Human rights, personhood, dignity, and African communalism

Abstract

I articulate and defend a plausible conception of substantive human rights that is grounded in an African communal conception of dignity and personhood that emphasizes individual responsibilities. I contrast this conception with the dominant Western liberal view of moral dignity as a basis for human rights, which involves an individualistic self-regarding entitlement that inheres in human nature. The Western overemphasis on rights as entitlements, without a corresponding emphasis on duty, is not an adequate way of maintaining rights, well-being, and dignity for all, especially the vulnerable. A plausible African view that emphasizes the responsibilities to nurture innate capacities, and respect and protect individual rights and dignity, provides a better approach. I suggest that a Universal Declaration of Responsibility should occur concurrently with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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Polycarp Ikuenobe

Polycarp Ikuenobe is a professor of philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA. He is the author of Philosophical Perspectives of Communalism and Morality in African Traditions (Lexington Books 2006) and has published dozens of articles in many areas of philosophy.