UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

GROUP 2
AFRICAN STUDIES
NAME INDEX NO.

ABDALLAH ABDUL MUMUNI HSE/0002/10

AKOO ABRAHAM KWAKYE HSE/0003/10

A. ANITA KYEREWAA HSE/0010/10

APPIAH KUBI ABIGAIL

PREFACE
 The book “African Cultural Values” written by Professor Kwame Gyekye was published

in the year 1996 by Sankofa publishing Company. The book is designed for providing

knowledge of the Cultural values of Africa which goes beyond mere examination of facts.

Proverbs and folktales were put to use in this book from various African cultural backgrounds to

explain and present African cultural beliefs, practices and philosophies and how they generate

the African values. Kwame Gyekye uses metaphor to explain the concepts

CHAPTER ONE
 RELIGIOUS VALUES

Religion has a central place in the life of the African. This is because, the African

believes in the existence of the Supreme Being thought to be the originator and sustainer of the

universe. Despite this belief there exist ambivalent ideas in the mind of Africans of the location

of this Supreme Being, some say he is far away from earth, others hold the view that he is near

although opposers and supporters of these claims that God is found in any of his creation.

In African life and thought, religion is considered ultitarian, natural and is being defined

by the community in question. This prime perception motivates the existence of numerous

religions with distinct practices although there are similar religious practices which might be as a

result of social contact between district communities.

To the African, the religious is not distinguished from the non- religious, the sacred from

the secular and the spiritual from the materials. This therefore induce the mind of the African

that the religious doctrines are not supposed to be imposed on an individual hence the practice of

non-revolution religion.

The general idea about the practice of religion in Africa is to have good relations such as

love, kindness, compassion, generosity, peace and harmony with ones kinfolk and neighbors.

Therefore the belief that God will give due to recompense weighs heavily on the concerns of the

individual who does or intends to do that which is morally right.

To the African, the human has the spark of God in him as well as any other creature and

would therefore have his soul survived death although the idea about the composition of human

remains a doubted idea because some say he has four (4) parts, others three (3), and others say

two (2).
 As afore mentioned, religion being natural, utilitarian and God being present in all his

creatures makes the African to offer his prayers, sacrifices and even worship trees, stones, rivers

and others which they belief would normally get to the ultimate God.

The ultimate goal of religion to the Africans is to achieve materials wealth, established

good relation with fellow beings hence prayers or requests are normally pregnant with

expressions of the above mentioned.

The practice of religion in every community can therefore be traced to history of the

existence of that community although it might metamorphose to match modern and updated

needs and events in that particular community. This therefore undoubtedly expounded why the

traditional African religion has no founder.

CHAPTER TWO

HUMANITY AND BROTHERHOOD

 Humanity means recognizing the other person as a fellow individual whose worth as a

human being is equal to yours. Thus, the main intent is to point out the worth of a human being

and the respect that ought to be given to her by virtue of her humanity and not the riches.

Greeting people is one of the ways by honoring humanity in Africa. The death of a

person does not only affect his family, but the entire community and it’s honored accordingly.

Brotherhood: All humans are brother irrespective of their biological background.

Brotherhood and humanity goes hand in hand. The Akans (Africans) believe that, irrespective of

race, humans are all one.

Africans are hospitable, generally.

The values of humanity and brotherhood are usually not always met.

Evil existed in African and still exist in some extent. ( human sacrifice).

Brotherhood and humanity failed to prevent inter ethnic conflicts etc.

CHAPTER THREE

COMMUNAL AND INDIVIDUALISTIC VALUES

 In chapter three, he was emphasizing on the communal and individualistic values of the

African society. To the Ghanaian philosopher Kwame Gyekye, the individual, although

originating from inextricably bound to his family and community, never the less possesses a

clear concept of himself as a distinct person of volition. While Gyekye argues that the individual

is ontologically complete, he also acknowledges that people live in community, as in the maxim,

“when a person descends from heaven, he or she descends into a human society”. In his view a

person’s abilities are not sufficient for survival, so that community is necessary for the survival

of the individual, as articulated in the maxim, “a person is not a palm tree that he or she should

be self-sufficient”. Africans therefore sees it as a need to live as a community and assist each

other to achieve their goals and develop the community as well.

One folktale that tells us the story of tortoise and the hare depicts clearly what unity and

cooperation can do. The slowness of tortoise is known by everybody and the swiftness of the

hare is popular as well. In all case nobody expects tortoise to beat hare in a race but with family

support won the race between him and the hare. This teaches the importance of unity and

cooperation among individuals. Thus showed us the value of unity and mutual cooperation

mutual help, collective responsibility and reciprocal obligation are regarded in African culture as

important values as eloquently expressed, for instance in the Akan maxim “if a lizard is a

blacksmith the monitor does not lack a cutlass”.

CHAPTER 4
 MORAL VALUES

Moral values are the patterns of conduct that are considered worthwhile and cherished by

a society. Moral values as said are not only patterns of behavior but also goals of social and

individual actions.

Morality as explained is intrincally social arousing out of the relations between

individual. There is a great deal of temptation to which a number of scholars have succumbed to

regard their moral values as founded on religion. The views of the religious basis of African

moral values are greatly mistaken. Traditional African religion is only regarded as a natural

religion arising out of peoples owns experiences and views of the world. And if possible basic

human yearning for the ultimate and the transcendent is from the African perspective

“Naturalistic” embedded in or arising out of human existence in the natural world.

Traditional African value is not a revealed religion therefore the religiosity of the African

people their moral values were not derived from religion even though it has some role to play in

the domain of the moral practice. The moral values of Africans was founded mainly on the

experience
 CHAPTER FIVE

Family in African context does not refer to nuclear family but extended, which consist of

a number of blood relations including a number of nuclear families.

Marriage is very important, an inevitable institution to man and woman in African society

as it sustains a family and kin ties. In African societies the primary reason of marriage is

procreation and it is best done after marriage for parental care. Again, marriage provides a

respectable social status to the man and completes his manhood. It also provides union between

the families or lineage of the couple. Lineage members of the couples not only sometimes over
interferes in the lives of the couple but also provides help for the couples and ensure that

harmonious marriage is achieve in African societies.

Members inquire in order to acquire good husband or wife. Children in African societies

are valued as they ensure continuity of the family or lineage.

More over adult children take care of their parents and other members of the family when

they get old.

CHAPTER 8

AESTHETIC VALUES

Aesthetic means beauty or the study of beauty. Beauty with respect to aesthetic products is

defined in terms of functionality and symbolic significance as well as the purely aesthetic. Beauty

evolved its own stands of aesthetic judgments and appreciations.

Objects, events and scenes that are considered worthy of sustained appreciation, attention,

enjoyments and interests are referred to as aesthetic values.

In contrasting the African conception of art with that of European, African art is symbolic and

functional with a purely aesthetic dimension whiles the European held a conception of “arts for arts sake”

that is purely aesthetic.

 Appropriateness is a very important criterion of aesthetic values and judgment. For instance

during funerals fittingness is a complex concept that takes into account the manner in which the clothing

is worn, the congruence of the colours and other criteria. The appearance and presentation must attract

public criterion. Beauty is traditionally and universally held as the central concept in aesthetic experience.

Beauty is not only outward qualities. Good manners constitute beauty. This implies that the character and

behavior of someone shows the beauty of the person.

 CHAPTER 11

All Africans, whatever their cultures pay some attention to their post and hence to their

ancestors or forbears.

They show appreciation for the achievements of their ancestors through statues and

plaques, remembrance days, names given to children and other forms of memorials.

In Africa, however apart from the celebratory activities and practices, they belief that the

ancestors are always around to provide help of various kinds and that has led to excessive and

incessant attention to the ancestors. We must surely remember and praise our ancestors or

forbears for their achievements. But we must not expect them to bestow favors on their

descendants.

The post colonial problems of Africa clearly show that the ancestors cannot be helpful.

The greatest reverence we, the descendants of the ancestors can show to them is to let them rest

in peace.

Ancestors are certain individuals of the post generation of a lineage who are said to have

distinguished themselves in many ways and in particular to have led a virtuous and exemplary

life worthy of emulation by succeeding generations of the lineage.

 Therefore, ancestors are the source of tradition. It must be noted that the notion of

ancestership becomes more intelligible when it is associated with tradition and for that matter

when one talk about ancestorship what comes to mind is tradition. This is because the ancestors

were those who established the tradition or at least took part in establishing it.

Knowledge and wisdom

Knowledge wisdom are valued highly in the African societies in the sense that they have

the ability to make sensible decision advice due to the experience and knowledge one have

which is in collaboration with African cultural of art. Knowledge is theoretical as wisdom is

practical in African culture which when joined together make the society a successful place to

live.
 CHAPTER TEN

Human right is highly valued in traditional African societies for its practical results and

implications for life.

With view of the afore, human right can be defined as the basic right or freedom that are

inherent on all human beings and are entitled in the excurse of government.

The objective of this chapter include the indication of existence of human right concept in

the traditional society and to show in what ways the concept of human right as a cultural valve.

The soul, according to the belief of Akan is an intrinsic valve which has been given to

every human being as a creative of god could be linked with natural rights of human.

Eventually, every individual has the right to express his mind on public questions, right to

exercise his or her qualities, talents to ensure the material and political success of community as

well as right to have food which can be practiced through a food storage system so that people

will be protected against hunger.

In conclusion, human rights can be protected by the state (government) or moral valves

and practices of a society and what have you.