Better see than look at Ramose: A reply to Cees Maris

Abstract

This is a reply to Cees Maris. He wrote two articles in Dutch purporting to be a dialogue with Mogobe Ramose. The two articles have subsequently been compressed into one and published in the South African Journal of Philosophy. Mogobe’s reply is directed at all three articles, meaning the two published in Dutch together with the one published in English. The core of the argument is the meaning of ubu-ntu against ubuntu. The former is a philosophical concept and the latter is the everyday language usage presupposing but not explicitly manifesting awareness of its reliance upon ubu-ntu. In elaborating upon his criticism of some of the writings of Mogobe on “ubuntu”, Maris appeals to other writers to support his position. Mogobe dismisses all this on the ground that neither Maris nor his supporters actually address and challenge the philosophical exposition of ubu-ntu in the various writings of Mogobe. Maris and his supporters have at best looked at Ramose but have not seen him. The result is that there never was “a dialogue” with Ramose, except the imaginary one by Maris.

Modu wa taba

Taodisho ye ke karabo go mofatlhoshi, Cees Maris. Yena o ngwadile ditaodisho tje pedi ka segagabo –SeDatshe (Dutch) a bega ka mokgwa yo a kwishishang dingwalwa tja go fapafapana tja go ngwalwa ke mofatlthoshi Mogobe Ramose. Dingwalwa tje pedi tje tja gagwe di phatlaladitjwe ka Sejatlhapi gona mo le tlogo bala karabo ya Mogobe gona. Taba kgolo ke ngangishano mabapi le mokgwa yo Mogobe Ramose a tlhatlollago bo-tho goba ubu-ntu ka gona. Karabo ya Cees e akaretja le bangwadi ba bangwe ka botho ele ge a leka go tlhasela kwishisho ya gagwe ya botho. Yo Mogobe o araba ka gore magareng ga bangwadi kamoka ba go memiwa ke Cees ga gona le yo tee wa bona a laodishago ka bo-tho (ubu-ntu). Bona ba laodisha ka botho (ubuntu). Taba kgolo ya Mogobe ke gore, bo-tho gabo bolele taba ye tee le botho: tlhathollo ya tjona ga e swane. Ka fao Cees o dio ngwala okare o boledishana le Mogobe eupja go molaleng gore gago bjalo.