ASSIGNMENT 2
DUE DATE: 20 AUGUST 2026
, PLS1502 SEMESTER 2 ASSESSMENT 2 2026
QUESTION 1: Can Gyekye's Moderate Communitarianism Protect Freedom of
Speech in South Africa?
INTRODUCTION
Freedom of speech is an important right in South Africa and is protected by the Bill of
Rights in the Constitution. However, this right must also be understood alongside
African ideas that place the community first. Kwame Gyekye's moderate
communitarianism and Ifeanyi Menkiti's radical communitarianism offer different views
on the relationship between the individual and the community. The meaning of freedom
of speech is also explained before using a real example from South African social
media to show why Gyekye's approach offers better protection for this right than
Menkiti's.
UNDERSTANDING MENKITI'S RADICAL COMMUNITARIANISM
Menkiti believes that the community comes first. He argues that the African view
"asserts the ontological primacy, and hence the ontological independence, of the
community" (Menkiti, 1984:171). This means the community defines who is a person.
Personhood is not given at birth but must be earned through participation in the
community (Menkiti, 1984:172).