Personalism in African Cultures and Ethics: The Examples of the Bantus in Central, Southern Africa and of the Mossi in West Africa

Abstract

Currently, more than ever, the issue of the human being has been at the centre of debates. Each culture, each philosophical trend has been trying to break the mystery of Man and to give meaning and value to human activities. Throughout the world, "personalism" has taken many forms in the history of peoples' philosophy. Therefore, in sub-Saharan Africa, some communities of the Bantu and of the Mossi developed their own "personalism" based on their cosmogonic and anthropological notion which shaped their ethical vision of Man and his behavior in society. As for the Bantus, there is no dichotomy between the being and the Vital Force which vivifies anything that exists and lasts. Any attempt to reduce or to destroy the Vital Force of a person is gross guilt to be punished. With respect to the Mossi in Burkina Faso who are eager to show both the richness and the ambiguity in the human being, they designed anthropology based on four things: The "sigré", meaning the primary Vital Force inherited from their forefathers; The "kinkirga" who represents the private and immortal unearthly vital energy; The "siiga", the earthly vital energy; and, lastly, the "yinga", the Human Body, the carnal structure in which these three types of vital energies join to form the human being who expresses himself in society in an ambivalent manner. The objective of this research was to study the phenomenology of the human being among the Bantu and Mossi, in order to better understand their ethical and social personalism. A synthesis study, based on a specialized scientific bibliography related to their culture and anthropology, will allow presenting their ethical and social personalism. Under the auspices of African anthropology and through the advent of philosophical trends, such as "ontological vitalism" by Tempels and "vitalogy" by N'kafu, who rank life as the primary principle and emphasize and praise man's action in society, Africa has been developing a "perso-

Between Euthanasia and Dysthanasia: The Ethical Issue of Sedation in the Terminal Phase of Illness

“…Among the Original Burkina Faso people, illness and death never occur in a population or an individual by chance. For them, there are always implicit, intangible (supernatural) or explicit, tangible (natural) causes [17]. Sickness and subsequent death can be the consequence of offenses against the Supreme Being, the One and Only Almighty God, called "Wende or Wennaam", due to irresponsible and inappropriate behavior; offenses committed against the protective spirits, the "Kinkirsi" living in the mountains, rivers, trees, earth, and fetishes; non-respect of customs or "Kùdemde" instituted over time by the ancestors to regulate the social life of the lineage; moreover, according to the norms bequeathed by the ancestors, people publicly recognized as witches, and therefore vitiated, were eliminated, excluded or banished forever from the extended family [17] [18].…”

“…The repellent aspect of certain ailments, the pestilential odors, cannot hinder their sense of solidarity and devotion! As the saying goes, "Wênd pa ku, Naab pa kùud ye [18]! In other words, if God doesn't kill the sick, neither the king nor the doctor can.…”

“…For you, going to your ancestors is not dying; it's a way of living an even more intense life. Go go go go..." [18]. When the patient dies, this woman will lower her voice.…”

Anthropological, Cultural and Ethical Aspects of Caring for Patients in Africa

“…In the anthropology of African peoples such as the Bantu, the Mossi, the Fon, J. Sawadogo, J. Simpore DOI: 10.4236/aa. 2023.132011 195 Advances in Anthropology the Yoruba, the Nyô-nyôse, etc., helping a sick individual to strengthen their "Vital Force" is an admirable and commendable act that charms people, especially the ancestors who observe and judge the actions of the living in relation to the customs and traditions they left behind before definitively leaving this world (Sawadogo & Simpore, 2022). It is through the imperative recommendation of ancestral observances, and in order to always be faithful to the ancestors, that one can understand the individual and social commitment to the therapeutic care of the sick in Africa.…”