Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are
Michael Onyebuchi Eze
About “Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are”
What if being human isn’t something you are alone, but something you become with others? This is the bold, paradigm-shifting claim at the heart of Ubuntu, the African ethical philosophy explored by Michael Onyebuchi Eze. In both his public interview on To the Best of Our Knowledge and his scholarly article “Intellectual History in Contemporary South Africa: Ubuntu and the African Renaissance,” Eze asks us to think differently—radically differently—about identity, morality, and justice.
Ubuntu is often translated as “a person is a person through other persons,” but don’t be fooled by its simplicity. This phrase opens up a world of critical questions: What makes us who we are? Are we truly autonomous, or are we always formed in relationship? And what responsibilities come with being part of a shared human community?
Unlike the Western liberal tradition, which tends to prize individual rights and personal autonomy, Ubuntu centers interdependence, care, and relational dignity. It offers a critical lens through which to examine dominant ethical frameworks—especially ones that leave out context, emotion, or community. Ubuntu doesn’t just offer different answers; it prompts us to ask different questions altogether. For instance: Not just “What are my rights?” but “Who am I responsible for?” Not “What do I owe myself?” but “What do we owe each other?”
Eze is especially insightful in challenging feel-good, oversimplified takes on Ubuntu. Yes, it was invoked by Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela in post-apartheid South Africa as a tool for reconciliation, but Eze reminds us that Ubuntu is not a moral fairy tale. It’s a complex, evolving philosophy that must be constantly rethought and critiqued. He encourages us to recognize Ubuntu’s political and ethical depth—especially its power to call out injustice and to imagine solidarity without sameness.
This reading pushes us to expand our critical thinking toolkit. It challenges the default assumptions many of us carry about freedom, morality, and what it means to be human. And it asks us to wrestle with tough, real-world questions: How do we live together well? How can we honor the dignity of all while acknowledging our differences?
Ubuntu doesn’t pretend that these questions are easy. But it gives us new ways to ask them—and maybe, new paths toward answering.
Before you read
We often learn to think critically by questioning dominant narratives. Ubuntu gives us a chance to do just that. Instead of centering the self as independent and self-contained, Ubuntu shifts our focus to relationship, responsibility, and interconnection. This isn’t just a warm, fuzzy idea—it’s a radical critique of how many ethical systems are structured. Before reading, ask yourself: What assumptions do I have about what it means to be a person? How might those assumptions change if I believed that my identity depends on how I care for others?
Guiding Questions
- How does Ubuntu challenge dominant Western ways of thinking about selfhood and ethics?
- What new or different questions does Ubuntu invite us to ask about justice, identity, or responsibility?
- How does Eze argue for a critical, non-romanticized view of Ubuntu?
- In what ways could Ubuntu reshape how we think about community, conflict, or reconciliation?
