ABSTRACT
Could it be possible that there are people who have no sense of
morality or of a ‘lower grade of moral consciousnesses?’ And to be specific,
could there be anything like morality in Igbo traditionalism? If there is, in
which sense could it be understood? In other words, what is the foundation of
morality in traditional ethics? These questions indeed gave rise to this
research and the Igbo indeed have a morality which is centred on their concept
of truth and justice – “Ofo”. We have symbolic and living instruments of this
justice and truth.
At times, this morality is moulded up, unsubstantiated, unsystematic,
and uncritically rooted in customs and traditions (omenala). This work is
geared towards unmasking the moral values inherent in the customs and
traditions as raw materials (first-order-activity) for a purely and systematic
philosophizing (second-order-activity) – ethics via Ofoism.
With the concept of “Ofoism”, we shall see the Igbo communal expression
of justice, its dimensions and perspectives. As freedom and responsibility are
pre-suposition of ethics in general, we shall look into moral responsibility in
Igbo communal justice. Thereafter comes our evaluation of the whole body of
work, and immediate conclusion.
CHAPTER ONE – GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
Every man tries with utmost care and
effort to maintain peace and order, preserve mutual respect of individual’s
goods and rights in every society (Community). This is achieved through the
communal promulgation of certain rules and regulations; and inculcation of
certain ethical norms and trends. The essence of this venture is to instill
discipline, promote love and order and to uphold every goodness of man (mma-ndu)
in all its ramifications. These ethical norms and principles are the
fruits of man’s reflective activity concerning what is conducive for human
welfare.
Before the movement for the colonization
of Africa, there existed some form of social organization with its own form of
“civilization”, norms, behavioral patterns, and customary laws that serve as
guidance to the members of every society. On this therefore, Chijoke
highlights:
This was mostly evident in the so-called
primitive communal system where people lived and cherished one another and
produced mostly to meet their immediate needs. They were primarily engaged in
subsistence farming and exchanged goods and services through barter training.
There were no traces of crimes as we know today as the community was closely
knit. In fact, there was no need for a “police force” as everyone was a
“police” of a sort. People then obeyed and conformed to societal norms and
behaviors, not necessarily for fear of sanctions and punishments, but as
natural way of life.1
The foundation of Ethics in Traditional
African Religion is solidly laid and rooted in the people’s indigenous
religion, beliefs and practices. Bolaji Idowu (1977:146) writes
without reservation, “the Yoruba morality is certainly the fruit of
religion. They do not attempt to separate the two and it is impossible for them
to do so without disastrous consequences.” Similarly, Aylwad Shorters 1973:62)
states thus:
In African Traditional
societies, morality is seen to be an intimate relationship with the ontological
order of the universe. Any infraction of this order is a contradiction in life
itself and brings about a physical disorder which reveals the fault.
Traditional African Religion believes in
the existence of gods i.e the deities and divinities who are believed to be the
ministers of God and are subordinate to him. God, (Chukwu) is conceived
like a monarch, an absolute monarch surrounded by his chiefs (gods) who are at
his service. It is believed that they are the agents that execute his wishes.
Everyone strives to establish cordial relationship of man to man, man to the
deities and the universe as a whole.
The deities and the divinities have been
apportioned different assignments and also empowered by the Supreme Being (Chukwu)
to attend to human problems and needs. They also exercise influence on the
morality of the people. They reward the virtuous and inflict pains and
sufferings on those who step on the law of the cosmic order.
“Igbo ethics”, as we shall examine, will
therefore consider the Igbo traditional background, the nature of Igbo Ethics
itself, and its consistency with other dimensions of Igbo life. We shall make a
detailed account of the principles governing the ethical life of the Igbo. It
will also examine certain topical ethical issues such as the nature of Igbo
moral responsibility, justice, Igbo ethical judgment, concept of evil. Finally,
the work will X-ray the significance of: Igbo ontology and cosmology. All this
will be considered in the light of the prevailing contemporary discussions on
whether the end justifies the means (African –Igbo dimension).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Debasement of human
morality in various facets of human lives and increasing rate of crime and
corruption, evils and abomination are commonly reported in the contemporary
African religio-socio-political lives. This raises a strong question with
regard to the traditional morality and ethics. And to be specific, could there
be anything like morality in Igbo traditionalism? If there is, in which sense
could it be understood? In other words, what is the foundation of morality in
traditional ethics?
Many Igbo values and heritages have been
either utterly denied, or merely distorted. Some of these values cut across the
essential domains of life; areas, one would expect to belong to man as such,
irrespective of his time and culture.2 The spheres of life that
suffer most from this anomaly, or misrepresentation include; law, religion,
philosophy, science, and ethics.
In the case of ethics, the problem seems
to be more glaring and serious. Not only are the Igbo and Africa in general
denied having a reflective thought capable,3 of evolving and generating
an ethics, but where it is acknowledged at all, the fruit of such reflective
activities is often misconceived as merely, “religious” in outlook. Some refer
to it as “religious-morality”, “religious ethics”, “traditional ethos”, or
“mores”. Others, in the same camp call it “cultural ethics”, “customary law”,
or simply “primitive behavioral pattern.” How true are these assertions?
The Igbo in their world-view believe so
much in the existence of deities, divinities and so on. Looking into the
existence or the reality of these spiritual beings and their subsequent symbols
of operations, how do one account for morality and what sort of influence do
they exercise on man as a moral free agent? Parallel to this notion is a
stereotypical conception among the traditional Igbo, (ossified by many
Anthropological
writings) that Igbo morality is a product of the earth goddess (‘Ala’).
Or, else, that the earth goddess (Ala) is the “guardian” of Igbo
morality.4 When did the earth goddess ever formulate the moral laws
as to become its guardian, one would ask? Again, the question of ‘when’ calls
to mind the question of ‘where’ and ‘how’ such laws were handed down to man and
through ‘whom’ precisely? Is the earth goddess (Ala) the guardian of
morality in other Igbo communities outside her direct domain and influence?5
In other words, if Igbo – African ontology, Placid Tempel and some
anthropologists claim that everything has vital force, then, how do we account
for human freedom and autonomy in the interactions and activities of these
forces?
Owing to the fact that Igbo culture is
religiously colored and oriented, could one articulate Igbo moral philosophy
(Ethics) as a separate discipline different from Igbo Traditional Religion? All
these questions and more stand as the statement of the problem. They will at
the same time provide a veritable focus to the overall work as we shall see
from the on set
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Anthropologically, the Igbo have five
cultural area groups, namely: the Northern Igbo, the Southern Igbo, the Western
Igbo, the Eastern and the North-Eastern Igbo. All these groups have the common
characteristics that portray them as a unified people, the “Igbo”, in the midst
of few accidental differences as we shall see. Thus, the scope of this work
embraces the Igbo as a whole, irrespective of the above divisions.
This
is also true of the mission of “Igbo ethics” which, as the (moral) philosophy
of the Igbo aims not really at the “particular”, but at the abstract
“universal” domains. Igbo ethics here, aims not at the specific and actual Igbo
behavioral pattern but at the “oughts’ or the “ideal” patterns. As an
abstraction, it cuts across the Igbo cultural classifications and groupings.
1.4 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The most cherished common heritage, which
characterizes an African in his being, and mode of life as a whole is
communalism, the co-existence and sharing of life. Apart from giving him a
distinctive mark of identity, as against the west, communalism has remained
with him over the years, being a veritable ‘insurance’ in justice for his life,
and properties. He has been shaped and re-shaped in his visions by this
singular factor, constituting a bed rock of his out-reaching solidarity with a
wider society and humanity as a whole. It is because of its central concern on
‘man’ not as a discrete entity but as a being-in-relation-to-others, it is
often characterized as “African humanism”, or “African brotherhood” in the
words of Nyerere.
So, the purpose of this work is first and
foremost to establish the fact that the Igbo, like other Africans have sense of
morality, and possess a rational ethics. The core of this ethics is justice and
truth as reflected in the communal life of the people and their activities in
general. There is need to undertake this research for the general development
of African Philosophy and authentic African life. The work aims at supplying
some of the answers as it concerns the African (Igbo) moral philosophy. Above
all, the purpose of this work is to create an awareness of the essential comparative
characterizations of African ethics vis-à-vis western paratypes.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Earlier before now, most Europeans and
others were thus poorly equipped for either the intellectual understanding of
African culture, Igbo not excluded; or for any degree of empathy with the way
of life it represented. African, (African culture, religions, history,
philosophy, morality and artifacts) were denigrated, and distorted. These were
classified according to the grid of western thought and imagination which was
of a negative category of the same.
The significance of this work, just like
others of its kind is its reactionary in form. It is particularly to proof
through rational analysis that Africa and especially Igbo is not exactly as
represented by our European counter-pacts. In this work, therefore, we work out
the Igbo traditional ethics which is not purely dependent on any religion; in
stead, founded on Igbo man’s rational and reflective activity.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 153 pages | Chapters: 1-5
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