Ubuntu: The Great Equalizer, "I am because we are"

Written By Faith Fagbewesa

Photo by Maheima-kapur, sourced via unsplash.

Before I start this post, I must very shamefully admit that I came across the term ‘Ubuntu’ only a few months ago in my Science and Ethics module.

I am shamefully admitting this because (1) It is an African philosophy, and as an African myself, I guess it feels like something I should have known of, maybe even from an early age? I guess this ties in with me never having watched The Lion King either (don’t stone me). (2) It is such a great political philosophy that as a philosophy student I’m ashamed that I hadn’t come across it sooner!

Very rarely do I come across a philosophy that I feel truly encapsulates what the human experience should be. However, when I came across Ubuntu, this was the case. The southern African concept of ubuntu, “I am because we are”, can be interpreted as a prescriptive maxim that says we ought to actualise ourselves through others. It is understood as a human quality, not just a philosophy or ethic.

I think Desmond Tutu puts into words what ubuntu means as a human quality perfectly:

A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are tortured or oppressed.

Ubuntu is a concept of personhood in which the identity of the self is understood to be formed interdependently through community. This makes the human a relational being, rather than a solitary being existing irrespective of everything around it.

“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? [maniacal laugh]. You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” - Kamala Harris (2024).

The reason I love ubuntu as a philosophy is because it acknowledges that no one person lives in a vacuum, it is realistic in that it contextualises the identity of the self through interaction with everything around it. This is not to say that humans are or should be co-dependent, no. Actually, interdependence here shouldn’t be confused or conflated with co-dependence, as can easily happen when trying to understand this from a Western perspective. Ubuntu is about symbiotic and co-operative relationships; it isn’t concerned with the parasitic and destructive relationships of co-dependence. More than anything, ubuntu is about our social awareness, it is about our consciousness of everything living with and around us and of the fact that we all have a responsibility to ourselves as human beings; and an equally as significant responsibility to the world around us, to the entirety of our environment.

In explaining the interdependence expressed by ubuntu, James Ogude, a researcher of African literature at the University of Pretoria, explores co-agency using the basic example of the role of bees in our ecosystem. He explains that as much as 30% of our food crops rely on cross pollination from bees. These tiny insects are responsible for bringing in genetic variation, which in turn increases a plants’ diversity and adaptability in changing environments, essentially allowing them to survive and produce healthy offspring. In this way, bees are an indispensable part of our ecosystem and and contribute to the resilience and sustainability of our agricultural systems. They are a part of the integral web of life that sustains us and our survival is intertwined with theirs; so ultimately, their destruction means our destruction. This example of co-agency implies that we are co-creators and makes even more important the recognition that we are interdependent in a balanced biodiversity. It is that principle of co-agency that ubuntu, “I am because we are”, aims to remind us of each time. Interdependence and personhood extend beyond relationships among humans to include those between humans and non-humans, precisely because our lives are intertwined with theirs, and theirs with ours.

A wonderful example of ubuntu in practice is the cattle economy of the Maasai in East Africa. The Maasai are known as nomadic pastoralists, meaning that they move their herds of cattle in search of fresh pasture and water, following seasonal patterns that sustain both their livestock and their community. In a study about sustainable systems, with a focus on the Maasai, it was found that the Maasai's pastoral systems were structured in accordance with Kenya's usual pattern of bimodal rainfall. During the dry season, livestock relied on consistently watered regions like swamps or streams. The Maasai elders oversaw the seasonal use of natural resources to mitigate overgrazing and depletion of pastures. This landholding system facilitated a coexistence between pastoralists, their livestock, and wildlife within the same environment.

As a global community, I think we need to be reminded of the principle that ubuntu brings across to us in its philosophy. This would be more than helpful in addressing the challenges we face today. Ubuntu counters the rampant individualism in contemporary societies, which is often self-referential and allows the ego to dominate, serving potentially harmful interests of individuals or groups. This individualism makes it easy to lose sight of the fact that, as humans, we don’t live in isolation, adopting ubuntu would remind the global community of this fact. It teaches us that we belong to a broader community, to the world, and that we have a responsibility to that world. This perspective would prove to be crucial in fostering environmental stewardship. For example, as seen in the example of the Maasai, communities that embrace ubuntu are more likely to engage in sustainable practices such as conservation efforts, and supporting local agriculture, all of which contribute to ecological balance and resilience.

The social awareness and consciousness about the living beings around us, which ubuntu encourages, is a powerful tool in helping the global community maintain an ecological equilibrium. Recognising our role in the delicate balance of our ecosystem allows us to commit to actions that support the well-being of all life forms. For instance, indigenous communities worldwide, who often live by principles similar to ubuntu, have managed their natural resources sustainably for generations. Their practices of rotational farming, reverence for wildlife, and holistic land management provide invaluable lessons in sustainability that have been passed down generations.

Embracing ubuntu means that we acknowledge the important fact that our survival and prosperity are intricately linked with the health of the planet and all of its inhabitants, not just us. This awareness can be a powerful tool in driving global cooperation and in inspiring actions that support the well-being of all life forms, making sure of a sustainable and harmonious future those living now as well as for the generations to come. Ubuntu is more than a philosophy; it is a practical guide for living in harmony with each other and with the planet, ensuring that our actions today do not compromise the ability of our planet to function.

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Faith Fagbewesa
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