Abstract
A number of theories on humanness exist in both the West and Africa. This dissertation presents a comparative critical analysis of different theories on humanness: altruism in Western philosophy, and ubuntu in African philosophy. Michael Tomasello holds that human cooperation is a result of the uniqueness of human communication. He proposes that human beings’ advanced cognitive abilities are what allows them to make sense of the world through the use of communication. The uniqueness of human communication has resulted in the development of humanity; the development from primal beings to the uniquely evolved beings that they currently embody. As a result of this ontogenesis, Tomasello holds that the evolution of human communication happened as a result of two factors, ecological and cultural, which have left human beings interdependent and mutualistic. Interdependence and mutualism resulted in shared activities but also shared forms of communication. Tomasello says that communication is what allows human beings to behave cooperatively, and thus also altruistically. Cooperation resulted in shared identity and harmonious relationships, the cornerstones of ubuntu. Although ubuntu is a multifaceted construct of the identification of humanness through humanness, it comprises many of the same characteristics as altruism. Crucially, this dissertation argues that although these theories are different, they present related perspectives and characteristics that are shared by human beings in ways that are unique.
M.A. (Fundamental Communication)