An Appraisal of Kwasi Wiredu’s Ethical Theory of Consensus

Abstract

There is an obvious erosion of moral and political cohesion characteristic of traditional African communities. This is so given the fact that there is a general loss of orientation amongst contemporary African people as a result of the interference of the Western political systems and values which Africans accepted uncritically. This paper appraises Kwasi Wiredu's ethics of consensus. It posits that the principle of consensus characteristic of traditional African people will be helpful in solving most contemporary African moral and political problems. This way, the paper compares consensus principle with certain ethical currents of thought and argued that African belief in community spirit provides the answer to the overarching problem of subjectivism and individualism that has burdened the West. Using the hermeneutic-phenomenological method, the paper concludes that (traditional) African humanism characteristic of interest reconciliation, harmonization and brotherhood is the answer to the ever increasing question of human uniqueness and personal authenticity.