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PLS3701 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE March
2026
NO PLAGIARISM
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[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of
the contents of the document.]
,Exam (elaborations)
PLS3701 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE March
2026
Save 7 minutes reading time
PLS3701 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE March
2026; 100% TRUSTED Complete, trusted solutions and explanations.
Write a critical essay in which you analyse and compare Ifeanyi Menkiti’s and
Kwame Gyekye’s views on the relationship between the individual and the
community in African philosophy. Your discussion should demonstrate a clear
understanding of their arguments concerning communitarianism and
moderate communitarianism. Thereafter, explain the concept of autonomy in
moral philosophy and evaluate how each thinker understands the role of
individual autonomy within the community. Write a critical essay comparing
Menkiti’s and Gyekye’s arguments about moral responsibility in African
moral philosophy. Your discussion should explain how communal values
influence moral judgement and accountability. Thereafter, examine how
consequentialism and deontological ethics may interpret moral responsibility
within the framework of African communitarian philosophy.
1. Communitarianism vs. Moderate Communitarianism
Menkiti’s Radical Communitarianism
Ifeanyi Menkiti posits a "personhood-as-becoming" thesis. He argues that in the African view,
the community has ontological priority over the individual. To Menkiti, being a "person" is a
status one earns through social integration and the fulfillment of communal obligations.
The Individual: Is a "tabula rasa" (blank slate) regarding moral identity at birth.
The Community: Is the source of all moral value. Without the community, the
individual is merely a biological human, not a "person."
Gyekye’s Moderate Communitarianism
Kwame Gyekye critiques Menkiti by arguing that individuals have innate dignity and existence
independent of the community. He proposes a "dual features" theory where humans are both
communal and individualistic by nature.
The Individual: Possesses personal goals, a unique will, and rights that the community
cannot simply override.
, The Community: Remains vital for flourishing but does not "constitute" the person’s
entire being.
2. The Concept of Autonomy in Moral Philosophy
In moral philosophy, autonomy (from the Greek autos meaning "self" and nomos meaning
"law") refers to the capacity of an individual to make self-governed, rational decisions.
Evaluation of Autonomy:
Menkiti’s View: Autonomy is secondary to communal harmony. Since personhood is
defined by the community, an individual’s "self-rule" is only valid if it aligns with the
collective good. A person who acts purely on individualistic autonomy is seen as "lesser"
or failing in their journey toward personhood.
Gyekye’s View: Autonomy is a fundamental human trait. Gyekye argues that for a
person to be a moral agent, they must have the capacity for self-determination. He
asserts that individuals can critically evaluate communal traditions and choose to reject
those that are harmful, a feat impossible under Menkiti’s radical framework.
3. Moral Responsibility and Communal Values
Moral responsibility in African philosophy is often tied to accountability to the collective.
Communal Influence: In both thinkers' views, moral judgment is not just about the
"self" but about the "we." An action is "wrong" if it disrupts social equilibrium.
Accountability: Under Menkiti, accountability is strictly social. One is responsible to the
ancestors and the living for maintaining the fabric of society. Under Gyekye, one is
responsible to both the community and to one's own conscience (innate moral sense).
4. Consequentialist and Deontological Interpretations
To understand how these African philosophies function in a global ethical context, we can view
them through two major Western lenses:
Consequentialism (The Outcome)
Consequentialism suggests the morality of an action is judged by its results.
PLS3701 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE March
2026
NO PLAGIARISM
[Pick the date]
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of
the contents of the document.]
,Exam (elaborations)
PLS3701 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE March
2026
Save 7 minutes reading time
PLS3701 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE March
2026; 100% TRUSTED Complete, trusted solutions and explanations.
Write a critical essay in which you analyse and compare Ifeanyi Menkiti’s and
Kwame Gyekye’s views on the relationship between the individual and the
community in African philosophy. Your discussion should demonstrate a clear
understanding of their arguments concerning communitarianism and
moderate communitarianism. Thereafter, explain the concept of autonomy in
moral philosophy and evaluate how each thinker understands the role of
individual autonomy within the community. Write a critical essay comparing
Menkiti’s and Gyekye’s arguments about moral responsibility in African
moral philosophy. Your discussion should explain how communal values
influence moral judgement and accountability. Thereafter, examine how
consequentialism and deontological ethics may interpret moral responsibility
within the framework of African communitarian philosophy.
1. Communitarianism vs. Moderate Communitarianism
Menkiti’s Radical Communitarianism
Ifeanyi Menkiti posits a "personhood-as-becoming" thesis. He argues that in the African view,
the community has ontological priority over the individual. To Menkiti, being a "person" is a
status one earns through social integration and the fulfillment of communal obligations.
The Individual: Is a "tabula rasa" (blank slate) regarding moral identity at birth.
The Community: Is the source of all moral value. Without the community, the
individual is merely a biological human, not a "person."
Gyekye’s Moderate Communitarianism
Kwame Gyekye critiques Menkiti by arguing that individuals have innate dignity and existence
independent of the community. He proposes a "dual features" theory where humans are both
communal and individualistic by nature.
The Individual: Possesses personal goals, a unique will, and rights that the community
cannot simply override.
, The Community: Remains vital for flourishing but does not "constitute" the person’s
entire being.
2. The Concept of Autonomy in Moral Philosophy
In moral philosophy, autonomy (from the Greek autos meaning "self" and nomos meaning
"law") refers to the capacity of an individual to make self-governed, rational decisions.
Evaluation of Autonomy:
Menkiti’s View: Autonomy is secondary to communal harmony. Since personhood is
defined by the community, an individual’s "self-rule" is only valid if it aligns with the
collective good. A person who acts purely on individualistic autonomy is seen as "lesser"
or failing in their journey toward personhood.
Gyekye’s View: Autonomy is a fundamental human trait. Gyekye argues that for a
person to be a moral agent, they must have the capacity for self-determination. He
asserts that individuals can critically evaluate communal traditions and choose to reject
those that are harmful, a feat impossible under Menkiti’s radical framework.
3. Moral Responsibility and Communal Values
Moral responsibility in African philosophy is often tied to accountability to the collective.
Communal Influence: In both thinkers' views, moral judgment is not just about the
"self" but about the "we." An action is "wrong" if it disrupts social equilibrium.
Accountability: Under Menkiti, accountability is strictly social. One is responsible to the
ancestors and the living for maintaining the fabric of society. Under Gyekye, one is
responsible to both the community and to one's own conscience (innate moral sense).
4. Consequentialist and Deontological Interpretations
To understand how these African philosophies function in a global ethical context, we can view
them through two major Western lenses:
Consequentialism (The Outcome)
Consequentialism suggests the morality of an action is judged by its results.
