A Reconstructionist Approach to Communalism and the Idea of Sustainable Development in Africa

Purpose: Communalism, either in its unrestricted or restricted versions, is a social principle that involves the commitment of individuals in a community to shared goals, demanding of these individuals the obligation to promote communal values and other social practices. Communalism, on this score, appears to be incapable of providing credible development for Africa in the twenty-first century and so needs to be reconstructed. Methodology: The reconstructionist and critical methods of philosophy were employed to show that communalism, in its present forms, stifles Africa’s capacity for meaningful development. This is done by showing its ignoring of a very crucial element needed for development namely, the ontology of the individual. Findings: Communalism therefore in this present form seems to be committed to the idea of ‘undifferentiated holism’ involving an idea of collectivism that defines the African communal universe with an ontological primacy over individuals, presupposing that an African conception of reality is to be located in the community. Research Limitations: The present study, though discussed within the scope of Africa’s development can further be expanded to a discourse relating to a credible participation of Africa in the emerging world order. Practical Implications: This paper argues that the recognition of the condition of social differentiation, which describes an individual laced with a rationalist or critical attitude, provides a viable option for Africa toward a credible developmental strategy in the twenty-first century. This is the hallmark of a reconstructionist approach to communalism. Originality/Value: Existing studies on development in Africa have dwelt on its socio-political, economic and industrial dimensions with minimal attention paid to the ontology of the individuals whose summation constitutes the society.