Thought and Practice https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp <p>The journal Thought &amp; Practice is a biannual publication of the Philosophical Association of Kenya. <br><strong>Vision</strong> A forum for incisive philosophic reflection on intellectual, social and political issues within the African context. <br><strong>Mission</strong> Thought and Practice serves scholars with broad interests in the humanities and social sciences by disseminating original articles with a philosophical outlook, with emphasis on intellectual, social and political issues that are of special relevance to contemporary Africa.</p> en-US © 2009 Philosophical Association of Kenya All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Philosophical Association of Kenya (PAK). nyarwath@yahoo.com (Dr. Oriare Nyarwath) fowakah@yahoo.com (Dr Francis E A Owakah) Sat, 15 Jul 2023 14:00:04 +0000 OJS 3.3.0.11 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 Editor’s Note https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251030 <p>No abstract available</p> Oriare Nyarwath Copyright (c) 2022 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251030 Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Critical Reflections On Wiredu’s Consensual Democracy https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251032 <p>This paper argues that Kwasi Wiredu’s consensual democracy is an inadequate alternative to liberal democracy in contemporary Africa because it neglects the beliefs in supernatural realities underpinning governance and political decisions in traditional societies on the continent. The paper holds that as evident in their worldviews and activities, traditional Africans do not depersonalise entities or segregate physical realities from spiritual ones. Deploying historical and conceptual analyses, the paper contends that, essentially, the deficiency of Wiredu’s argument lies in his declining to acknowledge the roles oaths and covenants play in the sustenance of Africa’s traditional governance systems. The paper thus holds that Wiredu’s discountenancing of the role of beliefs in supernatural realities in African societies generally may have resulted in this gap in his understanding of indigenous African political thought and practice.</p> Tayo Raymond Ezekiel Eegunlusi Copyright (c) 2022 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251032 Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000 The History of Ethnicised Politics in Kenya and its Impact on the Management of the Country’s Public Affairs https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251033 <p>This paper deploys historical analysis, conceptual analysis and critical reflection to examine the history of ethnicised politics in Kenya and its negative impact on the management of the country’s public affairs. It sets out with a conceptualisation of ‘ethnicised politics’. It then traces the growth of ethnicised politics in Kenya from the dawn of British colonialism to the present. Thereafter, it reflects on the five-pronged negative impact of ethnicised politics on the country, namely, the gross disparities in economic development along ethno-regional lines, the disproportionately limited economic opportunities for ethnic minorities, the stunting of the growth of issue-based politics, the stoking of violent inter-ethnic conflicts, and the vulnerability of highly urbanised persons and/or those born out of mixed marriages with no strong ethnic loyalties. It concludes that contrary to the widely-held view that Kenyans ought to abandon their ethnic identities in pursuit of ‘nation-building’, respect for the right to cultural identity and the promotion of inter-ethnic equity would make political mobilisation along ethnic lines less attractive.</p> Reginald M.J. Oduor Copyright (c) 2022 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251033 Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Omoluabi: An African Conception of moral values https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251034 <p>The moral experience is a reality in every social and cultural life, with variations being in the interpretations given to experience. A people’s value system defines their identity.&nbsp; Consequently, this paper interrogates an example of an African theory of moral value against a moral developmental model, using the philosophical, expositional, analytical and comparative methods. The reflections in this paper focus on the Yoruba cultural context in Nigeria. The paper posits a relationship between a moral value system and development. It argues that the inability of the Nigerian state to attain enviable developmental status can be attributed to moral decadence, apart from inept leadership, ethnicity, antagonism, endless vendetta, political jingoism and cultural sub-nationalism. Since the goal of morality is peaceful co-existence, harmonious interaction, social cohesion and character development, the paper argues that <em>Omoluabi</em> traits can be appropriated to tackle moral problems and questions in contemporary Nigerian society. It concludes that the cultural heritage of <em>Omoluabi</em> can serve as a corpus of raw material for contemporary moral life, and contribute to tackling existential, moral and developmental challenges.</p> Godwin Azenabor Copyright (c) 2022 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251034 Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000 The Concept of Moral Integrity in Politics and its Contestations: Towards a Normative Approach https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251035 <p>For a long time, the concept of moral integrity in politics has been highly controversial. While many look at it from a moralist perspective demanding absolute observance of moral values and principles, some scholars, chiefly Niccolò Machiavelli and his many followers, believe that politics is typically devoid of moral considerations. Others, such as Demetris Tillyris, consider politics to be a distinct way of life with a moral yardstick distinct from ordinary moral standards. All these viewpoints are grounded on divergent understandings of the purpose of political power and how politicians ought to behave. This paper attempts to provide an exposition and critical analysis of the various contestations on integrity in politics. Through a normative ethical approach, it explores diverse theoretical perspectives with the aim of arriving at a comprehensive understanding of moral integrity in politics. The discussion and analysis in this paper are based on the theoretical lenses of the Aristotelian virtue ethics and the morality of power games.</p> Samuel Okok, Archangel Byaruhanga Rukooko, Jimmy Spire Ssentongo Copyright (c) 2022 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251035 Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000 The Problem of “Knowing” and “Doing” in Shinran's Buddhist Ethics https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251036 <p>For Shinran (親鸞1173-1262), the founder of Japan's Shinshū (True Pure Land) school of Pure Land Buddhism, the question of how to do the right thing was constrained by the larger problem of how to discern the right thing to do. In his view, human behaviour was constrained by two large issues: the problem of the times and context in which human beings live, <em>mappō,</em> and the consequent problem that human beings were not capable of properly distinguishing between right and wrong, good and evil, and thus could commit any kind of act. This paper argues, drawing upon Merleau-Ponty’s account of “flesh” and the “horizon”, that the possibility of living and acting ethically in the present, among others, depends upon relationships of care and compassion between and among others, within close networks of human relationality, rather than upon abstract ethical absolutes.</p> Wamae W. Muriuki Copyright (c) 2022 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tp/article/view/251036 Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000