The topic of this paper is Ubuntu, which is the concept at the heart of (Sub-Saharan) African moral thought: moral value is to be found in harmonious relationships with others. The assignment is to explore Ubuntu moral principles by comparing them to the moral principles of (i) Utilitarianism, (ii) Kantian moral philosophy, or (iii) Aristotelian ethical thought (pick only ONE other theory to compare it to). Furthermore, I’d like you to pick ONE example case that is morally interesting and use it as the basis for comparison.
Here are the example cases you can use (email me if you’d like to use one not on the list):
-the trolley problems (version 1 and/or 2)
-telling a lying promise to get cash (Kant’s 1st case)
-a miserable man contemplating suicide (Kant’s 2nd case)
-cultivating talents (Kant’s 3rd case)
-helping those in need (Kant’s 4th case)
-the Nazi at the door, whether to lie
These, of course, are the cases we discussed in class.
Here’s the fairly precise structure you should use in writing:
-Describe the case and explain why it presents a moral problem.
-Explain what one of the other theories (Utilitarianism, Kant’s moral theory, or Aristotle’s ethical theory) would say about the case.
-Provide an Ubuntu perspective on the case.
-Explain which theory you think handles the case better and why (or if it’s a tie in your mind, explain that too)
