Ideology and the possibility of African political theory: African socialism and “ubuntu” compared

Abstract

This article explores the lack of investigation into African political theory in the postcolonial period. After discussing the epistemological problems in the study of African political thought, the paper then adopts Michael Freeden’s methodology for the analysis of political ideologies. Through this approach a comparison is made between African Socialism and ubuntu. African Socialism – as developed by Cabral, Nkrumah, Nyerere and Senghor – is defined by its core commitment to freedom from colonialism, to African culture, its promotion of communitarian equality and a belief in the transformative power of the state. Ubuntu – in the political version developed in post-apartheid South Africa, and promoted by Thabo Mbeki and Desmond Tutu – instead emphasises the collective and spiritual character of African society and the distinctively African character of ubuntu ideology. By comparing these two examples, we seek to explore the possibilities and problems which the discipline of African political theory faces in the postcolonial period.