Ubuntu philosophy

Ubuntu (Zulu pronunciation: [ùɓúntʼù]; meaning 'humanity' in some Bantu languages, such as Zulu) describes a set of closely related Bantu African-origin value systems that emphasize the interconnectedness of individuals with their surrounding societal and physical worlds. "Ubuntu" is sometimes translated as "I am because we are". In Xhosa, the latter term is used, but is often meant in a more philosophical sense to mean "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity".

Although the most popular term referring to the philosophy today is "Ubuntu", the philosophy stretches back to the beginning of proto-Bantu language and has many other names in other African languages.

Angola (gimuntu); Botswana (muthu, batho); Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Gambia Liberia, Sierra Leonne and Mali (maaya); Burundi (ubuntu); Cameroon (bato); Congo (bantu); Democratic Republic of Congo (bomoto, kimuntu or bantu); Egypt (maat); Ethiopia (medemer, edir, kiree, mahiber, debo); Ghana (biako ye); Kenya (utu, munto, omundu or mondo); Malawi (umunthu); Mozambique (vumuntu); Namibia (omundu); Nigeria (mutunchi, iwa, agwa, omwayaonyamo); Rwanda (ubuntu); South Africa (ubuntu, ubundu or botho); South Sudan (nhiar-baai); Tanzania (utu, obuntu or bumuntu); Uganda (obuntu, obuntubulamu); Zambia (umunthu); and Zimbabwe (unhu, hunhu, ubuntu, ibuntu).

There are various definitions of the word "Ubuntu". The most recent definition was provided by the African Journal of Social Work (AJSW). The journal defined Ubuntu as:

A collection of values and practices that people of Africa or of African origin view as making people authentic human beings. While the nuances of these values and practices vary across different ethnic groups, they all point to one thing – an authentic individual human being is part of a larger and more significant relational, communal, societal, environmental and spiritual world

There are many different (and not always compatible) definitions of what Ubuntu is. Even with the various definitions, Ubuntu encompasses the interdependence of humans on one another and the acknowledgment of one's responsibility to their fellow humans and the world around them. It is a philosophy that supports collectivism over individualism.

Ubuntu asserts that society gives human beings their humanity. An example is a Zulu-speaking person who when commanding to speak in Zulu would say "khuluma isintu", which means "speak the language of people". When someone behaves according to custom, a Sotho-speaking person would say "ke motho", which means "he/she is a human". The aspect of this that would be exemplified by a tale told (often, in private quarters) in Nguni "kushone abantu ababili ne Shangaan", in Sepedi "go tlhokofetje batho ba babedi le leShangane", in English (two people died and one Shangaan). In each of these examples, humanity comes from conforming to or being part of the tribe.

According to Michael Onyebuchi Eze, the core of Ubuntu can best be summarised as follows: