Ubuntu Values Individuals: An Analysis of Eulogies of Mandela

Summary: It has been said that the quintessentially African moral philosophy of ubuntu values community over individuals. We argue that ubuntu values community to the extent that community enables individuals to be the most that they can be. In substantiation of this view, we also contend that ubuntu values recognition of individuals. To develop this view, we present a creative and critical review of existing literature on ubuntu coupled with a close reading of eulogies of Mandela published in the mainstream English-language South African newspapers following his death.