus, is someone who considers the
community to be of central importance, which emphasizes the moral supremacy of the
common good, the good of the community as a whole, and an individual as a social being
that can only flourish in the community. Since individuals differ in their outlook and the
actual living out of their lives, tensions are bound to arise in communities. How one
resolves these tensions can lead one to be labelled a radical or moderate communitarian.
Distinction between radical and moderate communitarianism
It seems that there are many shades of communitarianism. However, Gyekye
distinguishes between two, namely, radical and moderate communitarianism. The crux of
radical communitarianism also known as unrestricted or extreme communitarianism is
spread over three main issues:
1. The individual is naturally a social being who is embedded in the community.
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