Revisiting virtue ethics and spirituality of Botho: a study of an indigenous ethic of character formation in the moral thought and practice of Basotho

Abstract

The current Afro-communitarianism (AC) articulation and analysis of botho is characterised by two main approaches. First it treats botho as if it is a universal concept that can be expounded independently in a theoretical manner devoid of any specific cultural perspective that give it meaning and authority. Second it abstracts the Sesotho proverb “motho ke motho ka batho” (MKKB) from the rest of Sesotho narrative elevating it as foundational to the definition and meaning of the concept, where a particular reading of this proverb has come to be taken as the quintessential articulation of the meaning of this concept. This thesis problematizes this account within the context of Sesotho culture from which the proverb derives. Firstly, it rejects the abstraction and exceptionalism of MKKB as poor scholarship and a deficiency in the knowledge of the ethical significance of narratives in Sesotho culture, arguing that this is an unjustified abstraction of MKKB from Sesotho narratives inconsistent with how proverbs are interpreted and used. It asserts that MKKB is best understood not in isolation, but within the context of the unity of African narratives and their meaning and unique role as the chief means of moral education into botho. Secondly, the thesis questions the dominance of one specific reading of Ubuntu in the current botho discourse and the privileged status this reading has enjoyed over other, equally justified, interpretations. It argues for a definition of botho (moral personhood ) based on the definition of this term as a moral statement describing good admirable moral qualities of character of motho. The study thus starts from the premise that talk about botho turns out to be talk about character of motho because botho cannot be fully realised independently of the characters of individuals who make it a reality. The study recommends a character centric definition of botho as a fresh alternative, where an understanding of the possession of botho by motho, entails inculcation of makhabane or virtues of botho, many of which are found narratives especially proverbs. Its attractiveness is that it is consistent with the nature of African ethics as character-based ethic, but also underscores important assumptions behind botho including the primacy of character and the existence of a particular social order as a prerequisite for botho to flourish, all of which are worth serious consideration in the current botho discourse.