African Environmental Ethics: A Critical Reader (The International Library of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Ethics Book 29)

This book focuses on under-explored and often neglected issues in contemporary African environmental philosophy and ethics. Critical issues such as the moral status of nature, African conceptions of animal moral status and rights, African conceptions of environmental justice, African relational Environmentalism, __ubuntu__, African theocentric and teleological environmentalism are addressed in this book. It is unique in so far as it goes beyond the generalized focus on African metaphysics and African ethics by exploring how these views might be understood differently in order to conceptualize African environmental ethics. Against the background where environmental problems such as pollution, climate change, extinction of __flora__ and __fauna__, and global warming are plain to see, it becomes useful to examine how African conceptions of environmental ethics could be understood in order to confront some of these problems facing the whole world. This book will be of value to undergraduate students, graduate students and academics working in the area of African Philosophy, African Environmental Ethics and Global Ethics in general. Acknowledgements 6 Contents 7 Editor and Contributors 10 1 Introducing African Environmental Ethics 14 References 18 Moral Status and the African Environment 19 2 An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism 20 2.1 Introducing African Relationality 20 2.2 The Concept of Moral Status 22 2.3 Critical Review of Relational Ethics 24 2.4 A Modal-Relational Account of Moral Status 27 2.5 Applying and Defending the Modal-Relational Account 31 2.6 Conclusion 36 References 37 3 The Moral Status of Nature: An African Understanding 39 3.1 Introduction 39 3.2 The Teleological Link Between the Human Community and the Environment 41 3.3 The Moral Status of Non Human Living Beings 45 3.4 The Moral Status of Non Living Beings 51 3.5 Conclusion 55 References 55 4 Environmental Ethics in the Context of African Traditional Thought: Beyond the Impasse 57 4.1 Introduction 57 4.2 The Raskolnikov Problem 58 4.3 Part One. The Human Animal and the Eco-System: The Role of Sympathy 59 4.4 Part Two. Objection: Is Human Subjectivity Species-Specific? 60 4.5 The Problem of Underdeveloped Human Agency 62 4.6 Human Spirituality but not a Dualism 64 4.7 Part Three. African Traditional Thought—Not a Supernaturalism 64 4.8 Ubuntu—Not a Moralism 65 4.9 Conclusion 66 References 67 5 The Criticism of Secular Humanism in African Philosophy 68 5.1 Introduction 69 5.2 Defining (Secular) Humanism 71 5.3 Three Humanistic Theories in the African Tradition 72 5.3.1 Gyekye’s Humanistic Ethics 72 5.3.2 Wiredu’s Humanistic Ethics 73 5.3.3 Metz’s Humanistic Ethics 73 5.4 Rejection of Humanism 74 5.4.1 Animal Torture and Humanism 75 5.5 Failure as Grounds for the Rejection of Humanism 80 5.6 Motivation for Supernaturalism 82 5.7 Conclusion 83 References 83 Ubuntu and the Environment 86 6 Ubuntu Environmental Ethics: Conceptions and Misconceptions 87 6.1 Introduction 88 6.2 Generalisations About Ubuntu Environmental Ethics 89 6.3 Linguistic Hegemony in Thinking About Ubuntu Environmental Ethics 91 6.4 Ambiguity and Vagueness in Ubuntu Environmental Conceptions 93 6.5 Closed Versus Open Conceptions of Ubuntu Environmental Ethics 94 6.6 Geographical Demarcation Problems in Ubuntu Environmental Ethics 94 6.7 Reconceptualising Ubuntu Environmental Ethics: Some Critical Proposals 96 6.8 Conclusion: Pluriversal Thinking About Environmental Ethics 98 References 99 7 Ubuntu and Environmental Ethics: The West Can Learn from Africa When Faced with Climate Change 101 7.1 Introduction 102 7.2 Climate Change and Sustainable Development 103 7.3 Cultural Values 105 7.3.1 Ubuntu: “A Person Is a Person Through Others” 105 7.3.2 Communitarianism in Ubuntu: “I” in “We” 106 7.3.3 Ubuntu and Ukama 106 7.3.4 The Individualistic “I” in “Me” 108 7.3.5 Homo œconomicus 108 7.3.6 Nature 109 7.4 Sustainable Development and GM Crops 111 7.5 Degrowth and Ubuntu 111 7.6 The Call for Change: What the West Can Learn from Ubuntu 113 7.7 The Global Roundtable 114 7.8 Conclusion 115 References 115 8 African Environmental Ethics as Southern Environmental Ethics 118 8.1 Introduction 118 8.2 African Environmentalism as Biocentric 119 8.3 African Environmental Ethics as Southern Environmental Ethics 125 8.4 Concluding Remarks 128 References 129 African Ecocentric Environmental Ethics 131 9 A (South) African Land Ethic? The Viability of an Ecocentric Approach to Environmental Ethics and Philosophy 132 9.1 Introduction 133 9.2 An Ecocentric Approach: From Aldo Leopold to Holmes Rolston 134 9.3 “The Earth Belongs to God” 138 9.4 Conclusion: On a Storied Sense of Place 142 References 143 10 African Environmental Ethics: Lessons from the Rain-Maker’s Moral and Cosmological Perspectives 145 10.1 Introduction 145 10.2 A Profile of Rainmakers Which Shows Common Characteristics Among Them 146 10.3 Various Perspectives on the Nature of African Environmental Ethics 148 10.4 The Rainmaker’s Trans-anthropocentric Environmental Ethics 149 10.4.1 Case 1: The Rain-Maker’s Conception of Evil and Its Implications on Environmental Ethics 150 10.4.2 Case 2: The Rain-Maker’s Understanding of the Ecosystem 151 10.4.3 Case 3: The Rain-Maker’s Understanding of Industrialization and Its Impact on the Environment 151 10.4.4 Case 4: The Rain-Makers Concerns on Contemporary Agricultural Practices 152 10.5 Conclusion 155 References 155 11 New Waves: African Environmental Ethics and Ocean Ecosystems 157 11.1 Introduction: Renegotiating the Alien 158 11.2 The Tragedy of the Global Commons 159 11.3 Marine Protected Areas—A Problem of Scale 162 11.4 Placeful Ethics in a Placeless Ocean 164 11.5 Ethics and Place as Traveling Concepts: Local Ethos and Global Ocean Ecosystems 167 11.6 Deconstructing Boundaries: Hydro-Colonialism and Resistance 170 11.7 Conclusion: The Moral Considerability of a Swordfish 172 References 173 Environmental Justice in African Philosophy 177 12 Environmental Justice: Towards an African Perspective 178 12.1 Introduction 178 12.2 Origin and History of Environmental Justice 180 12.3 Environmental Justice from the Western Perspective 181 12.4 Charting an African Perspective of Environmental Justice 183 12.5 Towards an Afrocentric Environmental Justice 187 12.6 Conclusion 189 References 190 13 The African Emphasis on Harmonious Relations: Implications for Environmental Ethics and Justice 193 13.1 Introduction 193 13.2 An African Perspective on Morality 195 13.3 An Overview of the Dualistic Debates in Western Environmental Ethics 197 13.4 Western Conceptions of Justice and the African Context 201 13.5 Deep Ecology Versus Social Ecology 203 References 205 14 Expanding Nussbaum’s Eighth Capability Using African Environmental Ethics 207 14.1 Introduction 207 14.2 Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach 210 14.3 The Three Positions 214 14.4 The Advantages of Employing African Environmental Ethics 217 14.5 Conclusion 219 References 220 Questions of Animal Rights in African Philosophy 222 15 Moral Status of Non-human Animals from an African Perspective: In Defense of Moderate Anthropocentric Thinking 223 15.1 Introduction 223 15.2 Relations Between Humans and Non-human Animals as Anthropocentric 225 15.3 Conceiving Relations Between Humans and Non-human Animals as Non-anthropocentric 229 15.4 In Defense of the “Moderate” Anthropocentric View 231 15.5 Conclusion 236 References 236 16 Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics in Africa: From Anthropocentrism to Non-speciesism? 238 16.1 Introduction: African Attitudes Towards Non-human Nature 239 16.2 A Survey of African Ethical Concerns Regarding Animals and the Environment 240 16.2.1 African Creation Myths and the Hierarchy of Being 240 16.2.2 The African Ritual of Animal Slaughter 240 16.3 Traditional African Perceptions and Current Practices—Taboos, Totemism and Spiritualism 240 16.4 Ubuntu/Botho/Hunhu and Non-human Animals 241 16.5 Ukama and African Environmentalism 242 16.6 Animals and the Law in East, West and Southern Africa 243 16.7 The African Case for and Against Anthropocentrism 243 16.8 Towards a Non-speciesist Africa? 248 References 250 17 Decolonizing Human-Animal Relations in an African Context: The Story of the Mourning Elephants 253 17.1 Introduction 254 17.2 Decolonizing Human-Animal Relations 255 17.3 Troubled Encounters 257 17.4 Mourning Elephants as Moral Agents 259 17.5 Distant Feeling: The Reality of the Spiritual 262 17.6 Conclusion 264 References 265 Issues of Environmental Pollution in Africa 267 18 Ethical Issues in Environmental Pollution: Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and Oil Industries in Tropical Regions—The Nigerian Niger-Delta Case 268 18.1 Introduction 269 18.2 Geography of the Niger Delta Tropical Region 270 18.3 Background of Oil Exploration 273 18.4 Impact of Oil Exploration 274 18.4.1 Impaired Moral Entitlements 274 18.4.2 Violated Moral Entitlements 276 18.5 Pollution, Poverty and Human Rights Abuses 277 18.6 Ethical Challenges 278 18.7 Issues of Responsibility 279 18.8 Issue of Sustainability 281 18.9 Proposal for Political Implementation 282 18.10 Conclusion 283 References 285 19 Niger Delta Environmental Crises and the Limitations of Africanizing Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic: Towards an Earth-Eco-Socialist Model 287 19.1 Introduction 287 19.2 Environmental Problems in the Niger Delta, Nigeria 288 19.3 Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic 291 19.4 Limitations of Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic: The Niger Delta Example 294 19.5 Earth-Eco-Socialism as a Viable Normative Framework for Environmental Sustainability 299 19.6 Conclusion 302 References 302 20 “Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness”: A Theological Reflection on the Solid Waste Problem in Ghana 305 20.1 Introduction 305 20.2 Ghana’s Solid Waste Situation in Context 306 20.3 Composition of Ghanaian Solid Waste 308 20.4 Solid Waste Collection and Disposal in Ghana 308 20.5 Factors Impeding Solid Waste Management in Ghana 309 20.6 Financial Constraint in Ghana 309 20.7 Overpopulation 310 20.8 Propagation of Prosperity Gospel 311 20.9 The Church and Creation Care 312 20.10 My Response 314 20.11 Advocacy for Change of Attitude 315 20.12 Commitment to Management Systems 318 20.13 Confront Systems that Hamper Proper Management of Solid Waste 319 20.14 Conclusions 320 References 320 Front Matter ....Pages i-xiv Introducing African Environmental Ethics (Munamato Chemhuru)....Pages 1-5 Front Matter ....Pages 7-7 An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism (Thaddeus Metz)....Pages 9-27 The Moral Status of Nature: An African Understanding (Munamato Chemhuru)....Pages 29-46 Environmental Ethics in the Context of African Traditional Thought: Beyond the Impasse (Patrick Giddy)....Pages 47-57 The Criticism of Secular Humanism in African Philosophy (Motsamai Molefe)....Pages 59-76 Front Matter ....Pages 77-77 Ubuntu Environmental Ethics: Conceptions and Misconceptions (Ephraim Taurai Gwaravanda)....Pages 79-92 Ubuntu and Environmental Ethics: The West Can Learn from Africa When Faced with Climate Change (Aïda C. Terblanché-Greeff)....Pages 93-109 African Environmental Ethics as Southern Environmental Ethics (Nompumelelo Zinhle Manzini)....Pages 111-123 Front Matter ....Pages 125-125 A (South) African Land Ethic? The Viability of an Ecocentric Approach to Environmental Ethics and Philosophy (Ernst M. Conradie)....Pages 127-139 African Environmental Ethics: Lessons from the Rain-Maker’s Moral and Cosmological Perspectives (Garikai Madavo)....Pages 141-152 New Waves: African Environmental Ethics and Ocean Ecosystems (Michelle Louise Clarke)....Pages 153-172 Front Matter ....Pages 173-173 Environmental Justice: Towards an African Perspective (Margaret Ssebunya, Stephen Nkansah Morgan, Beatrice D. Okyere-Manu)....Pages 175-189 The African Emphasis on Harmonious Relations: Implications for Environmental Ethics and Justice (John Mweshi)....Pages 191-204 Expanding Nussbaum’s Eighth Capability Using African Environmental Ethics (Jessica van Jaarsveld)....Pages 205-219 Front Matter ....Pages 221-221 Moral Status of Non-human Animals from an African Perspective: In Defense of Moderate Anthropocentric Thinking (Dennis Masaka)....Pages 223-237 Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics in Africa: From Anthropocentrism to Non-speciesism? (Kai Horsthemke)....Pages 239-253 Decolonizing Human-Animal Relations in an African Context: The Story of the Mourning Elephants (Angela Roothaan)....Pages 255-268 Front Matter ....Pages 269-269 Ethical Issues in Environmental Pollution: Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and Oil Industries in Tropical Regions—The Nigerian Niger-Delta Case (Kalu Ikechukwu Kalu, Konrad Ott)....Pages 271-289 Niger Delta Environmental Crises and the Limitations of Africanizing Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic: Towards an Earth-Eco-Socialist Model (Philomena Aku Ojomo)....Pages 291-308 “Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness”: A Theological Reflection on the Solid Waste Problem in Ghana (Afia Ban)....Pages 309-325 "This book focuses on under-explored and often neglected issues in contemporary African environmental philosophy and ethics. Critical issues such as the moral status of nature, African conceptions of animal moral status and rights, African conceptions of environmental justice, African relational Environmentalism, ubuntu, African theocentric and teleological environmentalism are addressed in this book. It is unique in so far as it goes beyond the generalized focus on African metaphysics and African ethics by exploring how these views might be understood differently in order to conceptualize African environmental ethics. Against the background where environmental problems such as pollution, climate change, extinction of flora and fauna, and global warming are plain to see, it becomes useful to examine how African conceptions of environmental ethics could be understood in order to confront some of these problems facing the whole world. This book will be of value to undergraduate students, graduate students and academics working in the area of African Philosophy, African Environmental Ethics and Global Ethics in general"--Page 4 of cover