Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy 9811978182, 9789811978180

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Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy

Jahid Siraz Chowdhury · Haris Abd Wahab Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad Golam M. Mathbor · Mashitah Hamidi

Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy

Jahid Siraz Chowdhury · Haris Abd Wahab · Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad · Golam M. Mathbor · Mashitah Hamidi

Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy

Jahid Siraz Chowdhury Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Haris Abd Wahab Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Golam M. Mathbor Monmouth University New Jersey, NJ, USA

Mashitah Hamidi Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

ISBN 978-981-19-7817-3 ISBN 978-981-19-7818-0 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover illustration: Shamoli Roy This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore

Dedication: Ara Bokth Chowdhury Waniah Bokth Chowdhury Sanjida Siraz Chowdhury Whose smiling sacrifice was key to writing and disseminating the Ubuntu message to the world, to you, should I express an apology or thanks, I am confused. May my Lord bless you.

Foreword

The authors have asked me to write the foreword for their book, Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic, anthropology, humanism, solidarity, and the perspective of the New Normalcy. Each book’s coherent and illuminating chapters present significant conclusions via philosophical examination and study. The emergence of Ubuntuiazation on current platforms mainly occurred when COVID-19 obliged all of us to be homebound under stringent lockdowns and then to discover ways to interact with others for education, livelihood, professional duties, and interpersonal relationships. I know all of these writers, especially Jahid, with whom I had a few sessions on material and theme conversation while he was formulating the concepts. With the assistance of other seniors, he completed it. This outstanding work focuses on the proposed policy to incorporate indigenous people, minorities, and diverse religious communities in addition to ethnic groupings. It gives me food for thought as a professor of Development Studies, a specialized social science field that examines the mundane aspects of human existence. The anticolonial perspective of the book will not only pique the attention of readers from all walks of life, but it will also be helpful for policymakers and other stakeholders. While the benefits and advantages of the Ubuntu spirit are indisputable, its negative aspects, such as the spread of hate, religious prejudice, racism, intolerance, and the erosion of self-respect, have intensified the degeneration of human existence. Therefore, policy support is essential for the ethical use of digital platforms. People in extreme poverty should be unable to use digital platforms for education, communication, relationships, and creative activities to survive. The contributions display a genuine inter-disciplined atmosphere of participation and empathy in exploring the thoughts of many individuals and describing how the communities responded to the epidemic despite the terrible circumstances of the global calamity. All countries, spanning geographical boundaries and ethnic disparities, simultaneously swore to protect human

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life in the face of mortal threats. This struggle for survival offers an avenue for academic investigation and a wealth of alternatives and chances for policy proposals. In the aftermath of a pandemic, this guidebook will serve as a resource for future generations and interdisciplinary scholars. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, issued a worldwide call for a cessation of hostilities in all conflicts in March 2020. They were begging all warring parties to lay down firearms and other weapons. He anticipated all participants would devote their strength and skill to aiding the titanic battle against COVID-19. The perspectives presented in this book are not only current. Still, they will also create a metamorphosis of inspired solidarity in which interested agents may communicate with others from many backgrounds and propagate ideas for the common good. The title of this book suggests implausible support for a middle ground between quasi-opposites or the avoidance of preferring either side of the supposed divide after this 2020 Pandemic, in the New Normalcy and beyond. True, this book concentrates on the person, but this individual is observed through the lens of others, i.e., the community. Using Ubuntu as its guiding principle, this book seeks to develop a link between the individual and the universe. This is not the case: intuitively and logically, we see complementarity rather than conflict in this context. If hesitation exists, it results from the inclinations and intensity of a crucified will, which is keenly conscious of both the need for (programmatic) education and the desire for (incomplete) selfeducation. Consequently, an appearance of difference. Therefore, there will be no contradictions, just tensions that must be handled by legislation. In light of the fundamental purpose of the process of education and self-education, which, whether we like it or not, is some form of self-fulfillment, we reach a point of indifference at which it is permissible to say, without contradiction, “Education is always already education, and vice versa the same holds because they amount to the same thing.” This point of indifference is the “in-between,” which does not reflect the field of boredom but rather the theoretical separation and measurement potential. This book tries to give a solution, but it is not utilitarian since it offers no actual value. In stating so, we indicate that education is more than a function of social well-being and that self-education (as onerous “work” on oneself) is more challenging than the spiritual aristocracy. When it comes to self-education, it should be clarified that its effects are always local, autobiographical, and barely visible: who today would dare to assert with absolute certainty that a consistent self-educator serves as a role model for anyone, to us, to me, belongs the joy that Ubuntu bestowed upon us a rational understanding. I’ve been told that the writers of Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy (Chowdhury et al., 2022) are working toward a more particular theme: a policy guideline. In addition, a comprehensive strategy, advanced by jahid’s thought, placing Ubuntu with an emphasis on SDG 11: Commoning the community via Ubuntu, may appear soon. “Ubuntu Spirit for Self and Formal Education Under the SDGs” is, therefore, the second book. Further,

FOREWORD

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in alignment with the cosmovision of Islam, Buddha, and Ubuntu as the third book of the Ubuntu Trilogy. Yet, as a feat, this current volume aims to enhance and inspire scholarly and policy conversation. The conceptions and assumptions established by the Cartesian paradigm of contemporary Western society have been insufficient for human complexity for quite some time, needing a broader understanding of the dynamics of the link between human and non-human life, particularly considering the current epidemic. The purpose of this book is to re-define the guiding principles of the African Ubuntu philosophy, which govern its perspective on humanity, relationships, and the flow of life. Numerous writers suggest bibliographic and documentary research to determine the consensus of the original definition/translation of Ubuntu and the distortion of its meaning. The ever-increasing proliferation of Ubuntu-related content has made it harder to articulate the philosophy’s uniqueness and coherence. Consequently, it is essential to recognize distortions that often result in a “boomerang effect” that returns to current thought, as if Ubuntu were supporting this reasoning rather than rejecting it. The concept of this book culminates in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from a call to connect with our ancestral roots, which touch us more deeply, to carry out this duty so that readers may immerse themselves, resulting in human change. Springer Nature should be offered heartfelt appreciation for taking on this vital effort. I hope this service was more than just a business transaction, but rather an empathetic genre and requested approach by this demanding publisher. Professor Mokbul Morshed Ahmad, Ph.D. Development Planning Management and Innovation (DPMI), Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) Asian Institute of Technology Khlong Luang, Thailand

Preface

Since a guideline and continuance of our Ubuntu philosophy, this section resides alongside the Indigenous Gnoseology and Indigenous Paradigm, as “really new research techniques are now merging with the promise of Indigenous science-based research approaches” (Massey & Kirk, 2015, p.13, paraphrased). Is it possible to operate outside of objectivity? Can we consider the concerns of others as our own? Can we make room for philosophy? Can we conceive without black-and-white, east-west, or tribal-modern divisions? Can we create a theory that fits inside the Indigenous Research Paradigm? Talking about people, working with people, and bettering people, without any cultural Homophily, like the First Anthropologist Al-Biruni (see Sachau’s translation of History of India, Al-India, Biruni’s Sachau, 2013 preface) or Ibn Khaldun’s humanistic position—“Asabiyyah” or Solidarity—are examples of Homophilyfree anthropology (Al-Muqaddima). Ibn Khaldun discussed solidarity 500 years before to Emile Durkheim and Auguste Comte. We advised that this book provides the foundation for egalitarian policy. In the first chapter, we invalidate (read: reject) scientific objectivity due to its “subjective” congruence with Colonialism, Christianity, and Culturalism. Thus, “this [methodology] is intended to be an arrow pointed at the center of our [colonial myopic] culture [and purported scientific knowledge providers]” (David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs, 2018, p. xxiv, emphasis ours).” Why are we subjective, as Aristotle’s Gnoseology proposes under Phronesis? The explanation is this book. It is time to (re)consider human relationships, connections, and “I” and “other.” It is as common to force a search for a solution to a problem as to disconnect, triggering the “be with oneself” response. Pandemic times have brought to light deep wounds related to human interactions, such as loneliness, death and other losses, fear, sadness and anger caused by change, the unknown and lack, triggering an intense process of self-knowledge at the collective level that touches on humanity’s most fundamental suffering, as it does in individual psychotherapy practice. The coronavirus, which may

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impair the critical function of breathing, reminds us that the air that gives us oxygen, although plentiful and vaguely accessible, can be limited at times, along with the imminence of death (whether literal or figurative) and the subsequent grieving process. The COVID-19 epidemic transcends the public health problem and the economic recession. It is an issue that threatens the integrity and complexity of human beings. However, the feeling of alienation from the whole cannot be entirely attributed to the virus but rather to a protracted process of “infection” based on the widespread effects of colonial, capitalist, and neoliberal logic. Consequently, the situation is far more extensive. Such discourses, ephemera, and ideas associated with egoistic goals and meritocracy have further weakened the immune system of the link between man and nature around the globe, generating varying degrees of shock to the feeling of bonding. Who in the recent day has not pondered loneliness and isolation, the viability of the planet, or “bad” vs “good” relationships? Yes, we are in a crisis and encounter new obstacles daily. Because the Internet offers a platform for witnessing various behavioral events, a fast search on a search engine is once again sufficient to fulfill the deep demands for belonging and attachment. It is vital to realize that there is no final solution to the question. Following this outbreak, the 2020 pandemic has become one of the most-searched terms online. As a related note, I, jahid, am personally thankful to my supervisors who both allowed me to work on this book: Ubuntu, which is one of the axiological components of my thesis, at large having 1–2 pages, and I illustrated this as an entire book. It is necessary to investigate these words’ underlying feelings and connections more deeply. What does the term “coolness” mean? Will they be able to suppress or self-regulate their emotions? It seems that feeling oneself and allowing oneself to not be are incompatible. Let us start “we” as a verb, at least a step ahead toward Ubuntu spirit. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia New Jersey, USA Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Jahid Siraz Chowdhury Haris Abd Wahab Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad Golam M. Mathbor Mashitah Hamidi

Notes on the Cover: It has been and resembles the bloodshed of the 2020 Pandemic; after that on white background, the sign of peace, Ubuntu comes with the message of Global solidarity, cooperation, and care. Topic Source: This book’s seeding idea is jahid siraz thesis, where Ubuntu is placed as an axiology. Yet, this book is the 3rd of Covid-19 trilogy, first one is The Covid-19 and Social Sciences: Seeing from the Global South (Universiti Malaya Press, 2022), and the second one is Handbook of Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on Marginalized Populations and Support for the Future (IGI Global).

Acknowledgments

Many people helped me finish this book, including our family, friends, coworkers, and manuscript reviewers, as well as the Rakhain, the Patra community of Bangladesh, that inspired the concept for this volume. I, jahid, am personally thankful to my supervisors who both allowed me to work on this book: Ubuntu, which is one of the axiological components of my thesis, at large having 1–2 pages, and I illustrated this as an entire book. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to Professor Siti Hajar Abh, Dr. Nooralina Omar, and Dr. Kumarashawaran Vedevelu of the Universiti Malaya for providing me with vital inspiration. We thank Springfield College’s Professor Wronka, AIT’s Professor Mokbul Morshed Ahmad, and the National University of Singapore’s Professor Farid Alatas; all three helped us develop the content. We appreciate Mr Parimal’s insightful remarks and motivation to complete the work. We thank the editors, Dr. Hua Bai, Connie Lee, Yamini, and Ms. Siva of Springer Nature for their continuing cooperation. Hua Bai is the one, to whom I (jahid), on behalf of all, express my heartiest gratefulness. Of course, all other members at Springer Nature for their patience, encouragement to start and complete the book, and significant assistance. We pay homage to the anonymous reviewers for their abundance of expertise and willingness to share it. I, the first author, appreciate my little mummies—Ara and Soha—for allowing me to stay longer, even overnights and weekends at the office. I thank my wife, Farzi, for giving me food and permitting me to work at the office to develop this manuscript. We appreciate Dr Rehman for copyediting job. My special thanks go to Dr Rashid for allowing Jahid to use his office space and for their support. And finally, the team, the working bee of the production and distribution section, and to a deeper extent, the global marketing team and distributors, who are the ones taking our message to the people.

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Contents

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Introduction: The Face and Interface The Face and Interface Ubuntu: The Face of Covid-19 The Interface: Global Health Policies and People’s Health Costing Life, Casting News and Policy in the Covid-19 Pathology Beyond Illiberal Normativity? This Special Issue Beyond the Left–Right but Moving Forward An Argument Within When Ubuntu Is Not a Khichri Why This Book (Read Analysis) What Is Not This Book Readership of This Book Structurization of the Book References Research Is Not Greater Than the Methodology: Ways of Seeing and Analyzing Ubuntu The Analytical Root Repairing the ‘Self’ as a Researcher Stream 2: Al-Farabi, Saadia Gaon: Their Critical Stance Stream 3: The Poststructuralist Move to Anticolonial Ancestry Stream 4: The Decolonial Turn Indigenous Gnoseology as a Method of Seeing Ubuntu—Absorbing of the Four Streams Methodological Tenets Research Is Reciprocal; What My Community Is Giving Back from My Study! The Research Sits Inside the Methodology, Not Methodology in the Research

1 1 4 4 9 10 11 15 19 21 23 25 27 31 31 32 35 39 41 44 49 49 51

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Why Methodology Matters; the Topic, the Context, and the Researcher! Research Is Not About Tools, Techniques, or Instruments but All About Trust, Respect, Caring, Sharing, and Unity Is Research Apolitical? Research Is Beyond the State, Business, and the ‘Self’ and Hence, Universal Research About Not Only Writing the Right Thing but Acting as ‘Righting the Rights of People’ Research Is Not Deeper Than Its Methodology Conclusion: Can We Start Weing References

53 55 55 59 61 62 64 67 73 73 78 82 86 91 95 96

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What Does Ubuntu Manifest in This Pandemic What Is Ubuntu Does Ubuntu Contradict Individualism? Features of Ubuntu: A Set of Characteristics Manifestation in Social Life Structures of Ubuntu Some Reflections Conclusion: How Far Can the Apple Go from the Tree? References

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Why Ubuntu Can Be… Why Ubuntu Justifying Ubuntu Philosophical Justification When Ubuntu, a People as Solving Issues Methodological Justification: An Academic Ontology Practical Justification: As National Policy and During Previous Pandemics As a Bridge Between East and West Ubuntu is a Space for Social Sciences Conclusion References

101 101 102

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….And How How Ubuntu Ways of Knowing Ways of Being Ways of Acting Some Reflections: Can Ubuntu Support an Ethical Philosophy? Conclusion References

133 133 133 142 145 152 155 156

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Concluding Reflection: Seeing Self Through Other… The Self and the Other We Are Limited: Are We?

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CONTENTS

Personal Sphere As Family Therapy Community Circular Country Circular Regional Integration: Metonymic and Geographic Substitutes Global Integration: A Global Call We Did It: O Mind; It Will Happen, if You Make a Bet, You Promise That Bet Will Stay with You Materializing Ubuntu Among the Migrant Workers of Malaysia Materializing Ubuntu Among the Migrant Workers of Malaysia Ubuntu Related Scholarship Conclusion: Towards an (Indefinite) Optimistic Prospect References 7

Assimilating Ubuntu Spirit into Self: A Practical Note on the Selfosophy and on the First Wings: JR Self-Repairing Model References

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166 169 170 171 174 178 182 184 184 186 191 192

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Glossaries

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Index

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About the Authors

Jahid Siraz Chowdhury is Ph.D. Fellow, Universiti Malaya, Social Administration and Justice. He believes that Research is Reciprocal; what my community back from the research is! My generic Concept JR Self-Repairing Model, Selfosophy, Indigenous Gnoseology, and Reciprocity, and 7 books, ameliorating the insights of social science. On COVID-19, he contributed a Trilogy, the 2020 Pandemic and Social Science: Some Insights from the South, University Malaya Press, Malaysia (Eds); Handbook of Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on Marginalized Populations and Support for the Future, IGI Global, USA (Eds); and finally, UBUNTU Philosophy in the New Normalcy, Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. Dr. Haris Abd Wahab is a Professor in the Department of Social Administration and Justice, University of Malaya. His core area of expertise is Community Development and Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science. Over the 19 years, he has been involved in developing and promoting teaching, learning, and research opportunities in community development and social work. He teaches social problems, social work, community development, social marketing, research methodology, and social theories. His research interests focus on community well-being, social care programs for the at-risk children in Malaysia, children’s well-being, and social development for vulnerable social groups. Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad He is an educationist and serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at University Malaya. At present, he is working in the Drug Discoveries of Indigenous communities in Bangladesh. Dr. Golam M. Mathbor is a Professor in the School of Social Work at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey, USA. He served as the Associate Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth

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University from July 2006 through June 30, 2014. He is the founding Chair of the Department of Philosophy, Religion, and Interdisciplinary Studies and served as its Chair for two terms for the period 2007–2010 and 2013–2016. Currently, he is serving as President of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS), and as a Member, Board of Directors of the Council on American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), USA. He is also serving as Advisor of Phi Eta Sigma National Freshman Honor Society-Monmouth University Chapter since 2005. Mashitah Hamidi is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Administration and Social Justice, Universiti Malaya, and expert in Social Services for marginalized groups focusing on labor and gendered migration, stateless people, and refugees. She obtained her Bachelor Science (Hons) Human Development and Masters Human Resource Development (MHRD) from Universiti Putra Malaysia. She pursued her Ph.D. in Sociology at La Trobe University, Australia. Her areas of research include development studies and social services system of transnational labor migration, stateless, and refugees’ group.

List of Figures

Fig. 1.1 Fig. 1.2 Fig. 1.3 Fig. 2.1

Fig. 2.2 Fig. 2.3

Fig. 2.4

Fig. 4.1

Fig. 4.2

Fig. 6.1 Fig. 6.2 Fig. 6.3 Fig. 7.1

Ubuntu scholarship and the missing links (Source Authors’ perception) The trilogy of Covid-19 (Source Authors’ compilation) Visualization of the structure of this book (Source Authors’ perception) Thinking, and thinking and…where is practicality? (Source Jahid Chowdhury, Reviving and Re-Writing Ethics in Social Research For Commoning the Community, 2023, IGI Global, forthcoming) Captive-minded intellectual (Source Chowdhury et al., 2021) Hegel’s Geist and new science consciousness (Source Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (2007 [1807], p. 57, [we have used the Duke University edition]) Methodological summary and seeking truth with Indigenous Gnoseology (Source Datta, 1997; Gill, 2006; Jeff & Vencovská, 2016; Koller, 2018, this figure is the seedbed of our book, An Introduction to the Indigenous Gnoseology, 2023, forthcoming) The new science is the seedbed of globalization and western methodologies (Source Reading and inspiration from Olav Eikeland, Farid Alatas) New chapter of South African through Ubuntu in 1996 (Source Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 200 of 1993 (https://ucdpged.uu.se/peaceagreements/fulltext/SyA%201 9931118.pdf)) Ubuntu and its way of Actions Materializing Ubuntu with the migrant workers in Malaysia (Source Field visit) Sensing Ubuntu among the Bangladeshi Rakhains and beyond (Source Field visit) Latife sitta: The 6 inner parts in Islamic Sufism

18 20 27

54 61

63

65

103

114 183 185 186 198

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Fig. 7.2

JR self-repairing model (Notes B = Body, M = Mind, S = Spirit, E = Energy, En = Emotion, Eso = Esoteric Breathing, Exo = Exoteric Breathing, OS = Other self)

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List of Tables

Table Table Table Table Table

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1

Table Table Table Table Table Table

2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1

The facet of Covid-19 The interface of global health policy and people’s health Meaningless debates when lives are at stake Recent titles on Ubuntu The Poststructuralist move of the 1970s and the birth of Indigenous metaphysics Root of liberating the epistemic injustice and violence Conceptualizing Gnoseology The dichotomy of Ubuntu and western philosophy Manifestation in social life structures of Ubuntu Immersion of Ubuntu Ubuntu in policy and pandemics

6 9 13 22 40 42 46 79 89 95 104

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction: The Face and Interface

The Face and Interface Before entering the 300-page lengthy discussion, we do posit what Ubuntu is—, “My analysis of the historical development of the written discourses on ubuntu (Gade 2011) suggests that after the term ‘ubuntu’ appeared in writing in 1846, more than a century passed before the first authors began to define ubuntu more broadly than simply as a human quality. If I am correct, then it was not until the second half of the 1900s that ubuntu began to be defined as a philosophy, an ethic, African humanism, and as a worldview in written sources. Furthermore, my historical findings indicate that it was in the period from 1993 to 1995 that the Nguni proverb ‘umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’ was used for the first time to describe what ubuntu is. In recent years some SAADs have used the proverb to explain what ubuntu is (e.g. Bhengu 1996: 6; Tshoose 2009: 14). Furthermore, there are also members of the SAADs group who define ubuntu as a philosophy, an ethic, African humanism, or as a worldview. This can be illustrated with some quotes: Ubuntu is a philosophy that could assist in rebuilding within and amongst different communities (Motsei 2007: 10). It [ubuntu] is a social ethic, a unifying vision enshrined in the Zulu maxim ‘umuntu ngumuntu ngabanye’ (‘one is a person through others’) (Makgoba 1999: 153). That healthy atmosphere also emanated from the authentic African humanism (ubuntu) that pervaded the college (Buthelezi 2004: 129).

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 J. Siraz Chowdhury et al., Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0_1

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Ubuntu stresses the importance of community, solidarity, caring, and sharing. This worldview [ubuntu] advocates a profound sense of interdependence and emphasizes that our true human potential can only be realized in partnership with others (Ngcoya 2009: 1)”. (Gade, 2012, p. 492, emphasizing ours, original citation kept)

And this is our taken position of ours on Ubuntu. Why we are proposing Ubuntu there is reasoning. Before that, please read the judgment of Immanuel Kant (2008). Undoubtedly, you will agree with us after this and start this epistemic disobedience. In the Lecture on Anthropology, later Michael Foucault translated, even before on Physical Geography, Kant divided humanity into four categories. In addition to the above, Kant (2013) used the term ‘Indigenous’, which refers to all black people of Asia, Africa, China, and American Negros. Let us read from Physical Geography of the Wizard by Immanuel Kant (in Pauline, 2014, p. 51, emphasis ours ) [I]ndigenous peoples of the Americas in general are an ‘inferior kind of human’ they have no stamina for work, and they rarely have a civil condition (Physical Geography) the indigenous peoples as physically weak. Blacks, on the other hand, are said to have been ‘created for the harsh labor conditions on the sugar plant.

It is not Kant alone, “…barbarous districts” of barbaric India (Bacon, 2008, p. 65). Bacon, like Hegel, treated India as barbaric. Hegel’s monumental work, the Philosophy of History (PH), covered all regions of the world. Let us reflect on a few words. Hegel’s (2001) Philosophy is one of the well-read books at least Robert Pippin, Slavoj Zizek, and Peter Singer admire in many ways. Reading from an anti-colonial lens, we found this is the worst document in world history. The Spirit of God lives in the Church; it is the inward impelling Spirit. But it is in the World that Spirit is to be realized—in a material not yet brought into harmony with it. (Hegel, 2001, Philosophy of History, p. 372)

Walter Mignolo’s Local History, Global Design (Mignolo, 2012, pp. 10–12, in particular) is a good read of Hegel’s (2001) Philosophy of History, which gave a starting with western ontology. Still, the Phenomenology of Spirit (Hegel, 1977) is the core text that motivated Edmund Husserl. It makes the lineage to Interpretative school when the primary cursors are Clifford Geertz, and Victor Turners are a few names. As said, this argumentative article is not following Data-Analysis-Recommendation. It is instead a call. Geertz, for example, as if the duck was swimming into the ex-colonized land, but not a single sentence came out about the colonial history of Bali; however, we refer to Chowdhury et al. (2023b).

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Our quick reflection (read reaction), Will any social scientist from the East, or Universities of the ex-colonized region, per se, University Malaya, Or Dhaka, Calcutta, be encouraged to adopt, follow or use this Kant1 and Hegel born Critical thinking, or Marx-generated Frankfurtian Critical school for their research? Marx wrote a small book to the Geometer of Race Johann Blumenbach, who scientifically divided the human race, and established, saying, progressive thinker of the century. Also, Immanuel Kant wrote a letter to Blumenbach motivating scientific works. Sruti Kapila already said so, and I‘m not repeating it (see Kapila, 2007 and the note below). We know we can not. We should not.

For details, we refer to Chowdhury (2023b; Chowdhury et al., 2022b). Yet, I need to elaborate a few, and a note is pertinent.2 I am little unhappy with Mignolo’s Gnoseological analysis of Artistotle if we read the original book (see David Ross, 1956, Aristotle: the Nicomachean ethics. We need to take a breath to re-think and make some alternatives (Ziai, 2017, p. 2548), and third space (Metz, 2011, 2018, 2021; Ngubane & Makua, 2021), and hence, proposing Ubuntu is not new at all, AlendaDemoutiez said, “Ubuntu is an important illustration of this thought. The 1 Kapila’s article should be a core reference for uncovering the mask of Kant, Marx and Blumenbach, in effect, the western cannon of New Science (Kapila, 2007). 2 “…barbarous districts of New India”, Bacon termed India like this, (Bacon, 2008, 65), Jonathan Daly’s observation about west, particularly on Bacon’s New Organon is, to me little lack of totality. Daly said Bacon advocated combining Aristotle’s observation and classification with Plato’s theorizing (see Daly, J. W. [2019]. How Europe made the modern world: Creating the great divergence [p. 94]. Bloomsbury Publishing). But if we read and follow the Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle, then, we may say, Bacon totally rejected the core essence of Aristotelian nature of ‘practical use of wisdom for the welfare of the Polis. If we justify Immanuel Kant’s two writings, Toward perpetual peace in 1795 and Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals 1797 , we can consider him a critic of colonialism. At the same time he did so as a violation of the principle of rights. Regarding colonialism, we will see that we will review his previous views. I want to show that Kant strongly supported colonialism before 1790. See, Idea for a Universal History from Cosmopolitan Perspective, came in 1784, written in 1784, shortly after Pure Reason (1781) accepts the colony. See the quote below before we talk about lasting peace. Before criticizing, I argue that Kant’s early approval and his subsequent critique of colonialism are closely related to his changed view of race because his approval of an ethnic classification played an important role in justifying European colonialism. Read the following two quotes, if you read Marx and Kant side by side, we will understand at least a little bit of the history of todays indigenous. In his infamous article, ‘Idea for a Universal History from a Ak 8:15 Cosmopolitan Perspective. We furthered the notes below, Kant’s very contemporary, Johann Blumenbach (Blumenbach, 1775), the western world including, Kant, Marx (Kapila, 2007, for instance, treat him as the father of Race theory, Zoology and comparative Sciences. Kant inspired Blumenbach in 1790. We firmly believe that Kant moved on Universal laws—Cosmopolitanism—in it, racial position to the moral place, because, Blumenbach, by then established is doing the Recital theory under Physical Anthropology, as scholars like Kleingeld (2019) treat Kant as colonial blind. In ‘Of the Different Human Races’, in 1777 , Kant divided the human race into four categories (Kant, 2013.

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word Ubuntu is derived from a Nguni aphorism that can be translated as ‘a person is a person because of or through others” (2022, p. 1049). Ubuntu: The Face of Covid-19 Let us read from our other writing—ameliorative and insightful, “We embellished the book with a few sections, but its primary message is oneness. The first shows that this coronavirus has touched practically every aspect of human existence and civilization. We’ve roughly grouped 33 human life components (Table 1.1). We reviewed 4123 articles, book chapters, and seminar papers to find examples. It’s a devastating pandemic symptom. We then exhibited right-left dissections before the epidemic. When lives are at danger, does this disagreement matter? All may agree that saving lives is more important than academic variety. Scholars’ gossip and theoretical messages are now funny. Theory and religion are meaningless when you’re hungry. Hunger is like needing oxygen. It’s the truth. Working with Bangladesh’s indigenous people and Malaysia’s destitute migrant workers, we’ve learned this disgusting fact. The book’s main argument has two regiments: One proposes rearranging the capitalist/neoliberal system, while the other advocates Marxism/socialism. These dissections further divide human society. We then saw the interfaces between location, international treaties, and reality. The UN Secretary-General warned about rising nationalism. The 2020 pandemic has destructive potential and risks for human society, and its ramifications, including SDGs, are unprecedented. Safety and increased tragedies have been established. It’s still threatening beliefs and a tight structure to be resolved”. (Chowdhury et al., 2022c)

So, what is the rest, then? Still abstract discussion? Recommendations? Components of nationalism argue that national entities known as nation-states are critical for human progress. End of the day, when people have no money (Rammelt, 2020), how would they survive? Do we need to think for a weing? Gustavo Esteva, long before, proposed this so (O’Donovan, 2015). Now we will interface the global health policies and people’s health, which is the second justification of our proposal: Ubuntu. The Interface: Global Health Policies and People’s Health Realizing the facets (Table 1.1), what is our, meaning from policymakers and social scientists’ strategy for combating global disaster? Nothing? There are some—Planetary Health, WHO’s Health for All, SDGs, nothing worked, and UN Secretary-general warned of increasing nationalism (see Table 1.2: The Interface with universal health coverage and global solidarity). The 2020 pandemic is damaging and hazardous for human society, and its effects, including SDGs, are unprecedented. Safety and increasing tragedies have been established. It’s still threatening ideas and a tight structure for a substantial political economy. After what? Nationalism provisions that nation-states are

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crucial to human growth. Shanghai’s lockdown has diminished, while Beijing and Tianjin still have Covid breakouts. More than 200 m people are restricted, and the economy is suffering. (The Economist, 2022a, 26/5/2022). But of course, not blending with colonial-patronizing thinkers and so forth, we later here make some comments, however. Now we will make the reasoning of Ubuntu, consecutively and precisely, facets, Interface of Global Health Policy, and People’s health, then the academic arguments. Table 1.2 reveals that the world already has had enough legislative guidelines—Health for All, Planetary Health (PH), and Universal Human Rights. However, what was the worth of these when the graveyard was full of bodies, mortuaries overflowed, and the air was heavier than tears? Alma Ata’s declared, “the existing gross inequality in the health status of the people, particularly between developed and developing countries as well as within countries, is politically, socially, and economically unacceptable and is, therefore, of common concern to all countries”. Going back to the Lancet commission definition of PH, Whitmee et al. (2015, p. 286). “[P]lanetary health is the achievement of the highest attainable standard of health, wellbeing, and equity worldwide through judicious attention to the human systems—political, economic, and social—that shape the future of humanity and the earth’s natural systems that define the safe environmental limits within which humanity can flourish. Put simply, planetary health is the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends [emphasis ours ].”

The Commission says, Health and wellbeing: that means we have to ensure people’s not physical health but well-being. Judicious attention stands with not the political system or policies only; instead, it asserts the ‘human system’ of a given state and constitutional provision. And finally, Humanity: where we understand not justice or human rights, nor food or job rather more widely, it tells us about the ‘ethics of a humane relationship within and beyond the community.

World Health Organization (WHO) says, “Universal coverage is firmly based on the WHO constitution of 1948, declaring health a fundamental human right, and on the Health for All schedule set by the Alma-Ata declaration in 1978.” Equity is paramount, means that countries need to track progress not just across the national population but within different groups (e.g., by income level, sex, age, place of residence, migrant status, and ethnic origin) (retrieved from WHO.net). Beyond the western notion (Le Grange, 2012), Ubuntu has been to the fore in scholarship amid this Pandemic (Mudau et al., 2022; Mungwini, 2011; Le Grange, 2012; Omodan & Diko, 2021), yet, we see some gaping holes. Before addressing this issue, we will see some more practical and academic grounds.

UNHCR (2020); Fish et al. (2020). Mattei, Russo, Addabbo & Galeazzi (2020) WHO (2020b, 2020d). Initiated by WHO for a manifestation of Alma-Ata: Health for All WHO (2020a); Badrfam & Zandifar (2020) Al-Ali (2020); Salem & Shaaban (2020); UN Women (2020); Davenport, Meyer, Meah, Strynadka & Khurana (2020) Pan American Health Organization–PAHO (PAHO, 2020a) PAHO (2020b). When infamous scholar Call-camming said about Solidarity as methodological praxis, Qualitative Report, (2022) Raju & Ayeb-Karlsson (2020); WHO (2020e); Barua & Karia (2020); UN (2020a) United Nations (UN) (2020b); Craig, (2020) Nicola et al. (2020) United Nations (UN) (2020b); Gostin, Constantin & Meier (2020); Taylor et al. (2020); Loewenson et al. (2020); Gostin, Moon & Meier (2020) Khillari (2020); Barua (2020); Tooze (2020) Sommer (2018); Chirisa, et al. (2020); Harris & Moss (2020) Pyburn et al. (2020); Bochtis, Benos, Lampridi, Marinoudi, Pearson & Sørensen (2020) Hunga (2011); Mendez-Parra (2020); McPherson (2020); Gumede, Oloruntoba & Kamga (2020); Dey (2020); Wang, Tian & Qin (2020); Wilson & Stimpson (2020); Cholewinski Ryszard (2020); Mukumbang, Ambe & Adebiyi (2020); Nagaraj, Karin, & Barkawi (2020) Laborde, Martin, Swinnen & Vos (2020); Clapp & Moseley (2020); Pereira & Oliveira (2020); Elsahoryi, Al-Sayyed, Odeh, McGrattan & Hammad (2020)

1. LGBT people in the Middle East 2. Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

15. Food Crisis

14. Migrant Worker

11. Global Manufacturing 12. Tourism 13. Agriculture

8. Covid-19 as a metaphor for WW2 9. Compared with “black swan event” 10. UN’s warning against Vaccinationalism and a global solidarity

7. Larget refugees: The Rohingya

5. Young people 6. A global solidarity trail is a call

3. Stigma as Factors 4. Covid-19 came with gendered biases

Leading studies

Major facets

Table 1.1 The facet of Covid-19

6 J. SIRAZ CHOWDHURY ET AL.

Tourism Hotel and hospitality Financial sector Education Civil aviation, Tourism

29. Real estate, housing, rental, property

28. Health care in general ara>

24. 25. 26. 27.

21. Research activities 22. Knowledge production 23. Sports and recreation

Baby Boom Childhood Obesity and Crisis Petroleum Manufacturing

(continued)

Coller & Webber (2020); McCrary & Sanga (2020); Anderberg, Rainer & Siuda (2020); Hemelryk (2020); Smith (2020) Mary (2020); The Daily Sabah (2020); Rudolph & Zacher (2020); Frey (2020) An (2020); Pietrobelli et al. (2020); Woo Baidal (2020) Sorkhabi (2020); Mandryk et al. (2020); De Bièvre & van Ommeren (2020) Paul & Chowdhury (2020); Li, Wang, Liu, Freiheit & Epureanu (2020); Chowdhury, Sarkar, Paul & Moktadir (2020); Xu, Elomri, Kerbache & El Omri (2020) Bratan et al. (2020); Omary (2020); Myers et al. (2020) Aziz et al. (2020); Rodrigues, Franco & Silva (2020) Wong et al. (2020); Wildani & Ghazzali (2020); Swart & Maralack (2020); Weed (2020) Baum, Mooney, Robinson & Solnet (2020) Reinhart & Rogoff (2020); Oxford Analytica (2020) Akseer, Kandru, Keats & Bhutta (2020); Ahmed, Allaf, & Elghazaly (2020) Abu-Rayash & Dincer (2020); Grech, Cuschieri, Balzan, Grech, Fabri & Gauci (2020); Qiu, Park, Li & Song (2020); Hall, Scott & Gössling (2020) Carter, Anderson & Mossialos (2020); Baral, Mishra, Diouf, Phanuphak & Dowdy (2020); Bates et al. (2020) Spatt (2020); Mattarocci & Roberti (2020); Arcaya, Nidam, Binet, Gibson & Gavin (2020); Tanrıvermi¸s (2020)

16. Family and domestic violence

17. 18. 19. 20.

Leading studies

Major facets

1 INTRODUCTION: THE FACE AND INTERFACE

7

Minten, Oo, Headey, Lambrecht & Goudet (2020); Morales, Morales & Beltran (2020); Verhaeghe & Ghekiere (2020); Mattarocci & Roberti (2020); The Guardian (2020, 21/06/2020); The Bioversity International (2020); The Food Tank (2020); Wallace (2020); Alliance Bioversity CIAT (2020); CGTN (2020); Schweimler (2020); Ramos, (2020); Millalen, Nahuelpan, Hofflinger & Martinez (2020) Byrne (2020); Xu, Elomri, Kerbache & El Omri (2020); McLeod, Gurney, Harris, Cormack & King (2020); Fortier (2020); Carr (2020); Gelaye, Foster, Bhasin, Tawakol & Fricchione (2020); Meneses-Navarro et al. (2020); Power, Wilson, Best, Brockie, Bourque Bearskin, Millender & Lowe (2020) Epidemics are as Infodemics (Peters, Jandri´c, & McLaren, 2020) Srilanka’s current situation and dearth of regional cooperation like SAARC

30. Indigenous and Marginal people

Source Chowdhury et al. (2023b, forthcoming)

32. Info-phobia 33. National Bankruptcy

31. Motor Manufacturing

Leading studies

Major facets

Table 1.1 (continued)

8 J. SIRAZ CHOWDHURY ET AL.

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Table 1.2 The interface of global health policy and people’s health Year

Major works

The 1970s

Environmentalism and a holistic Health movements (Prescott & Logan, 2018) physician ecologist Frederick Sargent II concerning the interrelations between the ‘planetary life-support systems Soviet bio-philosopher Gennady Tsaregorodtsev called ‘planetary public health’ (Tsaregorodtsev, 1974) Alma Ata Declaration’s Health for All Theodore Roszak, wrote in Bauman, E. (Ed.). (1981). The Holistic Health Lifebook: A Guide to Personal and Planetary Well-being By the 1990s, the concept of planetary health became part of integrative medicine Stohl (1991) wrote planetary health: Are you part of the solution is considered a major milestone in PH Movement The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Horton et al. (2014) the Manifesto, the Lancet Editor Richard Horton, coined the term “planetary health” in “From Public to Planetary Health: A Manifesto Whitmee et al., (2015) published in the Lancet with the Rockefeller Foundation. The Lancet launched the concept as the Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Later still, at a 2017 conference organized by the Planetary Health Alliance Lancet Planetary Health came to the fore Celebrating 40 th the Alma Ata The debate is ongoing…

1972 1974 1978 1981 The 1990s 1991 2000 2014

2015

2015 2017 2017 2018 2017–2020

Source Chowdhury et al. (2023c)

Costing Life, Casting News and Policy in the Covid-19 Pathology Let us reflect on some everyday life and askings. We have written elsewhere (Siraz et al., 2020); however, it carries different WHO Secretary-General António Guterres said, “this Covid Pandemic is an x-ray that shows almost all states’ skulls. True” (Chowdhury et al., 2022c). The Covid epidemic is an x-ray staged and delivered to the public health skull in nearly all nations. Nevertheless, we may look at the factsheet • On Aug 12, 2022, 6,449,589 people passed away.3 • As of December 6, 2021, we reviewed 4123 articles, journal papers, seminar presentations, and book chapters, and these are yet not enough. • Moreover, by the end of 2022, we believe over 100 well-mentored books will appear

3

Outbreak.com/world.

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• Many universities globally have taken big bracketed research projects. A few of these seem significant to show Ubuntu’s facets here, as we present in Table 1.1 The rising death toll statistics imply that the figure will increase to hundreds of thousands, perhaps more. The virus has easily been exposed across commuting, and global financial destinations and the horrific disease has pulled citizens down. The world’s biggest disasters, such as the COVID19 epidemic, became exceptional in the collective consciousness. In its entirety, this book contributes to a discourse on the effect on global affairs. Some perceive incidents such as historical themes: the macroeconomic landscape seems utterly different from the international financial crisis condition (refer to Table 1.1). An abrupt transition is a call to another route that the UN Secretary-General is already concerned about ‘vaccinationalism’ (Siraz et al., 2020). Some propose the fundamental principle in these crises of enhanced stability. There are no transformations but fractures. If progressive circumstances shift later, rebellions are deemed more tectonic than leading triggers, increasing the pace of much greater infiltration. This disease, though, aims at replicating and not harvesting but for the exchange of products and services; hence, it has unintentionally altered the path of travelers. Lockdown orders disciplined national security, encryption, virtual surveillance, or other big data. They struck hardest—to date in all the wealthiest and most influential countries in the world, placing capitalist motors at a standstill. The scenario of the world is essential as the face of the 2020 pandemic. Given this context, we wish to yell, “How many thousands have died, and you accept the demand [of Ubuntu]?” The questions are straightforward, and the answers are evident. “(কত হাজার মরেল

তেব মানেব

[

] দাবী?

সহজ, আর

ওেতা জানা )”

Legendary singer, poet, humanitarian Kabir Suman gave our answer. Beyond Illiberal Normativity? This Special Issue We observed that no single comment came from vital academic organizations such as the American Anthropological Association, Social Work, Sociology, etc. Understandably, this is due to the dominance of the Durkheimian sociology of knowledge, and as a result, we believe these brutal social truths to be objects. Our argument begins here against Hegelian subhuman ontology, which is opposed to Durkheimian neutrality and objectivity. We disagree that Kantian Individualist Enlightenment did not stop or follow the abstract critical analysis of the post-colonial genre but suggested—following a Phronetic manner. Some might consider us an opposite stand of Malinowskian civilized cliches—truthfully, we are not hesitant. We have had more than enough bulshitazation—

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“[our] academic employment that does not appear to offer anything to society” (Graeber, 2018a)—so everything is Bullshit. “[We] would want to write about the bulshitazation of academic life,” Graeber (2018b). We skirted the whole topic on purpose; rather, this pandemic—we would say—at least confirmed what Graeber stated a decade our” (see Graeber, 2018b [2011])

We understand we are not being nice in promoting these arguments, which— for some people—may not be ‘academic style.’ But if, think, from anywhere, or Hegel or Kant address that I am not a human being, that I am uncivilized, or that I am only good for sugar cane farming, what is the use of following, producing, and legalizing these philosophers? At least four persons influenced us, admitted—Walter Magnolol’s academic disobedience, Farid Alatas’ ‘Silence as Method (2018),’ and Gustavo Esteva’s iconic admonition, ‘Be mindful of Participation’ (Barkin & Esteva, 1982), finally Spivak’s Licensed lunacy (Spivak, 2004). More than half a century ago, the international normative consecration of Human Rights gave rise to an enormous proliferation of discourses around the question of its foundation and scope. The current severe social, environmental, and humanitarian problems, however, show that, far from exhausting the development of these discourses, the Human Rights plan is still pending and is more valid than ever. But above all, these shortcomings give us space to rethink its foundations and perspectives, with a view to a more supportive and peaceful coexistence as a global community. As the central hypothesis—argument is that, the classical theory of Human Rights evolved on the liberal and individualistic pillars of the Enlightenment, encounters serious difficulties in peaceful harmonization with the multicultural context of the global community since the logic of identity that is inherent is incompatible with the event of harmonious coexistence in the difference. To explain this incompatibility, and from a genealogical perspective, certain decisive factors are analyzed in the modern construction of the logic of identity as support for the classical theory of Human Rights. The liberal influence of enlightened modernity, which owes its ideological pillars to the French Revolution, had, for example, a determining role. Likewise, the post-war context was fundamental for the emergence of the legal system of Human Rights as a limit to state authoritarianism. On the other hand, transnational economic power had a decisive influence on the last stage of the development of the discourse on Human Rights, above all on its ideological and normative homologation with the Western development model, which, in legal practice, contributed to prevailing the rights of freedom over the social and environmental. Beyond the Left–Right but Moving Forward The Communist Party of the UK found a ground— ‘Young people in revolt’ as said by Amy Field. Marxist activist Emeritus Professor Helena Sheehan said, “Now that we are in it, Marxism also clarifies what is to be done. The situation demands that the priorities of the public. Health overrides all

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other considerations. Not only individual liberty but proprietary science and medicine run counter to the whole trajectory of capitalism and point to the necessity for socialism. This pandemic highlights the need for global, public, and open science focused on the urgency of finding preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic responses to this virus, particularly a vaccine. It should transcend all considerations of prizes, patents, and profits. It requires transparent and international sharing of all relevant experimental and clinical information” (Sheehan, 2020, p. 1). However, in this section, we negate both the Marxist paradigm and Neoliberal prescriptions as seen in Table 1.3, which is not a good solution to this new normalcy. A good number of people have been arguing for socialism as a solution to this pandemic. Decades-long managing director of Socialism and Democracy, Vitor Wallis, believes that, A socialist approach to healthcare thus goes beyond responding just to market demand or to private interests and instead builds an infrastructure that can respond to emergency needs. This was strikingly shown in China, where urgently needed temporary hospitals were built in Wuhan in just two weeks and where planning also took into account the need to maintain food supplies for people living under quarantine. Moreover, a fully socialist approach, with its corresponding culture of cooperation, makes it possible, as Cuba has repeatedly shown, to extend health services on a large scale to people in other countries. (Wallis & Zhuo, 2020, p. 155)

It has been unfolded that, referring to the annual Global Risks Report, asserts that “[t]e world as we know it is at risk…where capitalism is linked with exploitation” (de Amorim & de Andrade, 2020). “How can coronavirus impact the world?” published by BBC in de Amorim and de Andrade (2020). Walter Mignolo, Farid Alatas, and many others have said that we should all fight the new social formations from the perspective of an ethic that places a premium on care, life, and democracy. Mair thinks that an entirely new kind of economy is required to create a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future after highlighting the failures and impediments imposed on society. Let us clarify, to Socialists, that this 2020 pandemic exposes and amplifies liberalism’s dynamics of inequality. Will a significant worker and marginalized revolution emerge, mainly when a prolonged global recession evolves? Having noticeable or severe is not immediately converted into consciousness. We experience that texts are investigating prospects for significant, lasting anticapitalist operations, given the limitations and uncertainties of the employee’s conscience. It leads to a negative spiral: the absence of universal anti-capitalist consciousness to populate influential organizations; the lack of effective organizations to further promote anticapitalism consciousness. Everything that is just suggesting or proposing a way out of the “COVID moment” through

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Table 1.3 Meaningless debates when lives are at stake Authors

Major assertion

Type

The neoliberal reformers Reform within Capitalist and Neoliberal Giroux & Proas, 2020; Meylahn, 2020 The Socialist standpoint Martinez (2020) Karl Marx In Wuhan: How Chinese Journal Article (JA) Socialism Is Defeating COVID-19 Gupta et al.(2020) Social Analysis and the COVID-19 Crisis: (JA) A Collective Journal Parker (Eds) (2020) Life after COVID-19: The other side of (JA) crisis San Juan (2020) Responding to COVID-19 Through (JA) Socialist (ic) Measures: David, & Okoliko (2020) Acting in Solidarity: A Phenomenological (JA) Study of the Global Response to COVID-19 and Common Good Concept Wallis & Zhuo, (2020) Socialism, Capitalism, and the COVID-19 (JA) Epidemic: Interview with Victor Wallis MRonline (2020) On Contact: Ecosocialism Video Interview Cao (2020) Socialist Factors in China’s Economic (JA) Miracle and Development Achievements Liodakis (2020) The Ongoing Struggle between Capitalist and Communist Globalization Xin (2020) Prominent Features of the System of (JA) Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and China’s Governance System Hrubec (2020) From China’s Reform to the World’s (JA) Reform Flexer (2020) Having a moment: the revolutionary (JA) semiotic of COVID-19 Raine (2020) Teaching Marx in a Pandemic Blog Post Raja (2020) Reading Marx in times of COVID-19 News Paper Hutton (2020) Western societies have failed the deadly News Paper Covid test. They must learn lessons from Asia The Conversation (2020) China: victory over coronavirus will be News Paper heralded as boost for Xi Jinping’s brand of Marxism Party (2020) Unity! Political Message Wallis & Zhuo (2020) Socialism, capitalism, and the COVID-19 JA epidemic: interview with Victor Wallis Coman (2020) As Europe’s governments lose control of JA Covid, revolt is in the air

(continued)

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J. SIRAZ CHOWDHURY ET AL.

Table 1.3 (continued) Authors

Major assertion

Yan (2020)

Mode switching: the state, market, and JA anti-Covid-19 shadow of socialism in China Last Exit to Socialism? The COVID-19 pandemic: A trigger event in world history Pandemic!: COVID-19 shakes the world. Book John Wiley & Sons

Mitchell (2020) North (2020) Žižek (2020)

Type

Source Chowdhury et al. (2023c)

methods and strategies, maybe, worthless. Some argue for Socialism (Coman, 2020; Foster & Suwandi, 2020; Goldman, 2020; Mitchell, 2020; Yan, 2020). We are not in a revolutionary situation, therefore, but it is necessary to approach politics from the point of view of what Lukács’ called the “actuality of revolution”— neither by “the task of either ‘making’ the revolution” nor by “sweeping the inactive masses along to confront them with a revolutionary fait accompli,” but instead through the construction of revolutionary organization committed to socialist transformation.4 And this remains our central task. (Mitchell, 2020, p. 36)

Indeed, we are not in a position of revolt, and countries are the only ones where the indigenous population (the black Africans) had to specifically and publicly resort to the values of ubuntu, to fight against the domination of the white minority, free themselves from it and propose an inclusive national identity. We need empathy, care, and solidarity. Let us mention an example. In the case of Zimbabwe, it was during the seventies, before its independence from the British. In the South African case, it was the Zulu party “Inkatha Freedom Party” of Chief Mangusuto Buthelezi, the first, at the end of the seventies, to appeal to ubuntu and its values in the anti-apartheid struggle Mungwini (2011). Some authors consider that act as a good strategy of that party, at that time, to seek national acceptance of other black South Africans not belonging to the Zulu ethnic group. Such a spirit could help Nelson Mandela position himself politically and compete with the omnipresent and powerful ANC party. The group of the South African population that, following a racial taxonomy, we can name as mestizos or mulattoes, since they were born from the unions between whites and blacks or Whites and Indians (from India); blacks and Indians. Notably, the fall of apartheid and the subsequent democratic changes, with the election of Nelson Mandela as the first black president in the history

4

Lenin Lukacs’ A Study in the Unity of his Thought (2009, p. 26).

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15

of South Africa, aroused many interests and much hope for peace and development, both nationally and internationally. In this transformational process, education was the premier (Waghid, 2014) and solid inspiration for putting this book to global policymakers. Nonetheless, Ubuntu sound like Marxist communalism, maybe true to Vusi Gumede (2018, p.11) said, Communalism also resonates with the concept of Ubuntu or Ujamaa or Harambee and many similar humane principles, which refer to the cultural identity of the various peoples of Africa, which define their concern for the welfare of their neighbors. We contend that a re-crystallization of such precepts into the policy domain in Africa will bring about a revolution in the way we think, conceive socio-economic programs, perform public responsibilities, and relate with our fellow Africans.

For instance, Crain et al. (2021) called for knowledge socialism, yes, that is another issue, and we will discuss it in Chapters 5 and 6 elaborately. Additionally, we evaluate a few more factors. We perceive, both practically and ontologically that this pandemic is 1. comprised of complex configurations of multiple causes and functions, and 2. perceptions, thoughts, values, self-concept, memories, and reasoning are expressed through a complex combination of behaviors and statements in various contexts rather than a single variable. As we see in Table 1.3, none of the 23 articles discusses the food issue when people are starving. Hunger renders theory and religion useless. Hunger is like oxygen and is factually accurate. We have learned this working with Bangladesh’s indigenous people and Malaysia’s migrant labor. This chapter, in effect, the book, provides a third place for two regiments— one recommends restructuring the capitalist/neoliberal system, and the other Marxism/socialism. This conceptual paper investigates the New Normal, Ubuntu, ‘I am because we are.’ As a global policy, left, right, ultra-right, religion, and geography evolved. Each has distinct twists, turns, and ways of thinking about Covid-19.

An Argument Within When Ubuntu Is Not a Khichri This book is a call to awakening, transformation, philosophically and practically, to resurrect our consciousness, then strategy, to consider if we will continue to justify self-interest (Spivak, 2004) instead of community sense of lives and reality, such as this Covid-19? Should we continue ‘righting the wrongs’ or ‘righting the rights’ in pedagogy? By practising and proposing Ubuntu, we assume we are walking on the same loop, righting the wrongs, and seeing the setting and prevailing texts. Our assumptions are not far-fetching.

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We have seen the present situation from many aspects: the pandemic’s features, the interaction between global health policies and the health of the worldwide community, and the various debates—Socialism, Capitalism, Reformists, and so on. The latter two saw our failure as policymakers and social scientists. We must admit that throughout the epidemic and in the New Normalcy, we failed to establish a coherent perspective and practical rules. When we try to center Ubuntu in academic discussions, we feel something missing: the practical guidelines. Two Buddhist experts (Shimizu & Noro, 2021) came to a warning; the conclusion is simply shocking. Buddhist brotherhood can be compared with Ubuntu, can be agreed, but why and how with Foucault—who was about to claim Kant is the father of anthropology (Wilson, 2007), instead of Al-Biruni. To a deeper extent, it is a Khichuri- blended rice, lentil, and veggies. Let us read from, having all the respect for Kosuke Shimizu if we read, …Mah¯ay¯ana Buddhist tradition and Western philosophies such as those of Lacan, Bergson and James, …list could go on to include Spinoza, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Arendt, Derrida, Foucault…Tagore, Gandhi and Sun Yat-sen as well as philosophical systems of thought such as Darwinism, Advaita of Hindu philosophy, Andean cosmology and Ubuntu of South African indigenous thought. By attending to these philosophical figures and thoughts with Mah¯ay¯ana Buddhism as a mediator, IR will become a promising project for the healing of the world. (Shimizu & Noro, 2021, p. 11)

Let’s be clear—Ubuntu is not a khicri. Although we have not followed the subject matter significantly in this article, it is essential to note that the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, at any time and from any consciousness, should not attempt to match Western philosophies. A khicri contains almost all palatable ingredients—rice, pulses, and vegetables. There are goodies to eat, too nutritious, but separating the cooked items is difficult, almost impossible. Derrida, what about Foucault? Foucault did not make Kant the father of anthropology, but a fanatic philosopher, who never cited Al-Biruni as the father of Ethnographic research. Indigenous people and their Cosmology and Ubuntu of Indigenous thoughts are our calls now. The names of these colonial philosophers with Mahayana Buddhism as mediators are sinful, academic violence, we referred to Shimizu and Noro (2021). A note is vital to mark Foauclut, and justifying our negation.5 5 Edward Said explicitly said in his book “Sartre and the Arabs: A Footnote” that a seminar was held in Paris. The primary concern was the confrontation with the Israelis. “Foucault was present, but he made it quite obvious that he had nothing to say regarding the seminar’s topic and would immediately return to his daily research at the Bibliothèque Nationale. I now understand why Foucault was so reluctant to discuss Middle Eastern politics with me. Gilles Deleuze told me in the late 1980s that he and Foucault, formerly the closest of friends, had fallen out over their divergent views on Palestine. Prior to the conflict, Foucault supported Israel while Deleuze supported the Palestinians. “It’s no wonder he didn’t want to discuss the Middle East with me or anyone else”. Notes on the

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Textbox 1.1 The Decade

The period we are talking about, the 1960s–1980s, is when we think social science was reborn. Let’s take a look at what happened. Louis Althusser, the French banyan tree alone has a hundred plus branches. Talal Asad, Foucault, Derrida his students, all again on different lines of thought and theory, undeniably rejected by each other. Fanon, mostly in Algeria, Vine Deloria in the US, Syed Hussein Altas in Malaysia. Jean-Paul Sartre refused the Nobel Prize in 1964. Brazil’s Paulo Freire surprised the world with an innovative teaching method. Nouveau Roman means the new novel movement, more restricted, with limited appeal within France and less abroad. Alphabet, in the classical sense, continues to lose its voice and commanding position in academia and beyond. An exotic marriage of social and philosophical thought that took their place, at the altar of literature, I really put some emphasis on my tone. To be sure, I am not a product of this time, yet, my spiritual connection with some: Fanon, Deloria, Altas gave me my intellectual birth. Although purely anthropological, it was during these years that Lévi-Strauss became the world’s most famous anthropologist; Also Clifford Geertz, Goffman in the US. Braudel established himself as its most influential historian; Barthes became its most distinguished literary critic; Lacan began to earn his reputation as the wizard of psychoanalysis; Foucault to discover his archeology of knowledge; Derrida would become the antinomian philosopher of the age; Bourdieu developed the ideas that made him the best-known sociologist, an explosion of surprising names. In Africa, voices predominate under literature, Ben Okri, Changerai Hoves, Tahar Ben, Asia Zeber, strong in sociology. May not agree with everyone, but they have to be acknowledged for their contribution.

Tripathi’s (2021) Participatory action research is motivated by Paulo Freire. We are not giving all details, just to remind you that philosophers Freire and Frantz Fanon, being at in same time (1960–1970), were purely different (for details, see, Decolonization is not Metaphor, Tuck and Yang’s masterpiece). Some information about the decade may help our readership. view of Michel Foucault held by Edward Said. Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, volume 25, pages 89–121. Am I making myself clear? Where was the puffer’s original location? I shall discuss the power-knowledge-trade nexus in the future. Because, as he stated in Deconstructing the System and again in Beginnings: Intention and Method, archaeological study possesses a profoundly creative aspect.” However, he considered him as the epitome of Eurocentrism. According to Michel Foucault, 1926–1984, What Said has no more words. As Foucault’s Eurocentrism repeatedly demonstrates, his Eurocentrism was nearly complete, as Said’s “Criticism between Culture and System” demonstrates, beginning with material conditions and interests that are pertinent to historical change. Foucault was a product of Europe’s time, history, and geography. His flexibility towards Israel is therefore regrettable.

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Ubuntu, as compared with Swaraz in India, Gharbzadegi in Iran and Décroissance in France, are only the most well-known among them. Ubuntu, a traditional African concept, is considered one of the core values of the new republic of South Africa under Nelson Mandela’s administration. It has been a global discourse beyond Africa (Gade, 2012; Mandela, 1995; Mentz, 2021; HE Tutu, 1999). We should remind that a promising volume appeared when New South Africa was in Madiba’s hands (see the Editorial, A New South Africa, Qadir, 1994). After this Background, we wish to say, what will be our preparation if anything happens in the future? And this has been to the fore. At what level will it act and reshape value chain spatiality? (Bailey et al., 2020, p. 1165). Figure 1.1 is here to show the existing practice and gap. We can agree with what HE Desmond Tutu said, “[i]t is not, ‘I think therefore I am.” Instead, it sounds human because I belong. I participate and share” (Tutu, 1999, pp. 34–35). Plethoric articles appear in the virtual world every day; however, a solid research base and policy directive piece are unseen, even though we see a few that are yet to come relating to the C-19 and Ubuntu as we placed some major texts in Fig. 1.1. Among the invaluable articles and works set in Fig. 1.1, two texts—Metz (2021) and Shimizu and Noro (2021) provide a space for thinking—the first one is giving way in congruence with Buddhist morality, and the second one—concludes Ubuntu the Third space— but certainly, Ubuntu does not align with Foucault. We explained this point just before. And all scholars of Fig. 1.1 suffer from walking the western loop. Keeping aside all abstract, meaningless debate, we want like Gustavo Esteva’s ‘weing’; this is a moral shifting action (O’Donovan, 2015). If we reflect on these two proposals, Zizek, suppose said bye to capitalism. In contrast, others like Meylahn (2020) suggest a reformation of the capitalist system, clearly a drive to Pragmatism, Neoliberalism that is surviving within the system. As a reflection of the academic debate (Table 1.3), understandably, we are making

Fig. 1.1 Ubuntu scholarship and the missing links (Source Authors’ perception)

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an interactive mechanism—civil society and educationists may involve. Well, enough, but when? After growing a big banyan tree in the human graveyard? Our immense pleasure to recall David Graeber; what more bullshits are yet to see! We propose a genteel deconstruction: Ubuntu—’ I am because we are.’ More technically, Ubuntu’s new dialogue goes more profound than an educational account of the empirical conversion of past interactions independent of the right-left, the east, and the west. After the blood-flooded Civil War, South Africa transformed into New South Africa under the guidance of Nelson Mandela, where Ubuntu was the core philosophy. We assume that after this pandemic, we need to see the New World with the new moral teaching of Ubuntu. Since Aristotle, we have been the beauty of knowledge practice is aligned with the community’s welfare, and it has been reduced in the west since Descartes and Bacon (Eikeland, 2007). But when your life is on the line, what good is abstract reasoning? Can you keep your hand in your breast and tell me whether these jargonish disputes resulted in a single supper for the hungry females sleeping without food? Where were we back then? Are you swamped with webinars? A daddy was stealing some dry bread from a bakery, but he was discovered, convicted, and imprisoned; where did our philosophers’ ‘I’ hide? Where were the white-haired academics when well-dressed folks were waiting for food at relief centers and lonely mummies were weaving white flags? Will they create an amulet out of my 1000-page thesis? Or soaking in water and then eating it to fill one’s stomach? When we observed the lay people and Indigenous people in particular, who, according to Immanuel Kant, is excellent for sugarcane laboring, according to Hegel (2001), are subhuman, according to Bacon (see Bacon, 2008), Barbaric Indians are not Cartesians thinker “I,” but reciprocal, practical, and sensuous. During the Pandemic, these subhumans aided their neighbours with everything they had, and this African moral philosophy is central to this discussion (Alenda-Demoutiez, 2022; Gumede, 2018; Metz, 2011, 2018; Tutu, 1998; HE Tutu, 1999, 2015). Ubuntu, I am because we are, first appeared in the west in 1927 (Murray, 1967).

Why This Book (Read Analysis) Again, in reasoning this research project (third book), we think beyond the previous volumes—meritorious contribution of 25 scholars, for the first volume, then 53 academicians discussed the Covid-19 impact on the marginalized people (Fig. 1.2) across the globe—touched on various issues related and pertinent to this 2020 pandemic—need a guideline, despite all chapters ending with recommendations. We believe that all of these proposals, including those stated in Table 1.1, need a guiding philosophy. What is this? Can we explore a policy in which ‘I’ and ‘we’ are merged—I am because we are—Ubuntu in reverse—I am not in ‘I am’; I am ‘us’? Therefore, we need a policy centered on “global solidarity.” We suggest the following: I am because we are Ubuntu.

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Fig. 1.2 The trilogy of Covid-19 (Source Authors’ compilation)

Second, as academics, we have been involved in volunteer work with impoverished marginal migrants in Malaysia and Indigenous Bangladeshi people since the outbreak began. And it caused us to reconsider our roles. Beyond volunteering, there are opportunities to work with and for the people if an academic want to do so wherever they are and in whatever capacity they are able. Our first two volumes are the empirical proof, and this book is the beacon for today, the future, and democracy (Davids & Waghid, 2022; Waghid, 2020). Third, we believe this book will be for humanity. We ‘want’ to see the most significant influence and benefit on society rather than what we ‘can’ or ‘to’ solve the epidemic or damage humanity. Who guards the guardians? This book is for us, not an opinion ‘of’ society but a desire ‘for’ humans. Other factors are here. This pandemic is an ontological transformer, We have had enough, we need to see human suffering with passion, practice, and solidarity, and this book is a baby step towards the more significant aim

Nevertheless, we need to address, in brief, what is not about this book for a smooth readership.

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What Is Not This Book First, some literature is available with the Title/sub-title of Ubuntu. However, we need to note these to make our narrative clearer. Plethoric articles appear in the virtual world daily; however, a solid research base and policy directive book are unseen. Though very few books came, we listed below are entirely different from our proposed books. Our volume is a conduit between the mass people and the politicians, a deciphering of unseen stories from developing nations, to an extent, the marginal people. There are many articles in this argument; however, a few books are yet to come relating the C-19 and Ubuntu. Let us cite some (Table 1.4). Few texts (chapters included) have appeared; most are yet generated as conceptual analyses. So, readers may find a practical relationship with the chapters. We list a few key features and content in our book that will be most valuable to the reader. We detailed what the book is, yet, for a smoothened readership, we need clear what is not. In academia, some valuable texts proselytise our perception and insights on the theme of Ubuntu yet lack of being practicality. These are, at least by etymological meaning, covering Reciprocity, Collaboration, and so forth. • • • • •

Norman Denzin’s Autoethnography, Analytical Ethnography6 Reflexive Ethnography7 S.D. Madison’s Critical Ethnography8 Elaine Lawless’ Reciprocal ethnography9 Luke Lessiter’s Collaborative Ethnography10

In general, the very inner process of being an active and participatory notion of the schools like Madison, Lawless underpins the western Durkheimian sociology of knowledge, even Frankfurtina feminism (Lawless). Whatever it sounds, well aligned with western ideology and far behind Decolonizing and Indigenous sensing and morality, too, with the essence of Knowledge practice. We discussed the ethnographic genres in ‘Reciprocity and Its Practice in Social Science, and another book is An Outline of Reciprocal Ethnography from Indigenous Gnoseology (in progress). This book briefly explains the given tendencies via philosophy. It showed students and academicians that we must 6

Denzin, N. K. (2013). Interpretive autoethnography. Sage Publications.

7

Davies, C. A. (2012). Reflexive ethnography: A guide to researching selves and others. Routledge. 8 Madison, D. S. (2011). Critical ethnography: Method, ethics, and performance. Sage publications. 9 Lawless, E. J. (2019). Reciprocal ethnography and the power of women’s narratives. Indiana University Press., related Ethnography, Blasco, P. G., & Hernández, L. (2019). Writing friendship: A reciprocal ethnography. Springer Nature. 10 Lassiter, L. E. (2005). The Chicago guide to collaborative ethnography. University of Chicago Press.

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Table 1.4 Recent titles on Ubuntu Title and author

Publisher

Publishing date

Davids, N., & Waghid, Y. (2022). Democratic Education as Inclusion Understanding Ubuntu for Enhancing Intercultural Communications, Edited by: Joseph Mukuni, Josiah Tlou,

Rowman & Littlefield

2022

IGI Global

This is an edited book, and the chapter calling would be ended on June 15, 2021. So our book will be coming before than that: see: https://www.igi-global.com/ publish/call-for-papers/calldetails/4977 This book covers the theological aspect and challenges the exercise of Ubuntu is limited

Our God Of Ubuntu is infected Self-Published and Kindle by Coronavirus: The Edition Conversation of the Church and Covid-19: Authors: Lwamkelo Micheal Gwaxaza Ubuntu!: An Inspiring Story About an African Tradition of Teamwork and Collaboration Authors: Bob Nelson and Stephen Lundin Udo, E. J. (2020). The Dialogic Dimension of Ubuntu for Global Peacebuilding. In Handbook of Research on the Impact of Culture in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding (pp. 302–322). IGI Global Waghid et al. (2018). Authored Rupturing African philosophy on teaching and learning: Ubuntu justice and education Robinson-Morris, D. W. (2018). Ubuntu and Buddhism in higher education: An ontological (re) thinking. Routledge

A tale about the African theory of collaboration and partnership that can reform our places of work. And this is nothing about the 2020 pandemic This is a chapter

Book focused on Education

Source Authors’ perception

develop a philosophical grounding that appeals to an anti-colonial discourse, a secular and participatory democratic stand. So, if we may call it— perhaps concerned with more epistemic and dogmatic notions and working to disclose the overlooked practical and political possibility in cognition while probing the

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functional depth involved in political thought. So, instead of narrating, interpreting, and describing community and culture, we want to be contributive, Reciprocal and subjective; this is how we found to work against the Decolonial Abyss.11 Yet, this is not a methodology book, but we have some separate works in progress in the spirit of it.

Readership of This Book Since most countries are in New Normal, we believe that universities/govt policies will look for new content. This tome offers some empirical observations that will serve as a sourcebook. This volume is a conduit between policy planners and the community. The theme of this book is provocative and perceptive, either conceptually or practically. We know and are aware of our ameliorative engagement with Ubuntu spirit. It covers from very self, family, community, state, teaching, political policies and social science research methodology. Many academics (Bogaerts and Raben, Tuck and Yang, Shawn Wilson, Linda Smith, Farid Alatas, Leon Mossavi, Martin Nakata, David Harvey, Gustavo Esteva, Majid Rehnema) provide an alternative to political narratives and insights, yet, we feel most of our missing to the point and address the original essence of knowledge practice, this is such a book neither following the western trajectories and cultural, racial and regional classification. Hence, our claim is this makes a universal appeal. The M¯aori philosopher Linda Smith said, “they came, they saw, they names, they claimed (Decolonizing Methodologies, p. 80)” making research the dirtiest phrase in Indigenous vocabulary. We must see ourselves from a humanistic ground, but we’re not ‘objective’ or ‘neutral’ like the West. We are with this book for the people. Thus, this will be transformative for the novices and a lighthouse for policy planners. This book will take out being “disciples of western academic discipline” by following their ontological insights and becoming victims of its epistemic injustice, which makes me “captive” and repeating the righting wrongs . Within the boundary of social science, it can be a more fitting positionality. However, it is not geographically classified; it acts as a resource, guide, and scholarly watchdog wherever injustice exists. The Book is global in ontological stance, yet we regard that, in academia, it will be a pocketbook for Methodological Solidarity as Sarah Cummings said, Solidarity can 11

Book -1: Reciprocity and Its Practice in Social Research (IGI Global, 2022). Book -2: A Textbook on Reciprocity (Giving Back to the Community) in Social Sciences (in Progress with Universiti Malaya Press). Book-3: A Reciprocal Ethnography with the Rakhain Community of Bangladesh: Seeing from Ubuntu (in progress with Pacific Publisher). Book-4: Khaldunian philosophy for Reciprocal Researchers. Book 5: Reciprocity: An analysis from Historiography. Book-6: Consider Reciprocity as Consciousness as Culture. Book-7: The Rules of Reciprocal Research. Book -8: A Student Manual for a Reciprocal Ethnography. Book-9: An Encyclopedia on Reciprocity (combining with core theme of the 8 books).

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be a praxis, not an outcome, and if we add the Indigenous Gnoseological lens, where we are Reciprocal, practical and contributory. When colonialism is in ‘our consciousness,’ this Book is then assertive. Agreed or not, colonial captivity or presence is like Emile Durkheim’s “social reality” in our everyday practice, yet we are not feeling its presence. – This book is written based on Indigenous Gnoseology, where we find a Phronetic manner of knowledge that is welfare use of wisdom and Indigenous Holism as a spirit. This is one of the book’s most important characteristics. This unique volume will serve as a comprehensive resource for students, instructors, and academics of indigenous studies, as it brings together philosophical thoughts and practical experiences from the ground. – Specifically, this book will be required reading for social and cultural anthropology students, post-colonial studies, Critical studies of sociology and social work, Development studies, gender studies, cultural studies, Arts and History, music, and literary studies. The research of religion and theology, politics, Third World and Global South studies, and activists working with Marginal people and Indigenous communities, will find this extremely useful, leading and ameliorating to see the path and showing the way. – Global and regional policymakers and think tanks may find this ameliorative in introducing a new venue and a tool in vying for a future disaster. – Supranational Organizations like UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, international NGOs like Oxfam International, ActionAid, CARE, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Oxfam International, CARE, Save the Children, and the World Wildlife Fund, BRAC, and others too, will find the message of this book insightful. This book helps decolonize the historical ontological setting and epistemic violence in academia. It offers insightful thoughts, philosophical linkage exercises, virtual links to anti-colonial philosophers, and references. This book is not merely a compilation of useful information, debates, or well-written stanzas; rather, it has an imperative demeanor, assertive ideology, and guiding goals as a human being and as a teacher, with the ultimate objective of academic, political, cultural, and social rights and justice within a participatory democracy.

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Structurization of the Book The organization of this is below— Chapter 1 is the Introduction of the Book, here propose a genteel deconstruction: Ubuntu—I am because we are. It is a stand, a discrete and communal concept that has been in human society since time immemorial. Nelson Mandela took Ubuntu on a new horizon; however, it has long been a guiding philosophy in national policies. We place our proposal for the people not to address the Pandemic or the New Normal. Above or even above, the book below, not a signifier of Covid19’s forte and conditioning, sheds an elongated portrait of our modern ontology, Individualism, and Universalism. Since March 2020, examining four thousand papers, conference papers, and chapters, we thought the answer remained in collectivism. Then Ubuntu is our mandate. The concern of the United Nations Secretary-General is thus timely, and this opening chapter is a reaction to the outbreak that is to come. Chapter 2: Research is not greater than the Methodology—thesis of our ontology—this chapter is our faith, the Methodology—we believe that almost like a religion, research is not more incredible than its adopted worldview or lifeworld. The whole book is surrounded and covered by the ontological position in this chapter. Again, methodology matters. We align with what bell hook said, the Methodology is for liberating, David Harvey avers, and the Methodology is the seedbed of the backyard. In this argument, we are ‘weeing’12 (O’Donovan, 2015, p. 751) with and for people as a decolonial exercise of collective reflective solidarity under the community development and actions of social movement in the New Normal for an ontological foundation of collective action. Certainly not. This intended work is as an agent and preferably could be used as the site of engagement (McCabe’s review of Sites of Resistance).13 Answering these questions, we set our methodological paradigm. Chapter 3 demonstrates the first domain question of this book— ‘What Ubuntu is—in the advent of the covid-19, what Ubuntu manifests in the New Normal is this chapter’s theme. The first four sections describe what Ubuntu means to us in this pandemic. Then we talk about the inner senses of Ubuntu. Does it contract with Individualism? In response to our orientation toward social sciences and research faculties,14 we 12 Gustavo’s proposal of using the word ‘we’ as verb, a magnificent philosophical analogy of commonness, and African term ‘Ubuntu’ that is closely translated as “I am because we are,” a tool in decolonizing methodology (see Chilisa, 2019; Nelson Mandela in Gade, 2011). Also, Laurie Garret, in 2005 and John Barry, in 2010, warned us about global disaster about fifteen years ago. 13 14

CDJ, 2017, Retrieved from www.watermark.silverchair.com/bsx057.pdf.

Research Faculties, not the university administration rather stand for our feelings, consciounsees, spirirt, intention and deeds and action for the people’s wellbeing.

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should behave consciously toward these current problems instead of only addressing them. And our answer is holistic, all-inclusive or a call for oneness. Chapter 4—the continuation of the domain question, Why Ubuntu should be a moral framework. Centrally, this chapter resonates with Ubuntu as a national and global policy through a culmination of a review of selected literature on—and aims to justify the ubuntu philosophy in the study and practice of the New Normal era. Following the previous chapter’s succession: Ubuntu’s basic tenets, we try to establish the justification as it has been applied in various settings: from the school classroom to state policies. Moreover, Ubuntu was influential in the previous pandemics that emanated in Africa, which were not as deadly as this 2020 pandemic, yet are hopeful. Chapter 5—How Ubuntu—structurally closes the domain of the book, where the sub-titles echo with a phenomenological (Dilthey-Heidegger Model) stand like Van Mannen’s polemic article Linking ways of knowing with ways of being practical. We differed from sensing hermeneutical patterns of knowing-being and coming together to make experiences. If we take Ubuntu as a national, community, and regional policy, i.e. as ‘Ways of knowing’ people of being global, then a person’s ways of knowing, being and acting will be driven based on communal knowing. The collective individual will then serve as a collaborative person—a part of the community, for the community. Chapter 6 is titled, seeing the Self through others—basically a reflection of our own ‘self’ [ves] through this pandemic. Through some practical scenarios, we demonstrate how a self can be connected with cosmic totality beyond the living-non-living things. So, seeing the development, we be in agreement with HE Desmond Tutu, we need to realize ourselves as humans, and the centrality of human essence is ‘Ubuntu’—the core of being human, seeing and acting as a passionate person, academically, practically, and philosophically. In Chapter 7, our discussion is placed, which, we believe, practically ameliorates a person to be a part of the cosmic totality, which is a seedbed of Selfosophy—seeing and behaving oneself from a philosophical lens, where philosophy is, etymologically, love for wisdom. Let us graphically present what the book is, how we see it, and its aim as seen in Fig. 1.3. This is all about the prelim of our analysis under Introduction, we need to wake up, if “Not Now, When Then?” From the Indigenous perspective, we realized this in the early days of this Pandemic. Having all the respect, WHO, and FAO have coalesced with ex-Colonial power, at least, history says so. So, these agencies have the only authority to decipher the imperial interest. The USA cut the donation off; who did take a

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Fig. 1.3 Visualization of the structure of this book (Source Authors’ perception)

step? Perhaps, this is a recent and relevant example to parse our psychoanalysis. We argue here that neither the western prescription nor the biopolitics of Bangladesh state. Instead, Indigenous holism or Indigenous ways of acting saves their people and can a way forwards for the future and other communities of the world. (Siraz et al., 2020, pp.174–175)

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Bacon, F. (2008 [1620]). The new Organon, or true directions concerning the interpretation of nature. Dodo Press. Bailey, D., Clark, J., Colombelli, A., Corradini, C., De Propris, L., Derudder, B., ... & Usai, S. (2020). Regions in a time of pandemic. Regional Studies, 54(9), 1163–1174. Barkin, D., & Esteva, G. (1982). Social conflict and inflation in Mexico. Latin American Perspectives, 9(1), 48–64. CBD. (2011). The Nagoya protocol-2011. Tthe CBD Secretariat. Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M. (2023b). Indigenous gnoseology: A new theory of knowledge (in progress). Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M., & Rakhine, M. A. L. (2022c). Are we more social or individual by the digital ethnographic tool?: A reflection with the rakhain community of Bangladesh. In Practices, challenges, and prospects of digital ethnography as a multidisciplinary method (pp. 78–93). IGI Global. Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M., Reza, H., & Ahmad, M. M. (2022b). Reciprocity and its practice in social research. IGI Global. https://www. igi-global.com/book/reciprocity-its-practice-social-research/279803-2022 Chowdhury, J. S., Roy, P. K, Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M., & Biswas, S. K. (2022a). Quantitative data in ethnography with Asian reflections (010921–103057) in encyclopedia of data science and machine learning. IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/submission/book-project-chapters/?pro jectid=e6d6f7b9-7548-457e-aca9-76e3c2c4abfa Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., & Hajar Abh, S. (2023a). The myth of objectivity in social research: A dialogue based note on ‘scientific studies’. Universiti Malaya Press (in progress). Chowdhury, S. M. J., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, R. M., & Roy, P. K. (2023c). The happy marriage of planetary health and bioprospecting bioethics: A concepirical (conceptual+empirical) reflection from Bangladesh. In A. Waller & AUSN (Eds.), Eubios planetary health (Status: Accepted). Coman, J. (2020, November 1). As Europe’s governments lose control of Covid, revolt is in the air. The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/01/ governments-lose-control-virus-revolt-civil-unrest-continen Crain, D. E., Hollings, S., Kayode, H. M., Ogunniran, M. O., Worapot, Y., Guañuna, P., ... & Sturm, S. (2021). Knowledge socialism in the COVID-19 era: A collective exploration of needs, forms, and possibilities. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 1–22. David, R. (1956). Nicomachean ethics. Oxford University Press. Davids, N., & Waghid, Y. (2022). Democratic education as inclusion. Rowman & Littlefield. de Amorim, W. S., & de Andrade, J. B. S. O. (2020). Pandemics, global risks and adaptation: Challenges for a changing world. Research in Globalization, 100023. Eikeland, O. (2007). From epistemology to gnoseology–understanding the knowledge claims. Foster, J. B., & Suwandi, I. (2020). COVID-19 and catastrophe capitalism commodity chains and ecological-epidemiological-economic crises. Monthly Review—An Independent Socialist Magazine, 72(2), 1–20. Gade, C. B. (2012). What is Ubuntu? Different interpretations among South Africans of African descent. South African Journal of Philosophy= Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Wysbegeerte, 31(3), 484–503.

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Qadir, S. (1994). A new South Africa? Third World Quarterly, 15(2), 183–185. Rammelt, C. F. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on the eradication of poverty: An incorrect diagnosis. Third World Quarterly, 42(2), 441–447. Robinson-Morris, D. W. (2018). Ubuntu and Buddhism in higher education: An ontological (re) thinking. Routledge. Sanguineti, J. J. (1988). Logic and gnoseology (Vol. 9). Pontifical Urban University. Sheehan, H. (2020). Science in a time of pandemic. Culture Matters. doras.dcu.ie/ 24465/1/Science%20in%20a%20time%20of%20pandemic%20for%20Morning%20S tar.pdf Siraz, M. J., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, R. M., & Roy, P. K. (2020). Not now, when then? Bangladeshi Indigenous ways of acting in responding C-19. Virus Economy, 3, 74. Smith, L. T. (2021). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. Zed Books Ltd. Spivak, G. (2004). Righting wrongs. The South Atlantic Quarterly, 103(2), 523–581. https://doi.org/10.1215/00382876-103-2-3-523 The Economist. (2022a). Shanghai’s Covid-19 lockdown is not even close to over, Editorial May 14, Retrieved May 18, 2020, from https://www.economist.com/eur ope/2022/05/26 The Economist. (2022b). The EU’s covid-19 recovery fund has changed how Europe spends money, Editorial May 26, Retrieved May 18, 2020, from https://www.eco nomist.com/europe/2022/05/26/ Tripathi, S. (2021). International relations and the ‘global south’: From epistemic hierarchies to dialogic encounters. Third World Quarterly, 42(9), 2039–2054. Tutu, D. (1999). Without forgiveness there is no future. Exploring Forgiveness, 351– 375. Tutu, D. M. (2015). The first word: To be human is to be free. Journal of Law and Religion, 30(3), 386–390. Waghid, Y. (2014). Philosophical remarks on Nelson Mandela’s education legacy. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 46(1), 4–7. Waghid, Y. (2020). Towards an Ubuntu philosophy of higher education in Africa. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 39(3), 299–308. Waghid, Y., Waghid, F., & Waghid, Z. (2018). Rupturing African philosophy on teaching and learning: Ubuntu justice and education. Springer. Wallis, V., & Zhuo, M. (2020). Socialism, capitalism, and the COVID-19 epidemic: Interview with Victor Wallis. International Critical Thought, 10(2), 153–160. WHO. (2013). WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014–2023. Retrieved from Geneva. Wilkinson, I., & Kleinman, A. (2016). A passion for society: How we think about human suffering (Vol. 35). University of California Press. Wilson, H. L. (2007). Kant’s pragmatic anthropology: Its origin, meaning, and critical significance. SUNY Press. Yan, H. (2020). Mode switching: The state, market, and anti-Covid-19 shadow of socialism in China. Dialectical Anthropology, 44(3), 213–221. Ziai, A. (2014, September). Post-development concepts? Buen Vivir, Ubuntu and degrowth. In Fourth International Conference on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity. Ziai, A. (2017). Post-development 25 years after the development dictionary. Third World Quarterly, 38(12), 2547–2558.

CHAPTER 2

Research Is Not Greater Than the Methodology: Ways of Seeing and Analyzing Ubuntu

The new science, establishing and justifying itself (17th and 18th century), despite the terminological connection with the preceding scholastic tradition, obviously embraces the new and discards the past; to identify itself it distinguishes itself from the past. (Shaposhnikova & Shipovalova, 2018, p. 55, emphasis ours, Bacon is cited in original ).

The Analytical Root In this chapter, we aimed to grasp, Who has a voice and who doesn’t? Are voices interacting with equal agency and power? In whose terms are they communicating? Who is being understood and who isn’t (and at what cost)? Who is being believed? And who is even being acknowledged and engaged with? Epistemic injustice refers to those forms of unfair treatment that relate to issues of knowledge, understanding, and participation in communicative practices. (Kidd et al., 2017, p. 1)

This Methodology contains four streams, separate on the surface; yet, they are inner conceptually belong to the same root; in fact, the whole methodology center the epistemic justice. We know cognitive injustice is a violent action of the west (Alatas, 1972 ; Bhambra et al., 2020; Deloria, 1969; de Sousa, 2015, 2018; Eikeland, 2007; Pels, 1997; Tuck & Yang, 2012; Tuck & McKenzie, 2015; Young, 2020). Trying to grasp the assumed and legitimized imperative of hegemonic knowledge requires responding to the same grounds on which Northern epistemologies are built, such as scientific rigor, universalism, truth, and neutrality (as a requirement of objectivity), among others. Our global

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imagination presents these ideas as the only way to describe, explain, and alter the world (generators of exclusion mechanisms). The abysmal line represents how the North’s epistemologies separate their societies from the rest, through what could be considered an invisible (unrecognized and legitimized) line that is masked by “false universalisms” (dominant knowledge that represents the world as its own, and that justifies and reproduces the dominant power mechanisms). The university’s position as a driver (or detractor) of global cognitive justice should be prioritized. As Santos himself states, the purpose of this book (de Sousa, 2018) is not to deliver conclusions, but to lay the groundwork for future studies that will contribute to global social battles via hybrid cultural entities that suggest cultural hybridity. With conceptual, combining aspects from the West and the East. In the case of initiating a democratizing process toward new methodologies and post-abyssal pedagogies (towards pluriversity and subversity, see Bhambra et al., 2020), the world’s universities could come to position themselves as backbone centers from which to articulate the vast array of experiences of global social struggles, collecting all the knowledge they generate to reinterpret the world, a necessary condition for its transformation. This section has four headings—delineates the four philosophical streams— 1. Our first stream is for ourselves meaning that we the social researchers are the first stakeholder. We have been repairing the ‘self’ as a researcher. 2. Then we followed the Critical stance of knowledge, traced back from Al-Farabi (872–950), Saadia Gaon (882–942) (see Efros, 1942). 3. Our third source of understanding generated came from the poststructuralist movement. 4. Our final justification is developed from the Decolonial Knowledge in social science. The order of philosophical trends is paced in terms of origin, not the influential, yet enriched our ‘being’—the methodological acumen. Repairing the ‘Self’ as a Researcher I am neither Christian nor Jew nor Parsi nor Muslim. I am neither of the East nor of the west, neither of the land nor of the sea.…I have put aside duality and have seen that the two worlds are one. I seek the One, know the One, see the One, and invoke the One. He is the First; He is the Last, He is the Outward, He is the Inward. (Jal¯al ad-D¯ın R¯ um¯ı [1207-1273], in Stoddart, 2012, Black Flap, emphasize ours) As a note to this phrase, “He is the Outward, He is the Inward,” —along with Gazhali, Patanjali, Buddha’s Life-Wheel—we have developed a Self-Repairing model, which aids us to be connected to the Cosmic whole, and placed in Chapter 7.

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In 1643s Religio Medici, Zoroastrianism was one of the oldest and most widely practised faiths. Contemplation is as old as human civilization (Browne, 1878 [1642]), and Buddhist and Vedic meditation methods have inspired a subfield of Social Science. Until the 1990s, theology included spirituality and introspection (Nasr, 1964). Scholars, publishers, and cultural observers have chronicled and evaluated the people, seminary students, and pastors’ interest in Spirituality. To investigate some major contemporary approaches to consciousness research demands first-person, subjective experience—a method to be a whole self to gain the entirety—by nature, and we are a part of the whole universe. (Canda, 2012; Canda & Smith, 2013; Darrell & Rich, 2017; Dudley, 2016; Jacobs, 2015; Hughes et al., 2018; Kwan et al., 2020; Nhapi, 2021; Wang et al., 2020; Wang & Tice-Brown, 2021). On the other hand, from an Islamic perspective, contemplation has been significant in anthropology and tagged as a legacy. But in the end, what matters is love, unconditional love, all social scientists will find a way if there is love, prominent theologist and spiritual provoker D. B. Perrin showed, [H]ow hermeneutical methodology offers the researcher in Christian spirituality a way to understand “movements of meaning in life” such that the meaning of human existence within the movement of the Divine in the world can be discerned. In order to accomplish this task as it applies to Christian spirituality, hermeneutical methodology pushes the researcher beyond a singular conceptual framework, theological or other, to advance and adjudicate the results of research projects. Further-ore, hermeneutical methodology evaluates the perspective (bias and prejudice) of the researcher as a positive contribution to the research analysis. (Perrin, 2007)

However, to us, a Spiritual journey does not necessitate religiosity. It is an intriguing clue for us. Is a dog’s loving nature not Natural Law? Or Laws of Nature. Fact, social science, and the global south investigate the human contemplative spirit, yet we don’t locate Spirit in Rene Decartes’ canon (Merleau-Ponty, 2008). We know the Phenomenological origin of the Interpretative school of Geertz, including Victor Turner’s Symbolic anthropology, is important. Gregory Cajete, who declared Indigenous cosmology is a science, has been ensnared with Phenomenology. Hegel’s Philosophy of Rights (Hegel, 2015, p. 434), Merleau-Ponty (2008), and Edmund Husserl (2019) is the root. Gregory’s claim is Indigenous cosmos is a Native Science, again, did he give us any model? Or, precisely, did he follow Phronetic knowledge practice (Cajete, 2021)? Why does the West dismiss Buddha and Patanjali while it’s embracing spirituality? When Hegel was known, he gave a lecture on Buddha and wrote an article too. We discovered no enlightened concept in Comtean sociology, and following this, we will examine it later as the BodyMind dualism. Agreed with scholars (for instance, Boehm, 2021; Martin et al., 2020; Mildon, 2018) provokes Spirituality where religion is obsolete. Reciprocal connectivity with nature for self and whole’s wellbeing. Boehm is thus

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saying, “within the swirl of all the demands and options of a busy life, it becomes hard to know who we are, and almost impossible to discern what our best choices are” (Boehm, 2021, p. 3). We need to admit that “coming to stillness is the art of social work practice” (Jacobs, 2015, p. 150) and in social science tools (Turner, 2008). “How can a profession with religious origins, sharing aspirations with the best aspects of religions, and claiming to deal with the whole person, cut off the spiritual realm of life?” (Canda, 2005, p. 82 in Ranz, 2021, p. 1). We will discuss this in a guiding manner in Chapter 6. To us, the JR Self-Repairing model is the first step to being Ubuntu. Once we are connected with cosmic totality, the rest, perse, our education, research, training, and methodologies will be the pathway. This JR Model (Chapter 7) does connect with any assertive religion, race, or region. In contrast, it says and instructs to follow a person to be religious, whatever someone has faith. Edit Turner (2008), D. B. Perrin (2007) is Christian, Corbin (1966), Nasr (2013) are a few names from the Islamic tradition, yet, we are universal, maybe instead aligned with Indigenous Holism (Feather & Pineda, 2021). I, Jahid, personally say, “I do not believe in religion; I believe in spirituality” (Stoddart, 2012. p. 1), and someone may relate to embeddedness (Washburn, 1999) and of course, with Aldous Huxley’s The Perennial Philosophy (Huxley, 2014 [1945]) and the later works (per se, Huxley, 2014 [1945]; Jones, 2021; Lings & Minnaar, 2007), however, nowhere sist in the line of CD Broad (2014 [1925]), or Drake’s (1925) analyses. Exoterism (external), and Esoterism (internal)— Jones says that William Stoddart’s ideas about Sufism are not separate. So, our point of view is like the Perennial Philosophy. We will talk more about this later. Yet, by looking at the literature mentioned above, we have come up with a model of spirituality that goes beyond race, religion, and location. We devised natural laws about ourselves centering on what we had done before. Before that, Oregon State University and Brown University each started their sources for studying people’s thoughts. Let’s say that the seed is good. If the tree is good, then this fruit must also be good. If a researcher can do sound self-engineering, it will be a good result when they think about themselves. We need to balance self, community, and well-being in a way that fits with the Nicomachean Ethics ,1 promotes intellectual happiness and is ultimately for and by the people. As a note, we tried to see seven elements in the contemplation, B = Body, M = Mind, S = Spirit, E = Energy, En = Emotion, Eso = Esoteric Breathing, Exo = Exoteric Breathing, OS = Otherself. Understandably, this is not new subjectivity, as “ Instead of the view from nowhere” (Nagel, 1989), one can develop an awareness of both subjective and objective points of view (Gazzaniga, 2019; Searle, 2010). With advances in cognitive neuroscience, one can imagine an emotional state, which is reflected

1

Ross, D. (1956). Aristotle: The Nicomachean ethics. Philosophy, 31(116).

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in “the biophysical state of the neurons in one’s brain.”2 But rather, it is as old as Buddha’s reception of nirvana. A working definition of the JR Model is, The combination of Rakhain Sitama (healers) and Bante (Spiritual leader) shows some eating habits, sleep cycles and some of our generic breathing techniques, which helps in Esoteric—balanced blood flow, thinner cells, low blood pressure, low heart rate and balanced pulse. With Exoteric techniques—one can keep the blood cells open and keeps the right airflow and obstacles. And, above all, it helps to keep our cognition and consciousness sensual, our body-mind-spirit in a balanced manner.3

And a universal spirituality is now a call (Dudley, 2016). Therefore, to a limited degree, we believe that improving oneself by mending yourself is a technique to develop oneself to be a receiver of the perception of the whole community. If we are successful, there will be nothing but reciprocal research. As a side note, the original author has been working on this JR self-repairing model and has plans to add more structured techniques of articulation and materialization under the general direction of ‘Selfosophy.’ As known, the study of self through the philosophical underpinning of self towards the cosmic totality, which is neither ethnosophy, theosophy, and anthroposophy, but rather a different approach to seeing and helping the self to help others and community. Stream 2: Al-Farabi, Saadia Gaon: Their Critical Stance We believe that Kant is nowhere the first provoker of Critical thinking if we read Nasr (1964), Majid Fakhry (2002), Davidson (1992, pp. 44–73), Adamson (2006), Hyman (2020), Altaev et al. (2020), and Butterworth and Pangle (2001). Why did we go back about a thousand years back to both Kant and the whole western philosophy? We assume that the answer is already in the chapter that we are subjective. Our positionality connects people and gives us some accountability. Yet, we expense a few words. Some may argue that Kant and spirituality are well linked with social science, yes, agreed (Insole, 2020; Ward, 2019, 2021 and for an easy read, we refer to Gould, 1994). However, we find Hegel is more theosophic. First, it was Kant’s question, ‘What is a human being?’, we may answer through the lens of Indigenous Holism (Siraz et al., 2020). As indicated, the west, including Kant, aligned to the Colonial and, again, or at a time, Christian Commonwealth. Martin Buber seeks answers to Kant’s questions by quoting Kant’s four questions in his work Das Problem Des Menschen (1947), which has been in current focus. In other words, racism and other 2 For details, see Davis, A. E. (2020). The end of individualism and the economy: Emerging paradigms of connection and community (p. 206). Routledge. 3

Spirituality and Social Science: When I am the subject of the experimental Model and Jahid’s Thesis. Universiti Malaya is to organize a workshop, led by the first author, and possibly, the first step towards a clinical model.

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injustices can, at least to some degree, be seen as evils that are a function of a failure in relational adaptation, and principled nonviolent activism could ultimately work to change the associated problematic patterns of relating at multiple levels. Here again is a reasonably hypothesized benefit of moral nonviolent methods that we would not anticipate resulting from violent methods. To use the language of philosopher Martin Buber, “I-It” relating must be transformed to “I-Thou” relating; and we all must learn to embrace the ancient African proverb “I am because we are, and because we are, I am” (Thomas et al., 2022, p. 533). It is very impairing in current world to be active, in other words, Reciprocal and contributory. In Chapter 1 we put Al-Frabai as the master Solidarity, before Ibn-Khaldun and Durkheim. Biko, decolonial criminologist is anthem inspiration for with Nagel. In the past two decades, we have seen a proliferation of publications using a penal abolitionist, anti-imperialist lens.3 Ruth Morris (2000) created the term transformative justice. What has been less clear is whether defenders of transformative justice, use a statist lens, demanding stronger, egalitarian state institutions or whether they defend mutual aid, anarchist, anti-statist programmatic changes (cf. Dübgen, 2020, pp. 160–1). My sympathies are with the latter. With Scott (2018; 2020) and Coyle (2018), I am arguing for real (existing) utopian solutions. Biko Agozino’s call for action adds that it is not sufficient to indigenize criminology in the Global South but instead Western criminologists should humble themselves and “remain open to opportunities to learn from the experiences and struggles of others as well through an exchange of knowledge” (2003, p. 246). (Cited from Nagel, 2022, p. 23)4

In Chapter 6, we will elaborate and corelates with Ubuntu to state policy. In “What is Enlightenment?” Kant articulates both these thoughts in a political context, demanding that we dare to use our reason, Enlightenment is the human being’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s own understanding [= reason] without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. Sapere aude! [Dare to be wise!] Have courage to make use of your own understanding [= reason]! is thus the motto of enlightenment (8:35). (Retrieved from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://plato.sta nford.edu/entries/kant-reason)

First, we need to briefly treat one of the epistemological problems Kant seeks to uncover in his Critique of Pure Reason: the possibility of understanding abstract concepts such as God, immortality, and freedom a priori to synthetic ones. According to him, the fulfillment of this human desire, given the project fostered by the nature of human moral education, is natural and inevitable. As Kant himself recognized, this is a long-term project, and that project is 4

Nagel, M. (2022). Ludic Ubuntu ethics: Decolonizing justice. Taylor & Francis.

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cosmopolitanism. Therefore, using logic, Kant resorts to the law as a ‘shortcut’ to this process. Without the complete condition of autonomy, this ‘great’ German philosopher adopts a method that is precisely heteronormative (and therefore requires approval), namely law. The state (read, in its colonial and republican forms) and law represent the expectation and rational construction of a situation of moral perfection. In the absence of this condition, the state, supported by a republican constitution that constitution would be Western, serves to ensure equal freedom among different peoples. According to Kant, law, unlike morality, is empirical and, as such, must be represented in by-laws and legislative institutions. For this reason, he defended the separation of powers between the legislature and the executive to prevent legislative independence from subsuming politics. It is worth noting that this argument is commonly made by many anthropologists, in that case, it is reproduced by neo-Kantian theorists when they defend the broader international jurisprudence of human rights issues in the face of global political processes. As Kant deals with the separation of powers, the politics of human rights is therefore intertwined with the juridical concept of freedom, in an interaction that manifests itself institutionally in the separation of powers. According to Kant, the state of peace among men is not a state of nature. Therefore, a common law is to be sought” (see Kant, 1970). (The idea for a universal history with a cosmopolitan purpose) According to Kant, the state of nature is a pre-political state. existed as such but disagreed with Hobbes. According to Hobbes, it was a condition of constant war. For the German author, the state of nature was a condition of insecurity regarding the rights of the individual, which is necessary to reach a society of binding public law (since there was a right in the state of nature, but only in its dimension), which guarantees the existence and realization of individual rights. Therefore, and from here the relationship between Kant, human rights, and all other nation-states begins to become clearer in terms of internal–external connections, for Kant the state must provide the necessary conditions for the realization of individual rights. This is where our objection lies. During this epidemic, I saw that people were not selfish but helped each other with what was at hand (Siraz et al., 2020). Aborigines, called by Hegel, Kant, and Bacon, who are to them half or sub-human, have left them, not the individualistic state. However, Kant recognized that every legal state did not begin naturally but rather by force. Therefore, according to the author, the transition from the state of nature to the civil state was an act of violence (and not an agreement between free and equal) and external coercion. Nevertheless, Kant does not consider politics to be separated from ethics because this would make it a mere trick and trick, as defended by pragmatism—according to him, the concept of law is empty. To Kant’s Perpetual Peace, which was written after his epic Reasons (Vol. 3), “From the assumption of this idea, however, there also emerged an awareness of the law of action which states that the subjective principles of action, that is, the maxims, must always be taken in such a way that they objectively. By applying, that is to

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say, universally capable of serving as a principle and therefore our universal law, he then refrains from or gives himself up to colonial attachment.” This is Kant, who said that philosophy is the mother of science—Kant’s assertion goes back to Kant. Theoretically, the race theory of Blumenbach and Kant (Kapila, 2007) was, for a certain time walked together. If we read his canonic ‘Reasons’ and other writing, Kant ‘sensed the science without history’, which is a total breach of the original root of the Critical thought of Saadia Gaon (Efros, 1942; Wechsler, 2015). Kant’s Natural Science (chapter 16) is the best example. To an extent, Hegel’s Philosophy of History, or Phenomenology of Spirit (2007), is another baseline of Critical reasoning. We negate—indeed, no other option remains. Al-Farabi speaking the inner world, and Al-Ghazali5 (2007) said about the inner animal nature of human beings (see pp. 25– 33), and similarly, we found in Patanjali (Pines & Gelblum, 1966) and Buddha (Alabaster, 1871; Alpert, 2021; Hanna, 1995; HE Lama, 2005; Payutto, 1995; Tachibana, 2021; Thompson, 2018). HE Lama and all are here pointing the self-conscience, which is 2000 years before the Hegelian Spirit, concomitantly, we should admit it. We find an answer in Al-Farabi—the Second Master and connector of East–West (Corbin, 2014; Nasr, 1964). “In logic, especially, al-Farabi’s works were particularly significant because in them Aristotelian logic was expressed in a very appropriate and exact Arabic terminology which henceforth became a heritage of nearly all branches of Islamic leaming.” (Nasr, 1964, p. 14)

Then, Saadia Gaon. However, we do speak as we do not want to be White Masked (Fanon, 1967) and our methodological position will take us a step ahead towards liberating the social science (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987; Pels, 1997; Tuck & McKenzie, 2015; Tuck & Yang 2012; Young, 2020). A-Farabi’s reasoning part somehow does not fit our analysis, but Saadia (Efros, 1942, p. 132); came in one point that, “four sources of truth or knowledge— • • • •

knowledge gained by (direct) observation.” Senses or sensual perception: seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, touching. “The intuition of the intellect” or “reason.” Knowledge is what One understands through his mind: justification, approbation or disapprobation; this is the knowledge given by reason. • Inferred by logical necessity. According to Saadia these twin sources allow for the discovery and the acceptance of truth, and this constitutes the third kind: inferential knowledge. 5 Parrott, J. (2017). Al-Ghazali and the golden rule: Ethics of Reciprocity in the works of a Muslim sage. Journal of Religious & Theological Information, 16(2), 68–78.

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Citing Saadia Gaon’s Book of Beliefs, Israel Efros (1942, p. 13); says, “as for ourselves, the community of monotheists, we hold these three sources to be genuine. However, we add a fourth which has thus become for us a further principle: that is [to say we believe in] the validity of an authentic tradition.”

Saadia influenced Max Weber (Goldberg, 1993, p. 148), Karl Mannheim—the Father of the Sociological theory of knowledge (Goldberg, 1993, p. 149), and Immanuel Kant’s “transpersonal moral imperative” (Popkin, 1999, p. 147). Still, all have rejected History as a source of knowledge. Stream 3: The Poststructuralist Move to Anticolonial Ancestry Our idea of Methodology owes to 1970s Poststructuralism, but we disagree with it. Since it’s not an empirical book based on our travels, we didn’t add a technique; many readers have. Culture is not restricted to ‘classical’ values, art, and humanities but includes natural and technological disciplines and the ideals inherent in research. Far from being a peripheral part of the culture, many connect with epistemology, ontology, psychology, and ethics. In sociology and anthropology, we should not view as ethically pure and neutral due to scientific judgments made during scientific work. Controlling scientists’ morality prevents ‘naughtiness’ Our technology society emphasizes wisdom and a scientific approach. Anthropology’s depth is crucial. How does anthropology differ from other social sciences in this regard? Sadly, anthropology encompasses more substance, time, and space than other social sciences (de Mul, 2014). Yes, we have opposite readings, too (see Deleuze & Guattari, 1987, 1994). As an example, George Peter Murdock’s ethnographic data profiles. Cultural anthropology has examined human behavior more than history and sociology combined. Vine Deloria remarked Native people have no use for Western words and ideologies. It makes us wonder about social sciences and an exciting environment. Let us examine how Vine Deloria became the predecessor of today’s Indigenous paradigm. Foucault, Derrida, Adorno—everyone, let us demonstrate in Table 2.1. Neither Foucault, Adorno, nor Derrida contributed to positive social transformation. Does an abstract analysis have any meaning for the marginalized? A hungry stomach requires bread, not necessarily wisdom. For instance, no marginalised individuals were in Foucault’s realm of thought. We would rather say that, in the name of psychoanalysis, the inhabitants of developing countries are labeled as “unconscious.” In a 1981 debate with Noam Chomsky, Foucault could not accept that universal morality could be a standard. A notable critic condemned him for hesitating to propose positive solutions to social and political problems. Because no human relationship is powerless, freedom is elusive. Frantz Fanon and Deloria were quite distinct from Derrida and Foucault. In addition to the abstract explanation, they were both field experts. But the temporal cycle remains unchanged. Deloria is notably different; Chapter 5 will elaborate on Deloria and Indigenous metaphysics.

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Table 2.1 The Poststructuralist move of the 1970s and the birth of Indigenous metaphysics Philosophers

Major works

Frantz Fanon

Black Skin, White Masks—1961 Masked scientists and science are useless Talked about Historical Metaphysics and its construction In 1969 talked and explained ‘The Archaeology of Knowledge’7 The Custer Died for Your Sins came in 1969 The lights are on their way

Jacques Derrida6 Michael Foucault Vine Deloria Jr. Kalakumar Majumder, A Bengali novelist Source Chowdhury et al. (2023, forthcoming)

In the introduction to the second edition of the Custer Died for Your Sins, written by the worker and philosopher Deloria in 1969, he stated, “[t]he American Indian world has changed so drastically since the original publication of this book that some of its contents appear novel.” From 1964 to 1967, he served as executive director of the National Congress of American Indians. In 1966, he was on the American Indian National Museum board, which includes locations in New York City and Washington, DC. Fanon was a legend of anticolonial thinking who blended Deloria’s Indigenous metaphors. Ngugi, a Kenyan politician and author of the anticolonial text Decolonizing the Mind, stated, “It is hard to comprehend what influences African writing without reading Fanon’s Wretched of the Earth.” In Black Skin, White Masks, Fanon psychoanalyzes the oppressed black man who believes he lives in the White World and examines their global mobility through the performance of Whiteness. In analyzing language, he explains how a black person’s employment of the language of a colony can lead to uneasiness in the black Consciousness because they perceive the settlement as predatory and not neutral. As a child, he received numerous recommendations to use “Creole French” instead of “Original French” “French”, or “White French.” “Skills over language [white/colonial] authority for recognition as white demonstrates a dependence on the subjection of Krishna humanity,” he adds. The title of the first chapter of Black Skin, White Masks is “The Negro and Language,” in which Fanon explores how whites perceive color. According to him, the black man has two dimensions: one with his followers and another with white people. This split is the result of colonial domination. The direct outcome is inconceivable. To learn any language is to embrace the world’s culture. The whiteness

6 Foucault is the guru of Derrida, and both are students of Louis Althusser, structural Marxist, by the way, Talal Asad too. 7

In 1961, another masterpiece, The History of Madness.

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that Antilles Negro desires to attain will increase as he gains proficiency with the cultural instruments of the language. Stream 4: The Decolonial Turn As well-known, except for the Indigenous movement, which was dispersed but crucial to our understanding of decolonial history, the Indigenous people fought against colonial people. Jose Rizal, Antenor Firmin, Jomo Kenyatta, Mahatma Gandhi, Frantz Fanon, Syed Alatas, his son Farid Alatas, Edward Syed, Ngugi, and Gayatri Spivak have all determined that imperialism is socially culturally, intellectually, and socially interwoven. Some assert that this Indigenous concept, upon which our Reciprocal approach rests, will not emerge without “academic stability” (see Walter Mignolo, Tuck, Yung, Stoler). And yet, universities are the gateway to research, as stated by Stoler (2020), and universities must take the first place in any society to declassify into a multi-fold colonial fabric; therefore, we are to say that this imperial power is our obstacle; however, we can stand with reciprocity, even under an imperial structure, as we have seen in Chapter 4. From India to Greece to the Arab world, and then to the West, we know this is a lengthy route; nonetheless, this was the intellectual tradition, and this form of dispersion has advanced knowledge from the beginning of time. Frankfurt Critical school is essential for us, as numerous scholars, such as the legendary Linda Smith (2021), Bagele Chilisa (2019), Kovach (2021), and many others believed that Indigenous Decolonization is a localized Critical theory; thus, when one of the authors (Jahid) spoke with Professor Linda, she concurred that it is a language problem. Nevertheless, the later creation of the Indigenous Research Paradigm (IRP) by Shawn Wilson, Martin Nakata, and many others established IRP as a distinct paradigm with its worldview. At the origin of IRP, researchers relied on the Natural laws of Indigenous people, such as the primacy of the link with the land, the importance of Reciprocity, and the interdependence of humans, nature, and Consciousness. The accompanying tenets are below, but we summarize the latter two streams that may help us grasp this book’s anticolonial and decolonial roots. Tenets are, yet we will discuss as our guidance. We are individually devoted to different data gathering, self-guessing, and analysis procedures for this book as part of a broader social science methodology. However, qualitative research is more comprehensive from a philosophical standpoint. Whether doing qualitative or quantitative research, the core of the activity is concreteness. We do not want to regionalize this book based on geographical limits or ranges. The subject under discussion is the globalization of knowledge. We hope that our readers will like it. And appreciate all such efforts. As this is not a methodological book, we will not examine qualitative or quantitative tools such as personal and life histories, personal details, group interviews, focus groups, etc. but try to give some assertions.

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Table 2.2 is an eye-opener for me, concomitantly giving us some missing points: the practical aspect of knowledge. Perhaps, this question and the four streams of our philosophical genres have led me to think of Indigenous Gnoseology.

Table 2.2 Root of liberating the epistemic injustice and violence Masterminds of anticolonial thinkers in academia Part 1: Cursors of the anti-colonial movement till the 1970s 1. Jose Rizal (1880): Payer by Blood 2. Antenor Firmin (1885): The voice within the French boundary 3. Karl Marx: The Placeless Voice of Humanity 4. Jose Mariategui (1927): Latin Legend 5. MN Nath (1927): Trascendal Humanity 6. De Bouis: Voice of Blacks 7. Mohondas Karamchand Gandi: The Towering Tone 8. Jomo Kenyatta 1931, the First Decolonizing Academician among Malinowskian student 9. Frantz Fanon: Opener of the White Mask 10. Antonio Gramsci: Beyond the Prison’s Wall 11. Ali Shariati: Marxist Islamist Revolutionary Philosopher 12. Edward Wadi Said: Professor of Humanity (as west said “Terrorism”) 13. Sun Zhongshan (Yat-sen) (1927) 14. Ng˜ ug˜ı wa Thiong’o: Separating for decolonizing minds 15. Vine Deloria (1969): Activist Provoker of Indigenous Metaphysics 16. O P’Bitek (1971): African Religions in Western Scholarship (Nairobi: East African Literature Bureau). IX-140 17. Syed Hussain Alatas: Liberator of Captive mind 18. Marrie Battiste (1977): Canadian Voice for Indigenous Metaphysics Part 2: The mind reader of marginal people 1970s–2000s 1. Albert Memmi: Wakes up with decolonized people 2. Emmanuel Chukwudi Eze: The easier of decolonization 3. Farid Alatas: Decolonizer of universities 4. Gayatri Spivak: The Spokesperson of Subaltern people 5. Homi Bhabha: The Master of Colonial Mimicry 6. José Protasio Rizal 7. Lester Rigney: The Second Master of Indigenous people 8. Nancy Hartsock: Showing the stand of people 9. Norman Denzin: The Conduit to Decolonial paradigm 10. Paulo Regulus Neves Freire: Prolific figure of Oppressive pedagogy 11. Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje: Voice of South Africa 12. Syed Jamal Al afghani: Islamic anti-imperialist 13. Vanda Shiva: The Farmers’ Voice 14. Yvonna Lincoln: The Bridge Maker Part 3: The ground masters for indigenous studies Line of demarcation in critical and Indigenous paradigm

(continued)

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Table 2.2 (continued) Masterminds of anticolonial thinkers in academia 1. Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagle 2. Arun Agrawal 3. Bagele Chilisa 4. Booran Mirraboopa 5. Cora Weber-Pillwax 6. Denis Foley 7. Eve Tuck 8. Graham Smith 9. Gregory Cajete 10. Jeff Corntassel 11. Mel Gray 12. Karen Martin 13. Linda Smith 14. Manulani Aluli Mayer 15. Margaret Kovach 16. Martin Nakata 17. Michael Anthony Hart 18. Moreton-Robinson 19. Russel Bishop 20. Sandy Grande 21. Shawn Wilson 22. Wayne Yang 23. Yin Paradies Part 4: Decolonizing arts, literature and others 1. Beans 2. Being Prepared 3. Blood Quantum 4. Breaths 5. Club Native 6. Empire of Dirt 7. Evan’s Drum 8. Inside Hothouse 9. Inuuvunga - I Am Inuk, I Am Alive 10. Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger 11. K’i Tah Amongst the Birch 12. Mohawk Girls 13. The Mountain of SGaana 14. Night Raiders 15. Nowhere Land 16. Our City Our Voices: Follow the Eagle and Slo-Pitch 17. Our People Will Be Healed 18. Reel Injun Part 5: Decolonizing anthropology The socialist feminism of Yin Zhen (translations in Liu et al., 2013) The powerful analysis of settler colonialism in southern Africa by Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje, published as Native Life in South Africa in 1916 Sayyid Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani in the nineteenth century (translations in al-Afghani 1968) Achille Mbembe’s recent essay “Decolonizing the University: New Directions” (2016)

(continued)

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Table 2.2 (continued) Masterminds of anticolonial thinkers in academia Part 6: Decolonizing Sociology Connell, R. (2018). Decolonizing sociology. Contemporary Sociology, 47 (4), 399–407. Southern Theory (Connell, 2007) Farid Alatas’s Alternative Discourses in Asian Social Science (2006) Gurminder Bhambra’s Rethinking Modernity: Postcolonialism and the Sociological Imagination (2007) Julian Go’s Postcolonial Thought and Social Theory (2016) Wiebke Keim’s Vermessene Disziplin (2008) Part 7: Decolonizing criminology Agozino, B. (2010). What is criminology? A control-freak discipline! African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies: AJCJS, 4(1), I Moosavi, L. (2019). A friendly critique of ‘Asian Criminology’ and ‘Southern Criminology’. The British Journal of Criminology, 59(2), 257–275 Part 8: Decolonizing history Ramnath, M. (2012). Decolonizing anarchism: An antiauthoritarian history of India’s liberation struggle (Vol. 3). AK Press Behm, A., Fryar, C., Hunter, E., Leake, E., Lewis, S. L., & Miller-Davenport, S. (2020, April). Decolonizing history: Enquiry and practice. History Workshop Journal, 89, 169–191. Oxford Academic Part 9: Decolonizing Social Work Gray, C., & Bird, M. Y. (Eds.). (2012). Indigenous anthropology around the world: Towards culturally relevant education and practice. Ashgate Publishing Gray, M., Coates, J., Bird, M. Y., & Hetherington, T. (Eds.). (2016). Decolonizing social work. Routledge Wilson, W. A., & Bird, M. Y. (Eds.). (2005). For Indigenous eyes only: A decolonization handbook. School for American Research Clarke & Bird (2020). Decolonizing pathways towards integrative healing in social work. Routledge Source: Masterminds of decolonial thoughts: An inkling of the present through the past and the missing link (This is a book in progress)

Indigenous Gnoseology as a Method of Seeing Ubuntu---Absorbing of the Four Streams A vital question from Table 2.1, presented above, is where the Gap pertains. The gap is in Gnoseology—we go back to Aristotelian Gnoseology covers Episteme, Aesthesis, and Methods, and indeed more than Epistemology. Moreover, this has a good link with Medieval Arab and Ancient India. Nancy Shaper-Hughes says, “Anthropology requires strength, courage, and perseverance,” and Farid Alatas says, silence is a method (Alatas, 2021a, 2021b)—so, “no condition applies” to isolate the truth, and being silent. “The most solid scientific truth of which I have heard, the only thing of which I am sure is that we are deeply ignorant of nature...” (Alonso-Amo et al., 1992, p. 140). We know it’s grappling ground, we’re aware of two warring groups, and we’re on the side of the people. We know, your right is my left.

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New Latin gnoseologia, from gnoseo-(from Greek gnosis knowledge) + Latin logia –logy. (Merriam-Webster, 2022)

We are not saying that Gnoseology as Epistemology, instigated by René Descartes (Hatfield, 2014), later by John Locke and others. The latter is the empiricist founder of empirical logic, where the foundation was laid in the New Science philosophy, Bacon being another master. Locke pointed out that the identity of the existence of different things is not the same, but to make a normative law for all, we are not to mistake Locke’s terra nullius. So go to the empirical data. If the identity of an inanimate substance depends on the immutability of that matter, then the uniqueness of a plant or animal consists in the unity of life; that is, an organism maintains its identity if it lives. The individual’s identity consists of an entity of consciousness in time (see Locke, 1700). This assertion pushes us to the role of being descriptive by Positivist, analytical or interpretative by Phenomenology, or Critical analysis by Postcolonial move, however, never being allowed to be a part of the Normative aspect of social phenomenon. The irony is that Kant did not limit himself to the analytical part, instead, he was pretty normative. Kant is the so-called father of anthropology, to whom and his legacy, Greg Urban, to a broader extent, call anthropology the Neo-Kantian science (Urban, 2013). It seems is not congruent with the fundamental essence of Knowledge practice (Eikeland, 2007, as seen in Eq. 2.1). Therefore, in general, four significant paradigms and their ethics or the axiology and approach to the logical investigation or, Methodology is an objective or neutral practice of knowledge (Kuhn, 1970). Even with a subjective, active, and participatory positionality, we observe, within IRP, that scholars failed to grasp the initial significance of knowledge practice (nor Production), which we uncovered as primarily (see Mignolo, 2012, pp. 9–12; Sanguineti, 2002) arising from social science methodology in Indigenous Gnoseology. Therefore, we are thinking of Gnoseology instead of Epistemology, which we placed in Eq. 2.1 and Table 2.3. We are sitting within the Indigenous Research Paradigm (IRP) scholars, without mentioning any name, failed to address two concerns, One, what is the essence of Knowledge practice, if we follow the Indigenous Gnoseological stand, despite the claim that a complete philosophy (Fast & Kovach, 2019; Wilson, 2020; Cajete, 2004)? Indigenous Gnoseology, which we defined ‘the welfare use of wisdom for the people with Indigenous Holism’ (see Chowdhury, 2023 ‘Indigenous Gnoseology as Theory of Knowledge’, forthcoming). This is a theory within Indigenous Research Methodology that may return you to the original essence of knowledge practice. As a note, Gnoseology goes to Phronesis, the practical use of wisdom for the ‘polis’ (Community). We think a very short briefing is vital here.

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Table 2.3 Conceptualizing Gnoseology

1 2

3

4

5

6 7 7 8

Conceptualizing Gnoseology

Remarks

The philosophical theory of knowledge: an inquiry into the basis, nature, validity, and limits of knowledge Gnoseology is Epistemology “This new approach to studying knowledge, linked with the incredible development of scientific epistemology since the end of the last century” Pram¯ana epistemology Pratyaksa (perception) Anum¯ana (inference, reasoning) Upam¯ana (comparison and analogy) Arth¯apatti (postulation, derivation from circumstances) Anupalabdi (non-perception, negative/cognitive proof) ´ Sabda (word, testimony of past or present from reliable experts) and smr.ti (tradition or scripture) Buddhist ethics Cause and Karma 8 Fold Morality is the source of knowledge Human possibility Gnoseological optimism upholds the thesis that humanity in a finite period By Christian faith Philosophy of knowledge Thomas Aquinas By Christian faith Gnoseology is as the philosophy of knowledge Rational philosophy Idealism Empiricist philosophy Material world

Merriam-Webster 2022 Alonso-Amo et al., 1992, p. 141

Perrett, 1998 De Wet, 2021

MacKenzie, 2022

Sanguineti, 1988

Ferrier, 1856 Gallagher, 2021 [1964] Descartes, Kant Locke, Hume, Berkeley

Source Chowdhury, Abd Wahab, Saad (2022, August 24–26). Indigenous Gnoseology as an alternative theory of knowledge. UM International Conference

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I ndigenous Gnoseology and E pistemology If, ( ) E  G by Definition : theory of knowledge , so, one can say, E ∼ G But, in practice, E = {TK and WP, C, CC} Whereas G(E, T, P, TK, RP) So, G ⊆ E is not a correct methodological position But, E ⊆ G, (Epistemology is a part of Gnoseology [Aristotelian Logic, Al − Farabian Philosophy, and Saadian theory of knowledge] (2.1) Notes WP = Western Philosophy, E = Epistemology, RP = Reciprocity, TK = Tacit Knowledge (Karl Polany), T = Techne, C = Colonialism, CC = Christian Commonwealth, P = Phronesis (Wise use of knowledge, Aristotle in Eikeland, 2006, p. 348; Horrigan 2007; Mignolo, 1988, 20128 ), G = Gnoseology. My reviewers put a note to elaborate this Equation. We are grateful. Let me take from Hegel then. “Dewey now begins his analysis of Section 1 of the Philosophy of Mind, Mind Subjective. The first topic is anthropology, or the study of this single developing soul of man” as it interacts with nature (Shook, 2000, p. 74). Hegel, a well reader of Buddha, knew the sprit and Buddha’s enlightenment. His Phenomenology of Spirit has three parts: Anthropology, Phenomenology and Psychology. It is John Dewey’s lecture on Hegel. In anthropology, the spirit is treated as it still stands in closest contact with nature, climate, soil, physical surroundings, conditions of sex and of all the circumstances and vicissitudes of physical life. The spirit in this direct contact with nature, hardly as yet rising out of nature, Hegel calls the soul, the natural spirit, but in this science of anthropology itself the soul gradually rises above nature. It does not indeed escape from the body, but subordinates the body into an outward sign and into a tool, into a representation of the self (in Shook, 2000, p. 120). And Hegel says, This gives rise to natural awakening, to the opening out of the soul. Here in anthropology however, it is not yet that which fiUs waking consciousness which has to be considered, but only being awake, in so far as this is a natural condition (p. 25).9 And, to Hegel, Anthropology was headed ‘The actuality of the soul’ (p. 625). 8 For easy grasping, Alcoff, L. M. (2007). Mignolo’s epistemology of coloniality. CR: The New Centennial Review, 7 (3), 79–101, and Indigenous Gnoseology as a new theory of knowledge (2023, forthcoming). 9 Petry, M. J. (2012). Hegel’s philosophy of subjective spirit: Volume 3 phenomenology and psychology. Springer Science & Business Media.

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Let us read from Walter Mignolo and George Hegel with Rene Descartes concurrently, “in Western epistemology, between epistemology and hermeneutics, between nomothetic and ideographic ‘sciences’—and open up the notion of ‘knowledge’ beyond cultures of scholarship” (Mignolo 2012, p. 9). an Indigenous Gnoseology is thus a lens that far arches the Hegelian Phenomenological teleology inherited by Edmund Husserl, Marleau-Ponti to Geertzian interpretation in Anthropology (see Hegel’ the Philosophy of Rights, pp. 434, 467–470, 477) and Descartes’ duality and translation of Gnoseology as Epistemology. (Hatfield, 2014)

Our endeavor is through IG, that Ubuntu should be a tool in the IRP for reciprocal action and solidarity, particularly, in effect, within the morality of Ubuntu in the new Normalcy. Two, the missing link is, many like Margaret Kovach talks about ‘giving back, Bagele Chilisa, Martens Linda Smith are talking about Reciprocity. With respect, no consensus has not appeared yet today, that what does mean to Reciprocity and how it can be in the ground. (Chowdhury et al., 2022)

If we learn from the Buddhist morality, the Bante, spiritual leader of the Rakhain Indigenous community taught us to gain ‘Hhcate winyarin’ ( ) which is often translated as “spirit,” “refers to an immaterial part of the person that determines individual and, in a collective sense, group character. One’s sunsum could be light or heavy, and this intangible element could be cultivated.” The irony is that this we find at least two thousand years back than Hegelian Geist. Ubuntu may teach us (Bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamm¯a) that is “Wings to Awakening”—seven sets of principles that are conducive to Awakening, Sitama, the Rakhain healers taught us and is Buddha’s morality. Now we delve into the central part of the argument, taking the problems we saw in part one as background and the way of analysis set as a method. These two missing links are essential for conveying the purpose of Ubuntu, thus, we had to include this comprehensive explanation. If we adopt this in seeing the Reciprocal world where the I will be merged with ‘We,’ and most importantly, we is a verb, then, plausibly, we will be able to justify Al- Biruni’s Anthropological contribution, which is crucial to academic practice, when he was treated like this, “He presents a picture of Indian civilization as painted by the Hindus themselves” (Sachau, 2013, p. xxi), a clear recognition that Anthropological Kant and Descartes in no way initiate anthropology or philosophy. St. Augustine, whose influence is enormous and pervasive, even connects to the well-known stage theory of the 1970s, and he may have been a political thinker (Mattox, 2006). Due to the absence of Eastern and Arabic Gnosticism. If the Methodology is part of HPS, then [Ubuntu] as a philosophical anthropology project is neither German nor Kantian (Clammer & Giri, 2013, p. 1).

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Our methodological reach is far broader than that of the New Science Era. However, we will move towards the Methodological tenets which we think are the basics of Ubuntu, in effect the social science research.

Methodological Tenets This section deals with the tenets of our discussions, in effect, our lifelong teaching, “[r]esearch is methodology” (Massey & Kirk, 2015, p. 1). Research Is Reciprocal; What My Community Is Giving Back from My Study! Methodology matters. Paige West says anthropologists often see neoliberalism as a static phenomenon because they practice the Durkheimian sociology of Knowledge. Durkheim said, ‘consider the social fact as things’ (Durkheim, 2014). Let us elaborate. Therefore, we observed that social scientists are neutral during this pandemic. We had nothing to do with the deadly scenarios surrounding us. Let me give some simple reasoning, and then we may realize that methodology matters in social research. To an extent, we stop mainly up to the analytical part. We are here demonstrating.10 Our key informant and Village Headman (Karbari) died of Covid-19; he was in a severe dearth of an oxygen cylinder. WhatsApp is beeping with the demand for food by migrant workers. We see doctors and nurses breaking down with tears during the break, keeping aside their meals. And well-dressed people are standing in the food queue.

We can do as social researchers to us, have two options— One, as we indicated, should we “Consider [these heartbreaking] social facts as [neutral, objective] things” 11 as philosopher Emile Durkheim said in his Biblical book, ‘the Rules of Sociological Methods’ and, Two, we will be implying our knowledge and intellect for the welfare use of people. 10 I (Jahid) had placed this observation to an article, the anonymous reviewer, gave a comment that, this is my observation, not methodology. I am not upset, rather very happy to see that this journal has been working under the Decolonial discourse and Indigenous Paradigm, yet, the Reviewer is captive, objective and did not able to think to work on the normative part of research, but only in analytical aspect. I lost motivation to resent my article back. Polygyny is everywhere, no one tolerates critics, we, predominantly following what supervisors say, instruct and we try to follow the ready cliches, in this way, we are doing to be Desciple of Discipline. This sort of practice is beyond to comment as good or bad, yet, dangerous, if we try to think from the Epistemology of South. 11 Durkheim, E. (2014). The rules of sociological method: And selected texts on sociology and its method. Simon and Schuster.

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We need to view some genealogy. Edmund Husserl developed Bacon and Locke’s logical positivism. From the beginnings of his phenomenology training, Martin Heidegger and before Jurgen Habermas undertook methodological modifications that thematized the field of pre-theoretical life and led to the hermeneutics of Dasein, thereby creating tensions concerning Husserl that affected both the theoretical and personal dimensions.

This chapter, indeed the whole book’s standpoint examines this transition, tracing its early origins and focusing on the contributions of the Introduction to Phenomenological Research course from the 1923/1924 academic year. The 1919 course, the Idea of Philosophy and the Problem of World Conception, is typically viewed as the pivot point from which the first criticisms of Husserl emerge, stemming from the explicitness of pre-theoretical life as a theme and the need for a new hermeneutic court procedure. Strictly speaking, it is not a question of a method that denies phenomenology, but rather an attempt to overcome its limitations while preserving its purpose of ‘going to the things themselves’ since, as we will see, Heidegger finds increasingly diverse reasons to view Husserlian phenomenology as a drift that loses sight of its goals. Our issue is why and how Buddha has been relegated to phenomenology. As stated above, why does Geertz fit within Balinese society? Where is Indonesia’s colonial history? Despite this, Heidegger believes it is vital to reclaim the practical side of philosophy, which presents the world and existence without the distortion of a theoretical viewpoint. This option is described as “a methodical crossroads that determines the life and death of philosophy in general” in a twist that closely resembles a phrase that Husserl would use several years later, at the Paris Conferences, to describe the error that Descartes makes after arriving at the cogito when he gets lost blinded by the influences of scholasticism that he tried to leave behind and adopts the mathematical model that launches him via deduction. He compares the situation to standing atop a dangerous cliff and underlines the necessity to “proceed calmly and safely” because “philosophical life and death” depend on it. With the same image, Heidegger says that Husserl’s devotion to searching for certainties based on a scientific paradigm reissues the Cartesian error he condemned and unsuccessfully attempted to avoid. Suppose we concur with bell hook’s statement that methodology is for liberating means and David Harvey’s assertion that methodology is the backyard’s seedbed. In that case, we may assume that research must be reciprocal with the community regardless of the people or location. Bronislaw Malinowski’s tutor, Edvard Westermarck, stated in 1908, “[t]o require a benefit, or to be grateful to him who bestows it, is probably everywhere, at least under certain conditions, considered as an obligation” (Gouldner, 1960, p. 171). Fifty years later, Alvin Gouldner argued that (1) people should support those who have benefited them and (2) people should not harm those who have helped them. After that, in 2021, 60 years after Edvard Westermarck’s suggestion and Alvin Gouldner’s call, we will be drafting. Yet, we are grappling. Then

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feminism, Critical school, and Indigenous research paradigm-all have been discussing Reciprocity, giving back, that, in this argument, we are “weeing” with and for people as a decolonial exercise of collective reflective solidarity under the community development and actions of social movement in the New Normal for an ontological basis for collective action (Shaw & Crowther in McCrea et al., 2017). Linda Smith’s analysis of places of Resistance indicates that the intended function of this work is as an agent, preferably as an interaction site, and Vine Deloria, long before, said, Research is Resistance. In response to the questions of resistance, we established our methodological paradigm, meaning Vine Deloria, Linda Smith, and all in Table 2.2. IG (Eq. 2.1) is our lens or, a radical reflection within IRP. All of these are for the welfare of the people and the community, and “giving birth to an articulated insight.” New legislation mandating increased engagement in public forums [for future scholars]. And we placed all authors’ engagements and thoughts from other societies, such as Malaysia, Fiji, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Human rights campaigner Joseph Wronka’s ‘being in the UN’ and other professional tribulations with southern and northern communities during the past three decades. The Research Sits Inside the Methodology, Not Methodology in the Research Thomas Kuhn popularized the word paradigm in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Kuhn’s paradigm describes the scientific viewpoint that determines the acceptance of hypotheses and the suitability of research methodologies. When Guba and Lincoln relied on Kuhn’s work to characterize revolutions in social scientific thinking, they acknowledged that paradigms justified research methodologies and, when these approaches couldn’t explain events, a new worldview would arise. Guba and Lincoln (1994) defined the inquiry paradigm as the investigator’s perspective (p. 105). They did not follow Kuhn and proposed a new worldview paradigm. They enabled multiple research paradigms to coexist (Cram & Mertens, 2016, p. 163, for details, we refer to the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, https://www. nzcer.org.nz/). Postmodernism in anthropology, as we saw in the previous big Table 2.2, was created by the confusion about realism as one of the two elements of the debate, an innocuous, and therefore famous, merely critique and discussion—attempt to solve methodological problems through literary theory. The problem of confusing the realism of literary theory with the realism of the philosophy of science has been interpreted as an underlying accidental/strategic neglect of the debate about the difference between the realism of theory and the realism of being. Decolonial thought is indebted to postmodern anthropology. But, the post-positivist philosophy of science, which supposedly promoted the core interdisciplinarity of postmodern anthropology, did not provide the ultimate model for a critique of the possibility of discovering objective knowledge criteria, as the author-founders of postmodern

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anthropology naively hoped. Accepting this fact will make many things more accessible. They took specific skeptical questions about this shift in emphasis in thinking about science from an interdisciplinary view. The “discovery” that actual scientific practice is governed less by formal rules and more by context or frame of reference is a thesis that pleases anthropology, but the path taken in the philosophy of science to arrive at this discovery is not excluded. The normative-regulatory dimension of the general approach is somehow “lost by the wayside” amid standard methodological considerations. In the confusion of the politics of criticism (external pressures) and epistemological innocence (internal, disciplinary traditions), neo-relativist translation concepts have taken over the citation scene. Still, the idea of cultural paradigms in anthropology has declined, which is a big bull. The issues that later returned from anthropology to the metascience discipline, as we know it as musical anthropology, created a new frame of reference in which anthropological methodological reformers confused a critique of realist conceptions of reality with a critique of realist conceptions of science. But Vine Deloria did not walk in this direction. We often ask, hi, what method is in your thesis? As such, theory and philosophy (ontology and epistemology) come to the thesis. However, we take these fallacies, methods, and techniques as guidelines in the thesis. Because our idea is that the method is inside the thesis, and that is how we know the relationship between the thesis and methodology. Wrong. Be it any research project, research paper, thesis, or book, the core guidelines of the thesis or research paper come from methodology. As we have seen around us, our perception is in the middle of a vicious circle. Hi, what theory are you taking in your thesis? But, conversely, in what theory is your thesis anchored? As we have seen in the review, this is mainly a problem in developing countries and many in the West. This thesis will be helpful in understanding and explaining the relationship between the book’s various chapters that we have written and illustrated to newly admitted students. Moreover, experienced researchers can clearly understand these positions while working on multiple projects. So, it is essential to know the school. The thesis or tenet lies in the middle of the methodology, not the methods in the middle of the thesis. And whether he is a paradigm: empiricism, post-positivism, phenomenology, or critical thesis applies to all adherents. Recently, a PhD student12 was asked, during the defence of his thesis, to exclude philosophy from the thesis. Axiology concerns the ethics we bring to our evaluation practices. Axiological assumptions are clarified and prioritized within transformative paradigms. This means that the range of possible assumptions based on ontology, epistemology, and methodology is limited by the axiomatic assumptions of the paradigm. Among these self-evident assumptions, and fundamental to the transformative paradigm, is knowledge of a community’s history, values and beliefs, cultural make-up, and range of norms and practices. Further, the assessors told the student to take 12 For ethical perspective, we could not able to disclose the name and the assessors of the committee.

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out all personal experiences from the thesis, as this is, according to a senior member, a ‘scientific study’ and should be objective. Eventually, I (Jahid) was present there and am developing a book, maintaining all ethical concerns.13 Why Methodology Matters; the Topic, the Context, and the Researcher! We should bear in mind that research is not critical or analytical, or descriptive, nor is it posthumanism (see Ulmer, 2017); instead, it is contributory or not, and that is the vital question. Posthumanism provides openings to think differently about the challenges of our present day, and even, as some post-humanists suggest, our present epoch. In this regard, posthuman scholars often situate their work within the concept of the Anthropocene. When Paul Crutzen introduced the Anthropocene in a 2002 article in Nature, he wrote: For the past three centuries, the effects of humans on the global environment have escalated. Because of these anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, global climate may depart significantly from natural behavior for many millennia to come. It seems appropriate to assign the term ‘Anthropocene’ to the present, in many ways human-dominated, geological epoch …. (Ulmer, 2017, p. 23)

If we take, the summary as quotes of Ulmer’s seminal text is shown in Fig. 2.1. By the middle of the twentieth century, pessimistic and critical ideas about the success of science all converged and gained tremendous popularity. This stop focuses not only on visible problems and threats to world society (concentration camps, atomic bombs, etc.), but also on the image of science or a basic set of assumptions seen as a science. This critical peer-reviewed essay questions a generation of anthropologists recognized as the founding authors of postmodern anthropology. Talal Asad, and Eric Robert Wolf, to name a few. On our close reading of the postmodern literature, self-explanatory anthropology is neither terrible nor destructive. Marcus, Fisher, and Paul Robinow can quickly come among many. This cited approach “freezes” the image of philosophy, sociology, and history of science in need of anthropological methods, so dialogic, multi-vocal, experimental, and other new forms of anthropology may be possible in the real-life scenarios covid-19. But in the same light, we will try to show whether a logical, vocal, reflexive, or scientific practice is the primary purpose of knowledge or not. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is a seminal and politically influential work on scientific thought in the 1960s and 1970s. This thesis establishes the multidisciplinary use of the term paradigm as a collection of beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, practices, rules, methods, norms, etc., that members of a scientific community share in a given category. We also want change, but by whom, how, and for whose purpose needs to be decided first. This tenet presents how an anthropological

13

“Doctor of Philosophy without Philosophy: When PhD is Piazza Hutt Delivery!”

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Fig. 2.1 Thinking, and thinking and…where is practicality? (Source Jahid Chowdhury, Reviving and Re-Writing Ethics in Social Research For Commoning the Community, 2023, IGI Global, forthcoming)

or social science thesis should be written within the context of the Indigenous Paradigm. Our tone in this chapter is indignant, yet not ignorant of the current scholarship. After a particular instance as dire as the corona, we need to look at the basics, which is very important. Criticism of Western metaphysics is not new, and we have a long historical chronology, yet we are not happily congruent with indignantly. And even today, it has its roots in disciplines, including anthropology. Nowhere in Derrida’s work deals with Indigenous peoples and marginal communities, whereas Vine Deloria’s work is genuinely heated and more truly aligns with the community, so as latter is quite different. In Derrida’s work, their interpretation is within the framework of deconstruction, though, we see no solution. For anthropology, in the ninth century, Al-Biruni offers (see Sachau, 2013) an internal critique of the semantic link of language to reality. This school of thought aims to highlight the lack of a necessary relationship between scientific discourse and “nature” with all their artificiality, the distinctiveness of a particular culture, intellectual tradition, or Western cultural output. Analytic

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philosophy contributed to its lineage along with philosophical hermeneutics, literary formalism, and disciplinary structuralism. While we have no comment on the authorship, co-authorship, and appropriation of Barthes and Foucault, I see the problem when I look at the practical or practical application of these abstract analyses. Research Is Not About Tools, Techniques, or Instruments but All About Trust, Respect, Caring, Sharing, and Unity “If you want to understand the Big Issues, you need to understand the everyday practices that constitute them” (Suchman et al., 2019)—research engagement (Tuck & McKenzie, 2015) is then what for? Lester Rigney once said, we need to keep a life-long relationship, even after the fieldwork, if the people face any problem, we need to be liable. This is such a proselytizing statement that we need to adapt. In my thesis (Jahid), took the written approval, after sending them the summary in the Rakhain language, many of my peers said, this is not scientific research, well enough. I do ask, are you following the Baconian New Science, Durkheimian Sociology, then, to you it is nothing. Because, to that neutral view, the Indigenous people and others are like an object, soulless something, in reverse, for me, they are people, human beings, and they are like me. I am not such a researcher who should follow a colonial strategy based on anthropological knowledge and planning to achieve the desired evolutionary progress cheaply and without bloodshed as Malinowski at least believed so (see Pels, 1997, p. 164). We may think, is research apolitical? Following this statement, we see the next tenet. Is Research Apolitical? A research is political or not—we rarely discuss in methodology—instead avoiding it, we shall put it on the table as a vital thesis. Whether in the social sciences or the natural sciences, there is an ambivalent relationship between research and policymaking. When a subject is contentious, such as violence against indigenous peoples or the extraction of traditional medical knowledge, the research attempts to shed light on it; yet, if it is within the donor’s terms, it can be extremely valuable in provoking policymakers to act. Since the dawn of time, anthropology has been conducting this “important” and “scientific” task. In this instance, the question is a significant society that impacts politics using data. So do social scientists maintain the allience with politics or the realpolitik? Breaking down the professional and disciplinary relationship is vital, or should be, for research and policymaking. the machinery of politics, a second concern arises: can science ever be free of politics?

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Textbox 2.1: Ethics and Anthropology

1. Chacon, R. J., & Mendoza, R. G. (Eds.). (2011). The ethics of anthropology and Amerindian research: Reporting on environmental degradation and warfare. Springer Science & Business Media.1 2. Lambek, M. (Ed.). (2010). Ordinary ethics: Anthropology, language, and action. Fordham University Press. 3. Lambek, M. (2015). The ethical condition: Essays on action. In Person, and value. Chicago University Press. 4. Fassin, D., & Keane, W. (2015). Four lectures on ethics: Anthropological perspectives. 5. Mills, D., & Caplan, P. (2003). The ethics of anthropology: Debates and dilemmas. Routledge.1 6. Fassin, D. (Ed.). (2012). A companion to moral anthropology. John Wiley & Sons. 7. Sussman, D. G. (2001). The idea of humanity: Anthropology and anthroponomy in Kant’s ethics. Routledge. 8. Dave, N. N. (2012). Queer activism in India: A story in the anthropology of ethics. Duke University Press. 9. de Waal Malefyt, T., & Morais, R. J. (Eds.). (2017). Ethics in the anthropology of business: Explorations in theory, practice, and pedagogy. Routledge. 10. Turner, T. R. (Ed.). (2005). Biological anthropology and ethics: From repatriation to genetic identity. SUNY Press. Phrorenic manner is nowhere exist Source: Ethics Is Social Research (Jahid 2023, Reviving and ReWriting Ethics in Social Research For Commoning the Community, 2023, IGI Global, forthcoming, a book is under progress)

We think Research in the policymaking process can be considered human activity if policymakers work for the people and their benefit. As Edward Said once stated, a Buddhist never follows a predetermined path. Do not adhere to the advice of benefactors or rulers. However, when it comes to the policy of people through. Moreover, Friendship and trust, alongside reciprocity, had thus allowed for boundaries to be drawn and expectations to be defined and respected about archival materials (Silverman, 2003, p. 122)14 is one side. To an extent, When I am writing about ethics, we know, Some universities have accepted money from such sources as Wellcome, Shell and British 14 Silverman, M. (2003). A personal journey in rural Ireland, 1980–2001. In The ethics of anthropology: Debates and dilemmas (p. 115).

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American Tobacco (BAT), leading to discussions about the need for ‘guidelines (see Mills & Caplan, 2003, p. 2)’ and Textbox 2.1. Sol Tax, an ethical anthropologist, long before endeavored to raise the question of the role of anthropologist. Unfortunately, his contemporary scholarship excoriated his motivation in many ways. Let us read a lengthy paragraph, Morgan collected objects, described the everyday life of the Iroquois, and sometimes even represented them legally. One of his legal innovations was to call the different Iroquois tribes a nation, as this meant protection by international law. Morgan helped the Iroquois Confederacy regain (and partially repurchase) the land that plot speculators coaxed out the hands of tribal chiefs, on which the first Indian reservations were created.26 … A hundred years later, Sol Tax created the concept of action anthropology. … and after 1948 organized regular student camps on the reservation. Tax and his students were not satisfied with the role of the researcher: they felt that – as highly educated white men – they could not afford to be simple outsiders; they also had to do something for their red skinned compatriots who were denied their past, whose everyday life had been stolen, and whose future was made hopeless. According to Tax, the (action) anthropologist has a moral obligation to help those who they study. However, he also felt that it was important to preserve the freedom of the community: the anthropologist should contribute to understanding the consequences of the different possibilities without becoming a local leader, a local influencer, but only by helping the community find solutions to the problems identified by its members. Many people dispute that action anthropology has a reason to exist. An important criticism is that action anthropology cannot leave the asymmetrical, patron-client relationship that is created between the researcher and the researched. Often it is the community itself that grants the role of leader/advisor to the researcher, even when the researcher would like to be an equal partner. The researchers cannot step out of their own framework, so their personal, social status determines the relationship between the group and the researcher. Another group of critiques highlights another characteristic of action anthropology; namely, that it is adapted to fieldwork, not to local requirements. Interventions occur ad hoc when the researcher visits the field (when he has the money, time, and possibility), not when the community is ready for this, or when they need help. Bigger organizations are able to provide longer-term support that is not connected to researchers, but there are very few such organizations and even global-scale ones do not always have the means to make long-term commitments. As a solution, international organizations try to connect their activity to the work of nations. Critiques of action anthropology in the third group are of an ethical nature.29 The results of anthropological research often do not help locals. Related information is written for an audience with contrasting interests, or one disinterested in the needs of the social group in question.

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Morgan, the “small-town American lawyer” – as critical literature refers to him – is the archetype of an action anthropologist. The evaluation of Morgan, and that of action anthropology, changes from period to period, but he undoubtedly fought to protect Iroquois rights and to establish these rights in majority society; on the other hand, he was a man of his time in the sense that he wanted to “civilize” them through education and Christianity in order to integrate them into North American society (Letenyei, 2021, pp. 23-25).15

If we read the whole stanza in two-part, before the Italic form, the reading gives us an impression of a good heart. Yet, while reading, “he wanted to civilize them through education and Christianity in order to integrate them into North American society” —is nothing but what Malinowski and others wanted for colonial people, and this is the inkling of Philosophy and Anthropological Science. However, I do not understand how research may function as a form of phronesis in politics. In 1969, Deloria spoke of Aboriginal metaphysics and encouraged Native Americans to engage in practical activity. This provides an attraction that transcends certain geographic regions. According to him, the concept of decolonizing research emerges much later, in the social sciences. In addition, we frequently associate politics and associated topics solely with government and the electoral process. Will we forget, even in scholarly work, that politics operates? Or is it not our obligation? Nevertheless, we may differentiate between politics with a capital P and politics with a small p. Think of politics with a tiny ‘p’ in a particular setting or in connection to power. We examine the writings of David Mills (2005), David Mosse’s writing is also critical, whereas Paige West’s is efficient. For instance, some simple instances include, Why do we remain silent in class when discussing university politics, classroom politics-topic selection, the politics of our ambition for administrative positions, workplace politics, etc.? Also, in the academic realm, we read about “gender politics” and “racial politics” in other people’s books and journals, from nearby locations, but not from actual examples. More sensitive? As an example, Bangladesh’s military intelligence agency let all media and civil society, including intellectuals and teachers, to use the term “Adivasi” or “indigenous” a few days before Adivasi Day. I did not observe anyone discussing it. The categories of analysis “cultural politics” and “tribe politics” encourage us to detect and analyze power relations (our understanding).

So, what do we mean by “research politics”? In this thesis, we argue that we should recognize that the sole aim of life is the pursuit of truth. Research is not always for the enlightened. Working on smuggling or, for example, discussing the trafficking of women, researching the activities of legislators, collaborating with bureaucrats or psychics, researching, investigating, and attempting 15 Letenyei, L. (2021). Cultural anthropology. History of theory. Corvinus University of Budapest Press.

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to determine the basis of daily disputes with settlers, etc. Let’s examine the below-listed answers. Who is doing the study? What is the link between the researcher and the researcher in terms of research? Whose interests is the research intended to serve? Is the study applicable? Who is paying for the research? For what objective(s)? Who is the audience for the presentation of research findings? Whose research is represented and/or heard? Whose voice, expertise, authority, and interpretation? Terms and agreements? And what… constituencies? Who has the authority to define words and formulate research questions? through what means? (Our understanding). We also discuss “research ethics,” so why not explore boundary lines? To give another illustration: Indigenous Medicinal Knowle and its ‘appropriation’ since colonial times, has proved effective for policymakers. The botanical gardens of today are carrying this testimony. Research Is Beyond the State, Business, and the ‘Self’ and Hence, Universal Let me get to the root. Karl Popper, the founder of post-positivism, said in the 1940s that for theories to be legitimate, they must be falsifiable. This falsifiability ensures that the theory may be falsified if empirical facts do not match the theoretical premises employed in empirical testing. Views can’t exist without being experimentally tested. Research is neutral, tautological assertions. What? Parsimony explores how much can be described by how few variables. This notion comes from Father William Ockham (Ockham’s Razor). The hypothesis with the fewest variables or assumptions best explains the facts. Add new constructs to explain a complicated social phenomenon. Rudolph Stein, the founder of anthroposophy, isn’t well-known today. Epigony is difficult outside of science. A theory is meant to provide a “simplified” and generalizable explanation of reality. Parsimony refers to each theory’s freedom. Parsimonious theories feature large degrees of freedom, which makes generalization easier. Aristotle and Al-Farabi both argued that intellectual satisfaction is important. Confucius generally follows your heart. Subjective origin. Subjective norms are a weighted blend of the norms expected of diverse referent groups, such as friends, colleagues, or supervisors at work. Behavioral control is how internal or external constraints prohibit a behavior. Holmes’ seclusion and ‘objectivity’ gave way to a more subjective approach in the 1920s and 1930s. The research aims to prevent the researcher from interfering with disinterested observations. Only then can the researcher be guaranteed of theory-free comments, protecting information from subjective conceptions. Kuhn, Putnam, and Phillips have all noted that dualism is unworkable in practice. Research and politics may seem like an oxymoron. Politics create complicated, tangled policies. In politics and policymaking, research is a robust tool. Research has been more prominent in nursing and health policy statement in recent decades. Kuhn defines ‘paradigm’ as the collection of beliefs, techniques, and processes that shape contemporary science. A paradigm is a conceptual framework that models unified scientific

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study traditions, such as Newtonian physics or wave optics. Kuhn accepts contradictions in modern science but believes that every ‘normal era’ of research is regulated by regulative principles that define conventional beliefs. Over time, there will be severe and recurrent issues that the prevailing design can’t tackle easily. A catastrophe creates a new paradigm. The new structure’s beliefs and practices contrast with the old rationale. This viewpoint has been criticized. Lincoln and Guba suggest that Kuhn used ‘paradigm’ 21 times, several of which had slight meaning differences (Crook & Garratt, 2005). Modern notions of social and educational inquiry leverage this uncertainty to do something slightly different. Patton defines ‘paradigm’ as a core belief system or worldview that simplifies the actual world. Paradigms inform followers and practitioners of what’s significant, legitimate, and reasonable. Why should the research be for a particular class? If that is the case Peter Pels stated unequivocally that the anthropology of colonialism is the anthropology of anthropology; we do not judge whether this statement is accurate or wrong, but we concurred. Talal Asad,16 Fay Harrison, and contemporary researchers such as Alatas (2018, 2021a, 2021c), and Moosavi (2020), are worried that anthropology and sociology are western metaphysics. They failed to grasp the Phonetical nature of Knowledge, regardless of whether they are decolonial or post-structuralist critics. Their cumulative failure raises the question: Are we, by writing this Critique, following in the footsteps of the Frankfurtian under a new label, or are we bringing something fresh to the people? What guidelines should be used to continue determining current practices? (Pels, 2008), and is not an anthropological or sociological question but rather an epistemic one. Since the 1990s (Cajete, 1994; Smith, 2021), decolonization as an academic field has particularly emphasised social science and community development (Cajete, 1994; Smith, 2021). Decolonization is not a metaphor (Tuck & Yang, 2012); it is scholarly disobedience to the west in community development (Mignolo, 2012). The entirety of the social sciences is a mind-body-spirit activity. Crime and violence in the largest population centers of the Global North. The criminological perspective has been chiefly a peacetime academic endeavor concentrated on the issues of pacified nation-states in the global North (Tuck & McKenzie, 2015). It has avoided confronting the violence inherent in nation-building, empire, and settler colonialism, as well as the role of war, slavery, exploitation, and transportation of prisoners in these historical processes. This has hampered the field’s intellectual development and maintained the relative disregard of crime and violence outside the metropolitan area. From a social perspective, the Covid-19 Pandemic offered us an opportunity and represented the “last stand” for a more equitable world (Smith, 2021). Decolonization teaches us to speak up; silencing academics is nothing more than denying reality (Alatas,

16 Asad, T. (1983). Anthropological conceptions of religion: reflections on Geertz. Man, 237–259.

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Fig. 2.2 Captive-minded intellectual (Source Chowdhury et al., 2021)

2018), which is detrimental to justice and dangerous for academic practitioners (Moosavi, 2020). Based on our consultation, thought, and knowledge of Decolonization, we may approach this project in the following manner: Fig. 2.2 is the cover page of our most recent book, Captive Minded Intellectual, Bengali Commentary on Hussein Alatas, which was created in response to Hussein Alatas’ thoughts on Captive Mind (1972), as depicted in Fig. 2.2. Can we avoid the colonial legacy, contract, and Epistemic injustice? If not, how can we think that abstract research would be a transforming agent of the people? Think, my friends. We have elements in our surroundings, just think of LH Morgan, Bronislaw Malinowski, and Peter Pels’s comments, and this Fig. 2.2. Research About Not Only Writing the Right Thing but Acting as ‘Righting the Rights of People’ Let us put the gist of Robin Krik, in her new book Righting Wrongs , Can you explain your process for the selection, and discuss why you wanted to showcase heroes? ROBIN KIRK: I’ve always been struck by how individuals see in human rights a powerful tool for change. At the same time, it’s these people who also change human rights, pushing ideas of right and wrong beyond where they found them. I also wanted to showcase how diverse human rights activists are … Finally, what do you hope the readers will do with what they have learned in this book?

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KIRK: I think Catherine Coleman Flowers, one of my heroes, said it best. Born in one of the poorest places in America, Alabama’s Lowndes County, she struggled to get an education. But her parents were civil rights leaders and taught her that fighting for rights is a central part of life. Catherine can’t NOT be engaged in whatever issue she’s chosen. She says, “Choose a problem, decide what to focus on, and you will see results.” It’s not necessary for one individual to try to right every wrong. Pick the wrong you see, think about how you can change it, and you will find that you have an impact. If all of us are engaged, the whole world changes for the better. (June 14, 2022, https://today.duke.edu/2022/06/people-behind-rights-we-cherish)

For the sake of the community, Linda Smith suggests revising. We are, Spivak said, righting the wrongs’ in academia. Nancy Scheper-Hughes (ScheperHughes, 2000) said “anthropology demands power, bravery, and fortitude.” In classic ethnography, we have saw how obedient our Anthropologists were! Research Is Not Deeper Than Its Methodology Scientific research always follows philosophy. It is a method applied by scientists to generate knowledge in terms of research. Four main trends in research philosophy are distinguished and discussed in the works of many authors: positivist research philosophy, interpretivism research philosophy, realist research philosophy, realist research philosophy, and finally, the indigenous paradigm. If more or bigger, then et is a masterpiece. A new horizon comes.17 But, as we talked to many scholars and read more than 100 theses, we realized that the research is not deeper than its adopted approach. The contribution is ‘knowledge production.’ It’s not our guess, and it’s a belief. We made this belief in our minds only after reviewing 150 bioprospecting papers, over 100 PhD. We feel, at least, that in the current education system in Bangladesh and Malaysia, decolonization is still a long way off. Hardly, almost anywhere we see it in anyone’s thesis. As Guba and Lincoln point out, fragmentation of paradigm differences can only occur when a new paradigm is more sophisticated than the existing one. We either simulate someone else’s model in the thesis or test the model’s falsifiability with data from our work. But this is not new knowledge. And considering these elements of HPS, Peter Galison (2008) identified ten issues about the HPS; however, they lack a proposed solution. So, we feel that “the aim of decolonial sociology [social sciences], to restructure the field of sociology itself, seems a daunting task (Meghji, 2021, softcopy reading).” We have exhausted all avenues to seek a way and sustain his administration and resigning was the last resort. So, two issues, as said by Al-Kindi, 17 Professor Lambek edits a series as New Horizon of Anthroplogy from Cambrige. The Ethical Condition, and so forth, I do not find any space of Nicomachean ethics, Al-Biruni’s intellectual happiness, and more vitally, space for self, meaning how we do be connected with the cosmic totality. If I am the tree, and I am not in good health in terms of 3 sleeves (spiritual, physical and mental), then, my research as fruit would not be meaningful.

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philosophy generated ‘science,’ then science should be for the welfare of the people, Indigenous, marginal, or urban. We need to read Al-Kindi, who, over a thousand years before, said that a noble philosopher would be the man who fully understands this most dignified knowledge. Enhancing our understanding of the cause is more aristocratic than knowing the effect since we have a complete account of every knowable only when we have attained comprehensive knowledge of its cause. Knowledge of the first cause has been called “First Philosophy” since all the rest of philosophy is contained in its understanding. And then, without the first Anthropologist Al-Biruni (Ahmed, 1986), others disagree (Tapper, 1995). However, the methodological position remains incomplete. As a reflection on Kantian Enlightenment, and Hegelian consciousness, we stated before, two thousand years before Hegel, Buddha said about Bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamm¯ a, per se, “Wings to Awakening”. The Satisfactions of Self-Consciousness that Bante and Sitama are teaching us., he asserts that Hegel puts Geist is not ‘Absolute’ and ‘Spirit. Therefore, Geist is more epistemological than ontology or metaphysical (Fig. 2.3). We assume there are some extra remarks need to justify Hegelian Geist. Let me read Robert Pippin’s analysis. Pippin said about Hegelian spirit roots to Kant, logical, supposed to be. It is one of the profoundest and truest insights to be found in the Critique of Pure Reason that the unity which constitutes the unity of the Begriff is recognized as the original synthetic unity of apperception, as the unity of the I think, or of self-consciousness. (Pippin, 2010, p. 10, note 5)

Furthermore, And so the desire inherent in all consciousness (consciousness being “beyond itself,” such that its unity with itself “must become essential for it”), it has turned out, must be, cannot but be, a desire for recognition by others and the following note 25, p. 77) is vital. From Kant to Hegel

Fig. 2.3 Hegel’s Geist and new science consciousness (Source Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (2007 [1807], p. 57, [we have used the Duke University edition])

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to John Dewey, we could make lineage, however, elsewhere, we detailed this genealogy of Educational philosophy and philology of spirit. The Hegelian subjective mind is a full-blown philosophical anthropology, made this point by claiming that for Hegel the distinctness of human desire is that it can take as its object something no other animal desire does: another’s desire. “When we examine Dewey’s Hegelianism in the light of recent humanistic/historicist readings of Hegel, we find a far more significant Hegelian deposit throughout Dewey’s oeuvre” (Shook, 2000, p. iii). We, however, delimited here, yet, for an eased reading, see Kuykendall (1993).

Conclusion: Can We Start Weing The volume starts with an analysis for a communing the community, Ubuntu, and weing. In this chapter, taking the abovementioned tenets, we think it is our time. We need to think of weing, meaning we as a verb in all spheres of life, in academia and practice. Suppose Ubuntu and Reciprocity is a tools within academia. In that case, this message is neither regional, racial, nor segmented by religion—but universal, Phronetic in practice—wherever injustice is—this Ubuntu is a reference, assertive guideline for social science. Hegel said that absolute reasoning is Germany, and Walter Mignolo interrogates this: spirit denoted German supremacy (see the Philosophy of History). Indigenous Scholar Lester Rigney said Indigenous Research Paradigm is a consciousness. We realize that colonialism has been mainly around ‘our consciousness for a long time, and this book is undoubtedly a detector. Hence a marker of the ‘domination’ leaving. However, the perspective was recently changed as there are several reputable documents. Our subsequent discussion starts with the first Domain question, what Ubuntu is. The Ethical Condition, and so forth, I do not find any space for Nicomachean ethics, Al-Biruni’s intellectual happiness, and, more vitally, freedom for self, meaning how we do be connected with the cosmic totality. If I am the tree, and I am not in good health in terms of 3 selves (spiritual, physical and mental), my fruit research would not be meaningful. The latter, when affirming that we n considered the theory of knowledge that is Epistemology by the phenomenological description like Descartes and others, as the most inadequate in serving the community to the objective of Knowledge to which it has been born since Aristotle. Our proposal of Indigenous Gnoseology is to provide the theoretical foundations of Social science and Reciprocal analysis of this book for the practice instead of ‘production’ of knowledge. We have noted, however, that its western content reflects the state of objectivity in the social science and similar research institution, Frankfurt, for example, does not grasp the Aristotelian Phronetic, practicality, and Indigenous thought of Holism as we will see in the coming chapters, at least for this book, which is to contribute to the work of analysts and to problematize the foundations of the contents produced by Intellectual communities since the New Science as seen in Fig. 2.4.

2

tend to favor innatism

René Descartes (1596–1650): a priori. per se, ideas are innate Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716): Innate ideas “principles" James Frazer, EB Tylor in Anthropology, Mauss in Sociology

Empiricism

John Locke's ((1632–1704): Tebula Rasa, per se Empty Slat

all knowledge is a posteriori,

David Hume (1711–1776): Bronislow Malinowski in Anthropology

Precepts and Concepts Merged

George Berkeley (1685–1753) Immanuel Kant (1724–1804): Combines sensory input and inborn concepts into a unified account of how we understand the world. Pragmatic ANthropoligical school: John Dewey, Frankfurtian school

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We do not see: Tradition is source of knowledge, two, we do not see, the aim of knowledge practice is Phronesis, welfare use of knowledge for t e community, is not it?

Rationalism

RESEARCH IS NOT GREATER THAN THE METHODOLOGY: …

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (200 BC, thne, Albiruni's translation in 1030 Aristotleian Phronesis: Indigenous Gnoseology is telling about self-repairing to connect with cosmic totality, and be Reciprocal with community with wisdom,

and source,

Saadia Gaon (875): Tradition and Religous book is source

the Knowledge theory

Indigenous Gnoseology

We need to re-define

AND WE NEGATE…

Sources of Knowledge Fig. 2.4 Methodological summary and seeking truth with Indigenous Gnoseology (Source Datta, 1997; Gill, 2006; Jeff & Vencovská, 2016; Koller, 2018, this figure is the seedbed of our book, An Introduction to the Indigenous Gnoseology, 2023, forthcoming)

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Here we feel that it is unnecessary to delve deeply into the numerous and controversial problems raised by theories of knowledge (epistemology) and Philosophy of Knowledge (gnoseology). However, at least superficially, we have given importance to establishing the philosophical presuppositions of our proposition. In the Kantian view, philosophy consists precisely in determining the limits of all knowledge and, on the other hand, in providing a theory of scientific knowledge. Later we will see that a similar notion belonged to Rene Descartes (Gould, 1994; Kapila, 2007). Although almost all western thinkers have addressed the problem of what can or cannot be known, how and for what purpose, it was in the Renaissance that this became the main object of philosophy (Mignolo, 2012), and proved as racial (Mensch, 2000), partial, one Dimensional (Eikeland, 2007) and colonial (Pels, 1997). Unfortunately, in most cases, these are theoretical constructions made by philosophers without the practice of scientific investigation or by scientists without much familiarity with the handling of purely abstract reasoning. Even this blame goes to Marx, Hegel, Kant, and among anthropology, James Frazer, Henry Morgan, E. B. Tylor. On the other hand, the claim of the name “science”, specifically for reasons of prestige, by branches of knowledge that do not pay attention to empirical sources (as if this altered the importance or validity of their studies) has contributed to conceptual confusion. Out clear position is that the challenge on what the Intellectual exercise Activity should use as a foundation or aim: practical use of wisdom. This chapter concurrently lays the foundation of this book, yet, in a broader view, questions the claim of the concept of “science” by various branches of knowledge and discusses the possibility of the existence of a “scientific methodology” or the “scientific” nature of branches of knowledge that do not focus on nature, specifically on the function and importance of knowledge of Intelligence, as well as the “methodological root” or the path to production and the permissible sources, which, since modernity, lean almost exclusively towards the knowledge that can be obtained by the New Science movement, and its generated paradigms: Positivism, logical empiricism, post-positivism, Phenomenology, per see, the interpretive school, then the Critical legacy. It relates and incorporates elements of epistemology and gnoseology into the knowledge production process employed in the Intelligence activity and proposes a broader approach to the characteristics of common sense, traditions, thinking and even the sensitivity to the production of knowledge of Intelligence to appropriate all possible forms of interaction with the truth, that is, Indigenous Gnoseology with the best information that can be obtained in time and with the available resource. And that is the methodological discussion we shared and will guide us in the next chapters and beyond.

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CHAPTER 3

What Does Ubuntu Manifest in This Pandemic

What Is Ubuntu In Chapter 1, perhaps, we cleared at least what is the basics of Ubuntu. In the advent of the covid-19, what Ubuntu manifests in the New Normal is this chapter’s theme. The first four sections describe what Ubuntu means to us in this pandemic. Then we talk about the inner senses of Ubuntu. Does it contract with Individualism? As a response to our orientation with social sciences and our research faculties,1 we should behave consciously toward these current problems instead of only addressing them. And our answer is holistic, all-inclusive, or a call for oneness. Laurie Garret and John Barry warned us about global disasters about fifteen years ago. Critical social work and social science inform us that a quest for knowledge and theory should use in politics. Even early in January 2020, Lancet Editor’s depressed expression about policymakers would listen to scientists. In the first chapter, we are supposed to put a symbolic graveyard from Brazil. Due to global readership, and sensitivity, we did not. Yet, how many hundreds of thousands can be seen? When the doctors of ex-prime minister of Britain Johnson were preparing the death declaration or his final message, who holds super veto power, but no control to the unseen enemy—Corona Virus. When Donald Trump talked with covered lips by a mask—when the mosques and churches lacked a place to keep bodies, we are yet ‘powerful’ and then started ‘vaccinationalism’ and business. We were thinking of profiteering. Food crisis, health inaccessibility, and financial strife all across 1 Research Faculties, not the university administration rather stand for our feelings, consciounsees, spirirt, intention and deeds and action for the people’s wellbeing.

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the globe—east or west, poor and wealthy, black and white—are the result of our Individualism. This 2020 pandemic fractures the relatively homogenous—it did not bother the nationality, religion, race, regionality, and ethnic boundaries that have been the well-established dichotomies. Turmoil resides in covid-19, which spreads along at a pandemic pace. But our policies did have enough preparation to save personal or public lives and protect vulnerable communities. Neither planning we saw as handling education or health care or facing a catastrophe/crisis response. Little or fewer commendations can offer time-being survival, not a sustained survivor. This chapter’s third section is limning Ubuntu’s features—a set of characteristics demonstrating Ubuntu’s necessity in the coming days. The following values as manifestations. [T]he Pan African spirit of Ubuntu offers new foundation and a guiding light for future generations; its universalistic authority lies in this desire to forge liberation for all discriminated and oppressed people of the world despite their colour, race, or creed [in the New normal]. (Eze, 2013, p. 671)

We borrow some from our previously published works about Ubuntu and its conceptualization; for easy readership, we placed them in Textbox 3.1.

Textbox 3.1: Conceptualizing Ubuntu

“Richard Bolden (Bolden, 2014, p. 4) says, The concept of Ubuntu is an alternative to individualistic and utilitarian philosophies that tend to dominate in the West. It is a Zulu/Xhosa word, with parallels in many other African languages, which is Ubuntu Philosophy most directly translated into English as ‘humanness’. Its sense, however, is perhaps best conveyed by the Nguni expression ‘umuntungumuntungabantu’, which means ‘a person is a person through other people.’ HE Desmond Tutu in No Future without Forgiveness said, Ubuntu is our humanity is caught up in that of all others, we are human because we belong, we are made for community, for togetherness, for family, to exist in a delicate network of interdependence….no one can be human alone” (Tutu, 2012/1998, p. 145). A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed, or treated as if they were less than who they are. Michael Eze, leading vocal of Ubuntu defines as) “A person is a person through other people’ strikes an affirmation of one’s humanity

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through recognition of an ‘other’ in his or her uniqueness and difference. It is a demand for a creative intersubjective formation in which the ‘other’ becomes a mirror (but only a mirror) for my subjectivity” (Eze, 2016, p. 190) Nelson Mandela says, Ubuntu is the recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others and caring for those around us (in Zwaenepoel, 2019). Gade said, “Ubuntu is a moral quality of a person” (Gade, 2012, p. 485). Source Chowdhury et al. (2021, pp. 363–364).

To comprehend Ubuntu, we should move beyond these definitions as set in Textbox 3.1 and look at the status of the Ubuntu term. Ubuntu has been active as a philosophy of Pan-Africanization in writing since around 1500 (see Eze, 2013). As a note, that means it is long before practice Murray discovered (1967). It has, yet, served as a political philosophy or moral guide in many countries since the 1960s. Molefe (2020a; 2021; Eze, 2013; Metz, 2011) asserts that the concept of ubuntu as an ideological framework incorporates various moral-political messages for real problems worldwide. I see the same in Tutu’s writing or Nelson Mandela’s writings and others (Mandela, 1995; Nolte & Downing, 2019; Qobo & Nyathi, 2016; Rodrigues, 2020; Thakhathi & Netshitangani, 2020; Tutu, 2012/1998; Waghid, 2018; Zvomuya, 2020; Zwaenepoel, 2019). One of the most moving elements of this philosophy is an “extra-community” element. Locals look upon outsiders and community leaders with genuine love. It allowed cooperative societies to grow. The resulting collaboration incorporates presence and focuses on calmness among these emotional populations (Molefe, 2020a, 2020b, 2021). Ubuntu’s mission as a worldview is to promote equal treatment and distribution of resources. The remainder of the entire social conditioning rural agricultural population as protection against personal food shortages. Social activity implies that members of society are always sympathetic to individuals sharing their mutual resources. At the same time, this solidarity has been weakened by urbanization and transformation into an arbitrary and hierarchical entity. Nevertheless, African academic scholars such as Michael Eje and Christian Gade have often suggested that this concept of “collective responsibility” cannot be interpreted as a complete ideal of group success. We assume, in conceptualizing, it is worthwhile to see this term from a philosophical ground. Let us read from Ramose.

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Philosophically, to approach this term as a hyphenated word, namely, ubu-ntu. Ubuntu is actually two words in one. It consists of the prefix ubu- and the stem ntu-. Ubu-evokes the idea of be-ing in general. It is enfolded be-ing before it manifests itself in the concrete form or mode of existence of a particular entity. Ubu- as enfolded be-ing is always oriented towards unfoldment, that is, incessant continual concrete manifestation through particular forms and modes of being. In this sense ubu- is always oriented towards -ntu. At the ontological level, there is no strict and literal separation and division between ubu- and -ntu. Ubu- and -ntu are not two radically separate and irreconcilably opposed realities. (Ramose, 2002, p. 271)

Ubuntu is a composition being, and composing beings, and beings are the three fundamental principles on which all the reflective, argumentative, analytic, and interpretative techniques proposed in this book will be based. The notion of ubuntu will be more explicitly related to apartheid and social exclusion in South Africa; The theory of “nosotrico” will be constrained in a particular way to realize the African and, to a lesser extent, Mayan. Our human liberation philosophy will supply us with significant material for contemplating the so-called “Afro social question.” To “argue” about these three notions, racism, and the social exclusion of Afro-children. Mangena, Mandela, Molefe, and others have advanced Ubuntu into the theoretical-methodological tools of analogical hermeneutics and evaluated a few instances of racism and social exclusion (see Gumede, 2018; Mandela, 1995; Mangena, 2014a, 2014b; 2016; Molefe, 2020c; Mucina, 2019; Ndlovu, 2016; Ramose, 2020; Rodrigues, 2020). After this pandemic, we believe it is time to (re)consider human relationships, connections, and “I” and “other.” In the academic realm, daily life, and our sphere of thought. It is customary for us to impose a quest for a solution to a crisis, but it is also standard for alienation to include the “be with yourself” instinct. In times of epidemics, we have witnessed the truth of the profound wounds involved in human interactions, such as loneliness, mortality, and other losses, fear, despair, and fury produced by change, the unknown, and lack, which appear to initiate a collective process of intense self-awareness. Man’s magnificence is that he went to the man with whatever he had available. In Chapter 2, we said in Indigenous Holism that humans do not fight each other, whereas Thomas Hobbes’s idea is incorrect. People of the Indigenous people of Bangladesh, we have been working before and amid this pandemic and realized this human nature. Factually, can we please explain why this epidemic cannot affect far-flung rural settlements? Because people over there carry human qualities, maybe, they are not modern in the practice of private psychotherapy. We are familiar with the humanization of the civilian and the urban, the passim, which touches upon the most primordial human sorrows. The coronavirus, which can impair the vital function of breathing, reminds us that the air that provides us with oxygen, despite being abundant and vaguely accessible, can at times become scarce, bringing with it the imminence of death (concrete or symbolic), as well as their subsequent grieving process.

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The Covid-19 pandemic is thus more than a public health emergency and a recession. Whether it impacts human integrity and its diversity or multidimensionality when it is a matter of policy, however, the sense of alienation from the whole cannot be attributed solely to the virus, but rather to a lengthy process of “infection” based on the outcomes of colonial, capitalist, and neoliberal logic pervasive in modernity. Therefore, the situation is considerably older. Such conceptions of discourses, ephemera, and philosophies associated with egoistic ideals and meritocracy have further damaged the immune system of the global interaction between man and nature, causing shocks of various kinds for the experience. Who has not considered loneliness and isolation, the sustainability of the earth, and “toxic” versus “good” relationships in the present day? Yes, we were and still are in a crisis, facing new challenges daily. Since the Internet has become a field for observing numerous behavioral occurrences, a quick search on an internet search engine is once again sufficient to satisfy the powerful requirements of self and affection. It is important to note that the answer to the question “How do people like me?” Ubuntu evokes a sense of shared existence, ‘Commoning the Community.’ We assume we need to talk with Gustavo again, Mice the size of an elephant will collapse; a case of disproportionality. Likewise, elephants the size of mice will also collapse because of disproportionality. Proportionality is a central feature of both natural and social beings. Size and proportionality go hand in hand, but not mechanically. For the people to rule themselves, the group should have the political capability of looking together for the common good through consensus. This can be achieved by a group relatively big in Indigenous communities, used to the tradition of “we-ing”, but only pretty small groups of individualized urbanites can have such political capabilities, at least for some time. (Esteva, 2020, taken from: https://radicalecologicaldemocracy.org/new-political-horizons-bey ond-the-democratic-nation-state)

It is the cloak that a creature dons before appearing in its concrete form or manner of existence. Obsessed Being-Well-Being Ubuntu is constantly geared toward discovery, that is, the concrete, continuous, and continual manifestation of specific forms and ways of being. As Ramose and others have stated, Ubuntu is regarded a priori as an unstoppable, ongoing process. Ubuntu is therefore deemed mature, which suggests the concept of movement. According to Ubuntu, the decolonization of colonial/modernist reasoning is a prerequisite for comprehending what Ubuntu is. It is impossible to embrace the concept of Ubuntu without relinquishing the concepts of society and “I.” Communicating with Ubuntu is about expanding (one’s) knowledge to new channels. Ubuntu is an abbreviation of the classic African maxim “Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu,” which means “A person is a person via another person” or “I am because we are.” Being human means existing via others. Another way to be “inhumane” is to be disrespectful or even harsh to

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others, which is the second-word definition. Ramose continued by stating that ‘NTU’ is the universal power in and of itself, which, nevertheless, never exists separate from its manifestations: Muntu, Kintu, Hantu, and Kuntu. NTU is Existence itself, the vast universal energy that only contemporary, logical cognition can isolate from its manifestations. NTU is the energy that unites Being and creatures.... NTU is equivalent to Muntu, Kintu, Hantu, and Kuntu. In this perspective, force and matter are not being unified; rather, they have never been separated. (Ramose, 2002, p. 380)

It emphasizes what we would call, in Kantian terminology, “regulatory or normative standards” and “universal analogue” or “universal a posteriori”: deictic, in which “we” plays a prominent role. In all three perspectives, this deictic is viewed broadly as the time when one’s reality is established. This work critiques Western individualism as an epistemological failure and complements Pan-Africanism in a more specific sense. Explanations of Ubuntu argue that reconciliation is the most effective government reaction to the Covid epidemic. Suppose we assume that Ubuntu is a belief system, a conceptual understanding, an epistemology, collective ethics, and a spiritual humanistic philosophy. In that case, Ubuntu is a belief system, an abstract sense, an epistemology, and collective ethics. The phrase refers primarily to a shared moral and ethical framework (or belief system). As stated previously, it is more collectivism against the individual from a philosophical standpoint, and although it is regarded as an Indigenous African philosophy and epistemology, it has global appeal. It is an ethical approach to understanding and being in the community. In this regard, it expresses African humanism and world solidarity. Ubuntu is this sense of fundamental human interconnectedness, a decision to view humans as inherently free beings, free, for instance, from any external limitations. If I may explain, ubuntu is “indivisible freedom,” a basic tenet of African philosophy that views the universe as a network of connections between the divine community (the human world) and nature (composed of animated creatures). Simultaneously, to the nonliving world as well. This manner of thinking is shared by all traditional black Africans and reflected in all of their languages. Ubuntu is an essential moral idea for understanding what it is to be human. The first characteristic of humanity is that he is not alone. Therefore, the person we will ultimately become “through other people” is an ancestor. Similarly, among these “others” are the ancestors.” “This intergenerational connection is the essence of humankind”. Does Ubuntu Contradict Individualism? For a long time, Ubuntu has been the focus of research guiding decolonizing approaches to complement the indigenous paradigm. The range of scholarship conducts Western dominance and influence in education and a key concept widely known as the decolonization approach or indigenous research paradigm (Chilisa, 2012, 2017; Chilisa et al., 2017; Cloete & Auriacombe,

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2019; Cram & Mertens, 2016; Fast & Kovach, 2019; Naude, 2017; Seehawer, 2018). Ubuntu stands for harmony, justice, and Reciprocity (Chilisa, 2012) and the very internal nature of ubuntu is the commonality that the individual is completely absent by definition completely opposed to Western philosophy (Estifanos et al., 2020; Rodrigues, 2020). Let us summarize in Table 3.1. This enhanced understanding highlights what and who will be the interdependent actors when he asserts the importance of the whole. Ramose, HE Tutu, Mandela, and many others, hold ubuntu as the foundation of African philosophy and African (sub-Saharan) emancipation. A starting point to think about. Ubuntu is key both to a “struggle for a reason” and challenging Western epistemological hegemony, affirming the humanity denied to Africans and, therefore, on the way to defeating apartheid. They struggle for a reason and, who and what to be. Today, tribalism is the basis of racism in our West (Gould, 1994; Mignolo, 2012). Indeed, based on the Aristotelian definition of man as a “rational animal,” an entire ideology was created in Western Europe that sustained modern racism. Yet, as many today point out, Aristotelian principles were only partially imitated by Tata. Thinkers like René Descartes, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and G. W. F. Hegel, among others, contributed significantly to the ideology that cemented the scientific racism that justifies reason. At the end of Chapter 2, we discussed. Europeans had colonial powers, while others did not. From there, it leads to the construction of alleged white supremacy. Before returning to Ramose’s ideas about ubuntu, it seems essential to open a “bracket” to present some ideas that feed scientific racism and continue to operate, sometimes implicitly or sometimes explicitly, in today’s racial inequality. In explaining his concepts about Ubuntu, Ramose rejects these “scientific” ideas, as we tried to show with the equation in Chapter 2. And our cautionary message for the days ahead is that the fight against racism cannot ignore the fight to recognize reason as a Table 3.1 The dichotomy of Ubuntu and western philosophy Westerns view

Ubuntu principle

Saint Augustine’s happiness and Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica Aristippus of Cyrene was the founder of the Cyrenaic school of Philosophy Jeremy Bentham, utilitarianism and Utility Rene Descartes’ “I think therefore I am” Immanuel Kant’s individual morality John S Mill’s “utilitarianism” John Locke’s individual political development Henry Sidgwick, R. M. Hare, and Peter Singer

“[Ubuntu] is not, ‘I think therefore I am.’ It says rather: ‘I am human because I belong’. I participate, I share” (Tutu, 1999, pp. 34–35)

Source Authors’ perception

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characteristic all human beings possess. According to us, the point of argument needs to work like a reflection in our head. Because it will be based on future social science and decolonial thinking, let’s start with Ramose’s work. By presenting some critical ideas from Descartes, Kant, and Hegel, the reason explains racist ideology based on the possession or lack of reason. However, before developing an argument with this ideology, it is crucial to note that focusing on the idea is not racist. Racism only arises when one seeks to exclude others from the distinctive human characteristics that cause it. This became Descartes’ rationalist concept. Descartes gave modern Western philosophy a solid platform to build upon when he declared his ‘cogito ergo sum’ (I think therefore I am). With his “cogito”, Descartes “placed the ‘I’ where God had previously been as the basis of thought”. It is an imperialist “I”, proclaimed not only from Amsterdam, Holland, then the center of the “Western capitalist world system”, but also a century and a half after the conquest and colonization of America. Precisely what makes us say that the Cartesian “ego cogito” (“I think, therefore I”) precedes ‘ego conquerus ’ (I conquer. Therefore, I am). And here I think I am rational, you, I mean human beings, because you do not believe so, so, you are not rational. You are not so human. We may remind the three stages of the soul’s development of Hegelian logic (Phenomenology of Spirit and Philosophy of History). Kant, we need to talk a little. I will see a bit of Hegelian doctrine. For more than a century, Kant sought to resolve the problems of Cartesians, particularly knowledge beyond the dimensions of space–time. Thus, he would posit the categories of space and time as inherent to ‘man’ and, therefore, the priority of all knowledge as universal categories. Thus, he proceeds. These categories are already in the minds of all people before any experience. For Kant, these are the conditions for the possibility of universal intersubjectivity, that is, that all men can behave morally. We do not doubt that Kant’s intellectual efforts to correct some of the theoretical confusions of Cartesians were admirable. But Kant’s thought was only in pure logic and abstract thinking. History does not say that. “Man” has lost his physicality and, therefore, his sense of limitation. Thus, the human factors that produce scientific knowledge also have limits. This anthropological assumption allows Kant to elaborate in his argument the concept of finite being, the finitude that constitutes all knowledge, and the matter that produces it. But that’s a moot point. For Kant, “transcendental reason is not going to be characteristic of all beings that, from a colonialist, anti-racist, and anti-sexist perspective, we would include as human beings. [That colonial] reason is only those who are considered ‘male.’” Who are these “men”?2 “If we take his anthropological writings, […] the mystical cause is masculine, white, and European.” From this understanding, Kant elaborates the idea of the right of reason based only on the supposed natural or

2 Voogt, A. (2021). Spirituality in Hegel’s phenomenology of spirit: An analysis in the wake of Foucault. Metaphilosophy, 52(5), 616–627.

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biological quality of some “men”. From this, Kant distinguishes four races in a racial hierarchy. ‘white’ tops, After that ‘yellow’ and ‘Black’ and below are the Amerindians or ‘Red Races’.

This western notion created the hierarchical order that was defined by a decline in the mental and general abilities of the East. Regarding Hegel’s view, there are three critical aspects: the first is about history; the Second is about reason, and the third is absolute knowledge. All three elements are rooted in Hegelian racist thought. For Hegel, the light of the soul [understand reason] and with its “universal” history, arose in Asia. So, the “human” soul goes from east to west. And this is the genealogy. Yet, this fissure between philosophy (the question of truth as such) and spirituality (the question of the necessary transformation of the subject for attaining truth) was never definitive. Foucault interprets some strands in the history of philosophy after Descartes as still, or perhaps again, incorporating the structures of spirituality within philosophical reflection (Voogt, 2021, p. 619)

When a leader in the modern world agrees with an authoritarian idea, it makes people feel bad about themselves. So, individualism and collectivism are at odds with the western idea of freedom. People agree about what kind of community they want to live in. So, when it came to the essence of society, Hegel was more careful. It was important for Hegel to decide how a country should be made. Locke’s interests are still the same for him. Rene Descartes’ “I am.” Shared values, like the idea of unity, help define who people are. We can’t just live our civic lives by the values of western civilization. Even if that is the case, something important cannot be ignored. Even in terms of social importance and power, it is hard to believe that the principle of human integrity stays the same. But that’s how it works. And we would say the biopower. Ubuntu is a worldview that ensures everyone is treated fairly by providing shared resources. Neoliberalism and the change into a haphazard and hierarchical entity have hurt this solidarity. Still, African scholars like Michael Eze and Christian Gade have often said that this is a “collective duty” concept based on the community’s success. Seeing this benevolence, Ubuntu contains an assertive voice, a collective philosophy generally differentiated from the western definition of collective communism. Nevertheless, Ubuntu stimulates an ethic of mutual human perception, which reinforces the goodness of society through recognizing and respecting individuality and uniqueness wholeheartedly and appreciating. Audrey Tang recommended that Ubuntu means that all are competent and deserve love; people are not segregated but can still assist each other enough to achieve their goals through mutual support.

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Features of Ubuntu: A Set of Characteristics This part challenges western individualism as a failure of the pandemic and, concurrently, enriches the Pan-African concept with near-wisdom. A similar rationale for Ubuntu argues that reunion is the most effective government reaction to the Covid outbreak. The idea is comprehended via the comprehensive explanation of historical injustice before the old norm as the root of the issues. Why is Ubuntu in this epidemic instead of the previous standard as the root of the problem? The characteristic of Ubuntu is its ability to comprehend everything you say. It is a summons to communion where I may see, act, and exist via others. Ubuntu is the flourishing of life and humanity

Textbox 3.2: “This Is Our Planet”

“This is our planet, mother Earth, our home in the universe. The only reason we are alive and can exist on this beautiful planet is because she has somehow managed to dish up the perfect set of circumstances that has allowed us to exist here. If you were lost in space and someone asked you –“where are you from..?” You would turn around and point at this spectacular planet and say, “I am from Earth... that planet over there.” You would most likely not say “I am from the USA; or Japan; or Australia...!” From a distance Earth looks so beautiful and peaceful and wholesome and united and yet, as we get closer we begin to see the great divisions that have been forced on the beings that inhabit this planet. From the day we are born we are divided on so many different levels and in so many ways that we don’t even recognize our division anymore. We are divided by country, flag, province, religion, city, state, continent, what car we drive, what job we have, what school we go to, what sport we follow, brand of clothing, credit card, what beer we drink, what music we listen to, and how much money we have... the division is endless. Think about it – we live in ‘apartments. It is through this division that we allow ourselves to be manipulated and controlled beyond our wildest imagination. Without most of us realizing it, the ‘divide & conquer’ principle has been successfully implemented on our planet and is being used very effectively to keep us under control and in a perpetual state of conflict.” Source Tellinger (2013, p. 7).

From the above discussion, if we point out the features of Ubuntu, 1) ubuntu is not a philosophy but rather a set of obsolete and unattractive cultural norms; 2) ubuntu is inherently essentialist and

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3) ubuntu is simply a universal value expressed in a local language. The first two of these worries have to do with the attractiveness of ubuntu; they can be understood as asking, ‘Is ubuntu really the kind of philosophy we want to be doing? (Prinsloo, 2013, p. 8)

We assume that we need to point out these in detail. As Interconnectedness, HE Desmond Tutu states that Ubuntu highlights the facets of human partnerships and dignity (Tutu, 2015) because they say they are human beings, recognizing that Ubuntu is there and because Ubuntu communicates in a manner that is friendly, accommodating, and unpleasant for anyone. It acknowledges that every humankind is obligated to everyone else (see also, Bowers Du Toit, 2022; Denton, 2018; Metz, 2011; Tutu, 2015). Studies (Thakhathi & Netshitangani, 2020; TavernaroHaidarian, 2019) suggest that human life is a determined subjugation of individuals to the greater good as viewed by social cooperativeness or mutual motivation to the contrary. Ubuntu as Intercedence, Ramose sheds light on this expanded understanding of what and who would be the interdependent actors when he affirms the primacy of the whole over the part: “the notion of community in ubuntu philosophy comes from the ontological premise that the community is logically and historically before the individual” (Ramose, 2020). For him, the collectivity is a “dynamic entity” that encompasses three interrelated dimensions, “living, living dead (ancestors) and not yet born”, which he calls an onto-triadic structure. African culture is collectivist as a tool of Collectivity and Harmony (Metz, 2011; Sibanda, 2017). This collective solidarity is the soul of this pandemic. The analysis underlines the philosophy of Ubuntu, which further ensures absolute integrity; so, it’s the ethos of fundamental common humanity and universal love. Ubuntu can harmonize all the people in terms of reciprocity, self-respect, and humanity to build and maintain the community with justice and shared caring. As a sense of Spirituality, Aliye (2020) said that the African spirit is used not as a metaphor but a reality to describe individual prevailing values in particular communities and situations. Further, others, such as Tutu (2015), Ndlovu (2016), and Mucina (2019) showed that Ubuntu is a spirit to stand with people with Eurocentric aggression. Ubuntu is a pathway, a sense of unity, and consciousness to common belonging (Zvomuya, 2020). Ubuntu inspires goodwill in its values, where individuals form identity and view themselves in solidarity with others (Rampa & Mphahlele, 2016). Ubuntu’s spiritual domain promotes respect, forgiveness, and compassion toward others (Rampa & Mphahlele, 2016). The human is considered in Ubuntu to be a spiritual being guided by the heart and spirit and not by logical and rational reasoning only (Mamman & Zakaria, 2016). Being morally principled, respected, and respectful are qualities of humanness (Van Niekerk, 2013) entrenched in Ubuntu (Sello-Ramollo, 2022, p. 80).

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In a Holistic Space, no man is an island, entire of himself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the man, or “ubuntu is a form of communitarianism that translates as ‘we are people through other people’” (Tomaselli, 2020, p. 221). It is an epistemological stance, even from the researchers’ point of view (du Plessis, 2019; Tavernaro-Haidarian, 2018; Zvomuya, 2020). And this is far beyond than the Hegelian phenomenology. We begin, then, in anthropology, with the soul, with nature still clinging to it, still determining it. The soul has not risen to that point of consciousness of self where it can say that I am I. It simply exists, and in its existence, it takes up into itself all the necessities of nature. This soul, Hegel says, is a sleeping spirit. John Shook also said, “[Hegel] cultivated obscurity and ambiguity, but like other philosophers, is simple to understand once one gets to the center of his vision. His mind was impressionistic and saw reason as all-inclusive and things as dialectical” (Shook, 2022, p. 168). In African culture, the existence of the individual is the existence of the corporate. And, therefore, “The individual is conscious of himself in terms of I am because we are, and because we are therefore I am” (Mbiti, 1970, p. 279). Thus the African is conscious of his existence, conscious of the I. And as Mbiti (1970) pointed out, “the essence of African morality is that it is societary” (p. 279) and based on what an individual does “rather than that he does what he does because of what he is” (p. 279). Hence African morality is universal, that is, societary, and is the consequence of action, that is, what a person does. This concept of African morality and consciousness is not just peculiar to an African society but is typical of African culture on a continental scale (see Mbiti, 1970; Diop, 1978). Therefore, Hegel is incorrect in assuming that the African had not reached the necessary level of consciousness and was thus devoid of morality. (p. 575, emphasis ours)3

As Forgiveness, in this sense, forgiveness discussed above, cannot be confused with the Christian idea of forgiving, which, despite rejecting retaliation, does not provide an opportunity for a fundamental reparation movement for individual and collective homeostasis. Simply “turning the other cheek” can generate internal and external pressure. Individually, it leads, for example, to emotional repressions that impede access to the humanity of the other, truncating relationships and generating more uncomfortable feelings, such as guilt and anger. Collectively, some faults yearn to be compensated. It is not, therefore, about denying the conflict, something natural between related singularities, but about opening up to the conception that there is no way to necessarily have a “unique set of ethical principles or legal rules” (Cronell, 2010, p. 25). Ubuntu as a family value, as scholarly review (for example, Chigangaidze, 2021; Njie, 2022; Somni & Sandlana, 2014) show that the family regulates the 3 Kuykendall, R. (1993). Hegel and Africa: An evaluation of the treatment of Africa in the philosophy of history. Journal of Black Studies, 23(4), 571–581.

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person’s system and orientation, which includes a firm belief in man’s relation to nature and supernatural beings and imperative connections between the individual and their ancestors. The African indigenous information network is still wrongly assumed to have little merit (Mugumbate & Chereni, 2019; Teleki & Kamga, 2020). Until colonization, though, Africa had a strong culture on which, for example, stability and justice are still to be dependent today. Teleki and Kamga (2020) recognize the value of the African Indigenous Knowledge System as a family value. As much as extended family values are a way of life for Africans, Ubuntu is also an African concept of how humanity is understood, according to the above reading. Ubuntu, a Bantu language used in many African nations, is often believed to embody an African philosophy emphasising the need to include all individuals in knowledge creation. He is not just everyone’s kid, but also the child of my sister and brother. Let’s elaborate on our claim that Ubuntu can be an instrument for future human civilisation development. Think of Ubuntu as an idea, a humanitarian idea, and even a social value. Similarly, the idea of “Ubuntu,” which encourages compassion toward others and extended families, may be seen as a vehicle. If we embrace Ubuntu, I believe that this will result in the children who have been orphans losing their birth parents at this time of Corona. As a Governance, as we have been arguing in this table, Ubuntu is more on policy, a consensual democratic practice (Etieyibo, 2020, 2022; Aliye, 2020). It is not the time for debate (Party, 2020; Sheehan, 2020) nor a fueling tools of “a nationalist conflict” (Woods et al., 2020, p. 8); rather, we need a way (Harvey, 2020). Liberalism-centred humanism, a market-driven society is questioned numerously. And biopolitics took bioethics, solidarity, and commonality. There is also way too much reference to crucial insights from previous pandemics, like how their historic geographic regions represent limited looks for monitoring, and thus political geographies of epidemic networks that seem unbiased and factual. This modern (though not new) hypothesis considers African everyday life’s reality. It involves specific facets of conventional spheres, including the value of remembering an individual (and of self-respecting virtues), culture, and practical purposes. Through this theory, one may create, in this sense, the new standard, a theoretically acceptable perception of free-market capitalism. Around a century ago, we might wonder whether a normative interpretation of illiberalism is being made of the Spanish Flu. Given the problem of categories like “East,” “West,” and the associated (miss) conceptions of moral leadership and policies, is Ubuntu a supplementary framework of a systematic comparison of borders, resources, and authority? What are Ubuntu’s sources, factors, endpoints, territories, and territories? Undoubtedly, including the colonialism/critical reorganization and post-scaling of national countries and the advent of “anti-colonialism” (which has lifted power structures, cross-scaled boundaries, and provided for different political encounters, see Ewuoso, 2020, 2021; Molefe, 2020b; Woods et al., 2020).

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Pragmatic Humanism,4 an authoritarian leadership style, must be ideologically subjugated and compelled. Becoming authoritarian and sensationalized, governance in the world today, and surging on local/ethnic/cultural and reconsidering the function of meaning positioning (and accompanied/personified local (regional) force fluxes is essential before communicating the global existence of Ubuntu. And we think leadership is necessary to recognize beyond academia (Mugumbate & Chereni, 2020). How, for instance, are the government-ethnic relationships of Bangladesh or the state-authority relationship of Australia? Are many nations close (or are not) to other regimes or the injustice of the Indian Kashmir and the revolutionary philosophy of emancipation in Bangladesh? How should or can’t a contrast of this sort take? Would such a difference create political order in East–West, an Ubuntu metaphysics? How should or can’t a contrast of this sort take? Would such a difference create political order in East–West, an Ubuntu metaphysics? The SAARC, ASEAN, The Pacific, Pan Africanism, and Arab League represent regional integration. We know it is not a linear, straight-line way of being but significant (Molefe, 2021; Sambala et al., 2020). We know that it’s not linear or smooth but essential. We want to focus more on the new regular, worldly, and daily activities, the fluctuation, and the embodiment of Ubuntu, which is disadvantaged—in other words, a typical geopolitical structure—to move away from conventional coverage and dramatic abuse. The state of exceptions of Giorgio Agamben is merely an anti-capitalist movement, as David Harvey or Naomi Klein’s Disaster Capitalism claims. Yet we negate it conceptually. In this pandemic, philosophical humanism is in despair in the light of bioethics (Molefe, 2020a; Ramose, 2020). Manifestation in Social Life Structures of Ubuntu This segment portrays Ubuntu’s manifestation. It also claims that now the purpose of human services involves developing social equality, Ubuntu, human rights, transformative and significant improvements, issues, and the relationship between individuals and the community. In this context, Ubuntu emphasizes the moral principles of compassion, kindness, human decency, and humanity for all. The framework defines social justice, professional integrity, competence, the importance of human relations, protection of human rights, and intercultural understanding in the set of guiding principles. Indivisible Freedom, in our opinion, emphasizes the crucial need to contemplate “we” in daily life and worldview to comprehend Ubuntu’s cultural variety and preservation of life. The Ubuntu Ethos (Ethos), namely the protection of life, leads to Ubuntuistic ethics. In this book, or expository study of comprehending Ubuntu, the authors concur that Ubuntu is also 4 This Pragmatism is not Kantian Pragmatic Anthropology, nor the John Dewey’s Pragmatic philosophy of Social Science and Education.

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a principle and do so through several lines of argument. As was shown in the preceding section, however, Ramose (2002) should reiterate and underline that ubuntu supports a philosophy that places the most outstanding value on life: the word particle -ntu implies vital energy and the prefix ubu conveys the concept of flow, mobility. Thus, Ubuntu is directed by or exemplifies ideals that preserve the vitality of life, like a river that pursues its path despite difficulties (bypassing them or wearing them). This is the appeal of Ubuntu. Essentially remains a living philosophy implemented by ordinary people in different circumstances throughout the continent, displaying ‘human kindness,’ solidarity, compassion, and a collective spiritual understanding that bestows dignity, respect, and humanity in its manifestation.

Textbox 3.3: Hegelian Anthropology and the Soul

We begin, then, in anthropology, with the soul, with nature still clinging to it, still determining it. The soul has not risen to that point of consciousness of self where it can say that I am I. It simply exists, and in its existence, it takes up into itself all the necessities of nature. This soul, Hegel says, is a sleeping spirit (Shook, 2022, p. 123). We need to realize Hegel’s Philosophy of History. Indeed, To understand Hegel’s treatment of Africa, it is necessary to understand his conception of anthropology. For Hegel, the term anthropology means the study of the soul. What is Soul? The answer is, the lowest conceivable. This is Hegel followed Kant, and Kant influenced Foucault. Among the three-phase of mind, still trapped in nature, bonded to the body, and above the level of animality. The soul is that level at which Spirit so active only within itself, at one with the environment. That means they are not logical, or reasonable. Let me explain, the soul passes through three phases: (a) the natural soul (as per Hegelian notion, this is Africa, Asia, Indigenous American and so forth. The natural soul is the absolute beginning of Spirit completely influenced by its environment but unconscious of it. (b) the feeling soul, as he said, The feeling soul is the all-inclusive outcome of the accumulation of sensations, such as, sense experience, passion, and emotion. And (c) the actual soul, it is the German soul. Finally, the actual soul is the awakening of the “I.” It is a re-birth a Descartes’ “I” in the German land. At this stage, as Hegel said, the soul transcends the natural world and regards it as objective, meaning that this soul can control over the natural soul, in other words, Asia, Africa and their land, forest, everything. and finally, this actual soul is an alien entity to itself. It has become a thought and subject for itself. Thus, a consideration of consciousness cannot be undertaken until the soul has moved through these three phases. Let me elaborate, colonization could complete until you are Asian, Africans reach to the actual phase of soul. Let’s read from

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Foucault (2005) We will call “philosophy” the form of thought that asks what it is that enables the subject to have access to the truth and which attempts to determine the conditions and limits of the subject’s access to the truth. If we call this “philosophy,” I think we could call “spirituality” the search, practice, and experience through which the subject carries out the necessary transformations on himself to access the truth. We will call “spirituality” then the set of these researches, practices, and experiences, which may be purifications, ascetic exercises, renunciations, conversions of looking, modifications of existence, etc., which are, “not for knowledge but for the subject”, for the subject’s very being, the price to be paid for access to the truth (Foucault, 2005). Not demising, nor I am disrespectful to anyone, a gay person, at least, should have kept silent about the conversation Spirituality or escaped the vying od this sacred discussion. If not for knowledge but for the subject then, I would invite global Foucauldian, including me partially, to come to a session of Selfosophy, as given in Appendix, then, you as loudly as will disagree with the assertion, not for knowledge but for the subject.” Nevertheless, Foucault (2005) helps us to interpret Hegel’s writings in new and fruitful ways to identify Foucault. The structures of spirituality decisively inform ancient philosophy, and that are subsequently disseminated in Christian and other traditions, are taken up by Hegel. Source Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, Philosophy of History and Foucault (2005), Mowad (2010).

And Hegel is only one example of the contemporary incomplete, onedimensional, and wrong appropriation of spiritual aspects. Nevertheless, I may see similar features in Spinoza and the Romantics and to a lesser degree in all the Frankfurtian. It reminds me clearly and profoundly that “modern philosophy” has not only been the distant, but illogical investigation of the global south, nor has it been shallow in its historical overviews and findings. Walter Mignolo, Vine Deloria, and Edward Said have previously authored monumental works. Spirituality is in present in philosophy; this is a reality. We elsewhere (An Introduction to Selfosophy) are attempting to create the practical channel and answer the question: how to live a life of truth are inextricably linked in this world of many realities. Hegel, and the west in general, teaches philosophy as a way of life; yet, this western ideology is deluded and myopic since it is based on Kant’s idea of race and is thus separated from the universality of conceptual and practical inquiry. In part, if we consider Hegel’s Natural soul and the reinterpretation of incomplete history and distortion of society and culture as the basis for our understanding of human subjectivity. Essentially, from reason. Philosophy may be a way of life, but it cannot be reduced to an entirely arbitrary existence. The Ubuntu ethos is dynamic and

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relational, all-encompassing and profound, contributing to the humanization of daily life by treating everything as significant and defining what it means to be a human (Mangena, 2014a, 2014b; Molefe, 2020b, 2020c), which are internal elements of strong power relations (Kanu, 2022; Mangena, 2014a, 2014b; Denton, 2018; Ramose, 2020) is changed by “give and take” verbs In this sense, when one person offers something for free to another. That person accepts it with gratitude, followed by further acts of generosity, which becomes a sense of social responsibility. A new cycle of solidarity begins, involving more givers and receivers, increasing their vitality via correlation. This is the configuration of the Ubuntuistic moral gear. Table 3.2 clarifies this relationship by illustrating it. Table 3.2 reproduces a schema that illustrates the dynamics of the Ubuntu ethos. To explain a little, the receiver becomes responsible for the giver, acts a kind of responsibility, and when he recognizes what he has received, he also increases his power. And if you respond to the work by doing Table 3.2 Manifestation in social life structures of Ubuntu Social and Interpersonal Relations

As culture

Ubuntu has been in practice in the United Nations (Quan-Baffour, Romm, & McIntyre-Mills, 2019). “Leadership and governance are all about “people” and the “common welfare.” Africans have an Ubuntu embedded philosophy that culturally calls on individuals to champion the welfare of others and society in general (Asamoah & Yeboah-Assiamah, 2019, p. 317).” It is imperative to be in a consensus for world leaders. When Africa have had overcome the violence following the Ubuntu ideology, this can quickly be followed by the world policymakers Ubuntu is a culture that, perhaps, connects the exigencies of crisis time like this Covid-19 pandemic. For a “transformational and transformative leadership (Shields, 2020, p. 5).” The African Ubuntu ideology requires the socio-cultural solidarity for such wellbeing of a community of practice for all people. Nevertheless, it is tautological to notice the low success of African politicians and government systems by utilizing public services to establish the requirements for universal human wellbeing. How should politicians encourage their personal, personal, and sectional agendas rather than promoting social progress? This research seeks to uncover a prevailing contradiction and explore a new way to connect Ubuntu’s extensive ideology with world leaders and political discourse Even Ubuntu can be a guiding source for Nongovernmental organizations too (Claeyé, 2014) as social capital (Migheli, 2017; Ewuoso, 2020).

Source Chowdhury et al. (2021, p. 365)

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good, you go from donor to recipient and improve your life force again. This interrelationship and interdependence of power to life leads us to think precisely about African ethics. Many scholars (for example, Broodryk, 2005; Mamman & Zakaria, 2016; Mukwedeya, 2022; Ngubane & Makua, 2021; Ramose, 2020; Thakhathi & Netshitangani, 2020; Tutu, 2012/1998; Waghid, 2018; Zvomuya, 2020; Zwaenepoel, 2019) explains Ubuntu as an ‘ethics of life’—guided by certain assumptions. The main ones we read from Ramose— 1) Motho ke motho ka Batho [Southern Sesotho language] (One is a person through another person); 2) Feta Kgomo o tshware motho [Setwana] (Ignore the cow and save the man, for life is greater than wealth); 3) Kgosi ke kgosi ka batho [Setwana] (The king’s sovereignty derives from and belongs to his subjects); 4) Motho gase mpshe ga a tshewe [Northern Sesotho] (No man can be absolutely useless). (Ramose, 2020, pp. 261–271)

He reinforced three structural ethical principles of the Ubuntuist thought. The first is that, given interdependence as an inherent condition of humanity, there is no unimportant person in the world, in society. This refers to the second principle: “If all people are valuable in themselves, it follows that they are subjects, that is, agents who can and should influence the society in which they live” (Ramose, 2020). The third presumes that each person is what he is because of his relationship to others, which he calls “man’s inherent and constitutive intersubjectivity,” which does not detract from his singularity. On the contrary, it creates and enriches it. According to Waghid (2018), the Ubuntu ethos is based on the principles of caring and sharing; Coexistence, recognition, respect and tolerance; Humility, Empathy, Solidarity and Social Responsibility; and equity, diversity and distribution. It can be said that Ubuntu has a spiritual ethos, according to Mamman and Zakaria (2016), for Africans and their descendants, all existence is sacred. There is something divine in everything that exists. As a social institution and symbolic system, religion is a privileged space for feeding the ‘Ubuntuistic consciousness’. Mandela told the story of a man who traveled across a country and stopped at a village to ask for food and water. What prompted the villagers to give the foreigners what they needed: It was Ubuntu, he says. Although disputed by some (Hull, 2019), ubuntu has an ‘ecological worldview’ and a ‘relative anthropocentrism’ (Kanu, 2022), unlike that espoused by the Western Enlightenment, according to Ramose, which best deals with the concept of African people. It helps to realize that everything is not subject to your will. For them, there are other desires belonging to ancestors and orixas, who actively participate in human life and, therefore, must be considered by humans.

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Scholars5 also recognize the spiritual perspective of Ubuntu. We discussed this just before when it states that this Afro-philosophy constitutes a system of beliefs, an epistemology, collective ethics and spiritual humanist philosophy of South Africa’ which suggests the maintenance of dignity, and is mutually dynamic. This focus on the satisfaction of others makes it possible to develop values to ensure the strengthening of the collective web, which, in turn, creates internal roots at the individual level. And it is these values set by Muntu, with an eye to the collective, that surprisingly transform it into its authenticity, reaching deeper into its human potential. The following values as manifestation have included: common humanity, compassion, decency, significance, recognition, sharing, exchanging, coresponsibility, humanity, equality, justness, personality, rationality, collective solidarity, kindness, happiness, adore, accomplishment, constructive engagement, and so on. Ubuntu’s ideology is ascribable to the Black people in Africa, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa; however, it has a global appeal. The fourth segment portrays Ubuntu’s manifestation. We, as usual, conclude with the hope of humanity. We must help all people, young and old, to achieve only the best for our future. First, we need to surf some Ubuntu, and there some invaluable work has been done on Ubuntu where HE Desmond Tutu, Eze, and Gade are a few names. We will provide some reflection before reaching the chapter’s conclusion.

Some Reflections The idea of ‘social exclusion,’ antithetical to Ubuntu Ethos, originated in France in the 1970s as a consequence of the social unrest of the period. It included addressing the issues of growing unemployment and socioeconomic disparity. The idea expanded across Europe from France until the 1990s, when it reached the Southern Hemisphere. Kronauer (2020) notes, in conceiving this notion, that social exclusion has to be blended with parts of the ‘underclass’ concept used in the United States and the United Kingdom to differentiate it from poverty. Our idea of social exclusion’ arises when a marginal economic situation and social isolation coexist. Therefore, “social exclusion is a result of human connections: labor markets, consumerism, institutions, social relations, culture, and geographical area,” it follows. Then, HE Desmond Tutu, in his 1992 and 1995 books, defined “social exclusion as a complex, dynamic, and connected term.” It is multidimensional because it happens on multiple levels and in diverse areas of human existence (social, economic, cultural, and political) (micro, e.g., individual, domestic; 5 Mpofu, B. (2022). Missio-pastoral and theological implications for migration and increased demagoguing in South Africa. A call to prophetic and transformative engagement with migrants. Missionalia, 50(1), 51–73; Resane, K. T. (2022). Theology and botho/ubuntu in dialogue towards South African social cohesion. HTS Theological Studies, 78(4), 1–7; Harris, A. (2022). Communal intellection and individualism in the African Novel. Cambridge Journal of Postcolonial Literary Inquiry, 9(2), 256–262.

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meso, e.g., neighborhood; and macro, e.g., nation, state, and region, worldwide). It is dynamic because it relates to social exclusion’s dynamic and interactive character at many levels and across time. Here, it is vital to highlight that social exclusion is unequally distributed among socioeconomic, racial [and, we add, ‘ethnic’] categories and is not a static state always experienced by the same group and in all locations. Social exclusion is ultimately relational because it facilitates a “Critical conceptual shift from distributional results to social connections of poverty (i.e., the lack of resources available to all). Our disclaimer is that this concept involves two positions: a, which maintains that “social exclusion presupposes a severing of the relationship between people and the society in which they live;” and which asserts that social exclusion presupposes a severing of the relationship between people and the (somewhat seen in Nobel laureate Amartya Sen among others). Although there is a risk of applying the socio-political reality that concerns us in this work, a concept of “social exclusion” that emerged in a different socio-political context (Western Europe in the 1970s), and the risk, as well as the harsh reality of extreme poverty, obscures or obscures this concept. To soften, we feel that social exclusion, as a “multidimensional, dynamic, and relational” notion, broadens our understanding of significant social issues, including racism”. This is often associated with social marginalization. There is always social isolation when racism exists, but not necessarily the opposite. As far as we are concerned, social exclusion can only be defined in terms of social class or access to the job market. Although these and other categories of analysis, such as gender, ethnicity, etc., are significant for comprehending social exclusion in South Africa and “our” America, the category of “race” is vital. It should also be noted that “social exclusion” can also be understood as “social marginalization”; however, in the specific context of our analysis, we prefer to use the term “social exclusion” due to the semantic and political weight of the word “exclusion” is depicted by a scene of visible presence and absence “daily-negativity” does not fully realize and vanish or, rather, make invisible. Moreover, concerning racism and its conceptualization, four primary characteristics define and conceptually restrict racism. The first is the assumption that individuals are inherently split into “races”; accordingly, the “race” component is accorded important anthropological significance. The second relates to the attribution of unchangeable features to “race” and, therefore, the assumption that inherited attributes include physical traits, particular aptitudes, and psychological attitudes that contribute to cultural distinctions. What is seen in humans? Third, the concept that “races” are hierarchical, with some being superior to others. Fourthly, the a continuous barrier to recognizing the mixing of “races” as a process of “superior race” degeneration. The stakes then include “race.” It has been shown that “race” is a socio-historical construct, not a biological notion. This building, as we said, questioned the western magicians.

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Racism, as we have defined it, is a genuine social phenomenon. Mignolo argues that one cannot forsake “race” as a category for analyzing racism, which is a component of what we understand in this work as “everyday negativity.” The term “race” has been incorporated into political, scientific, and popular discourse as a historical-social truth. David Harvey and others have shown how this notion evolved through time and in response to significant events in European history. During the Middle Ages and the early modern era, numerous Europeans started to travel outside of Europe. The obsession with the ‘Other’ during Blumenbach’s time was marked by “color instability.” In various travelogues or histories, numerous colors designate a human group that was subsequently defined by a single hue with the arrival, expansion, and hegemony of Euro-Western capitalism. During the conquest of the Americas, Europeans developed the name “Indian” to refer to the native population. “figuratively” via “metaphor” and old dwarfs, giants, and monsters-based fiction. Before conquering the Americas, Europeans made little effort to get to know the indigenous peoples. According to a Eurocentric perspective, they are their “canary,” “black or white,” “black,” “copper,” and so on. Despite Graeco-Latin’s understanding, a different yet complementary idea of color meaning arose in the second moment. Charles Parrish Jr. (1944) investigated this vein by considering the ‘average color’ of Native Americans and establishing his thesis of ‘natural and/or regional’ color. The three most frequently mentioned notions are typified by the expressions (a) “They think they’re cute because they look like white”; (b) “They’re nice looking and are very lovable”; (c) “They’re evil and hard to get along with.” Obviously, these notions are meant to apply, respectively, to (a) light Negroes, (b) medium brown Negroes, and (c) very dark Negroes. It Is desirable, however, to check, statistically, the extent to which these notions are prevalent. In the Negro community. In order to do this a questionnaire form (Series V) was devised In which several notions, Including the three dominant ones, are presented requiring completion by the In assertion of the color group (using the Color Hating Scale) to which each notion applies.

It is very hefty. It is first positive and deeply rooted in our psyche. If we see them as ontological and epistemological transformations, they constitute a permanent component of our nation. The history of Ubuntu, its implicit experience, and its leadership concept are unmistakable indications of how so many countries and groups are woven into the new norm. When shall you bid farewell, O Corona? The whole globe seeks an answer to this issue. So far, the World Health Organization (WHO), at least we can accuse of promoting discontent. Friday, the WHO inspired optimism. The WHO’s director-general is optimistic that the globe will overcome of corona within two years. But will the world be tax-free this time? Scientist and health advisor to the British government, Mark Walport, disputed the optimism of most worldwide organizations. Professor Mark Walport, the former senior scientific advisor of the United Kingdom, asserts that Covid-19 will exist forever and that regular

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vaccines may be required to manage the coronavirus. This deadly virus is difficult to eradicate. Only the delivery of many immunizations provides relief. Only routine vaccination is feasible. However, technology is now far more advanced. In less than two years, we will hopefully eliminate Corona. The WHO Director also reminded us of the significance of wearing a mask. The British scientist Walport cautioned that Covid-19 is not like smallpox, which WHO eliminated permanently. In its place, the virus has become permanent in some way. Consequently, what is the way? Walport believes that the disease cannot be fought without an effective vaccination. The WHO has noted several times that the modern growth in communication poses a concern for avoiding disease. Community-centered, public health infrastructure, urban planning techniques, and sanctuary local and regional geographies, such as Ubuntu-related processes, are visibly shared and observable through shared systems. Following James Scott (1985), we may call Ubuntu a ‘weapon of the weak. Abraham & Prabha (2022) and Nagel (2022) gave us useful insights. Columnist George Monbiot of the Guardian presents an imposing list of such care works, arguing that it is global “from both the market and the state to another place entirely: the commons.” Such a shift would also seem to portend other changes, including towards a “solidarity economy” and away from liberal humanism’s early diagnosis and response to disease (Reid-Henry, 2014). This is no doubt throwing into sharp relief the differences in international views of Cuba, from its previous Ebola response in 2014 to its work to aid doctors fighting Covid-19, all underpinned by an alternative to the Western brand of scientific-capitalism (Reid-Henry, 2014), a commitment to universal health, and biotech industry that could still contribute to a breakthrough anti-viral treatment for C-19 based on interferon. After this long review and critical reflection, we know that the world is what it is; We have to decide what we want to do. People’s opinions determine a society’s future. We know change takes time and is costly. Individuals must identify wrongdoing to stop violence and prejudice. As indicated above, we advocate Ubuntu to transform the world. Principles generate a special place for knowing, being, and doing when stressed. It could end here. Ukraine-Russia is at war now, and the world is facing a food crisis. Maximilian Hess, a fellow at the Londonbased Foreign Policy Research Institute, said there is no way to ignore this failure. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is responsible for today’s chaos in the world’s agricultural markets. Russia has disrupted the gas supply system in Europe. The Kremlin imposed a blockade on Ukraine’s agricultural production and trade. In good news, Israel and Turkey announced the resumption of full diplomatic relations this August after years of strained relations. “Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed the diplomatic breakthrough as an important asset for regional stability and very important economic news for Israeli citizens. At the same time, he welcomed it” (see www.Arabnews. com). Militant activities have increased in Assam and the northeastern states of India. Last Monday was India’s 75th Independence Day. On that day, the

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Table 3.3 Immersion of Ubuntu UBUNTU U B U N T U

Universal Global—Universal intercultural brotherhood Behaviour Human (humane),—caring, sharing, respect, compassion (love, appreciation) United solidarity, community, bond, family Negotiation consensus, democracy Tolerance, patience, diplomacy Understanding empathy (forgiveness, kindness)

Source Adopted from Broodryk (2005, p. 175)

flag of the separatist organization ULFA (United Liberation Front of AssamIndependent) was seen at Bagindi railway station in the Lakhimpur district of North Assam. In the last week, three major attacks in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have injured several Indian Border Guard and Army members. We will return to Chapters 4 and 5 on how Ubuntuaizing can win in these hot winds of regional unrest. In sum, this chapter is all about Ubuntu, and Broodryk nicely places it (Table 3.3).

Conclusion: How Far Can the Apple Go from the Tree? We conclude with the hope of humanity. As relevant, an apple does not go far from the tree as human, naturally commonal, communal, collective, and conscious. To us, humans are cooperative, Reciprocal—though the media has focused the rushing photos of the supermarket, yet, we saw, people and humanity is core, in this pandemic and past, we saw people stand by whatever they had: food, cloth, cash, common funds—whatever they have, wherever they can. These demonstrate that individuals are social by nature. During this pandemic, primitive communalism ostensibly appeared across the globe. It may be rooted in primitive people. That may be why Africans believe—in an avenging spirit of Ubuntu, which does not only impact the individual who commits a misdemeanor, but everyone related to him. “What exactly are we doing to live Ubuntu and make it a daily act in our lives? Gender inequality, poverty, and violence happens on a global scale and these atrocities are what tells us that we need to do more as a society to actively live and breathe Ubuntu and put it into action on a daily basis. Everyone in society needs to play a part, regardless of how small one may think it is. We all have a role to play and it’s of vital importance that our actions inspire others to want to be a part of a better and brighter future. Ubuntu is also about justice, and particularly, justice for all people. As much as we must look after each other, it is also just as important that we exercise fairness and equality for

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all people regardless of race, gender, or social status. So essentially, Ubuntu is about togetherness as well as a fight for the greater good. This is what Mandela was prepared to sacrifice his life for Ubuntu, is the common thread and DNA that runs through the UN’s Global Goals, because without the spirit of Ubuntu within us, we cannot implement great change in our society”. (Taken from Global Citizen, Join the Movement Changing the World)

The chapter tried to investigate my inner self from an anthropological perspective. What do I say to myself as a world citizen? The chapter finds the dynamics of the Ubuntu principle and how this can contribute to enriching the trust that is central to the cultural pursuance of the international causal nature. This article first gives a historical overview. Then it resonates with the applicably why Ubuntu is essential in this pandemic. Finally, it demonstrates the way forwards and how Ubuntu can be a guiding philosophy to combat inequality, poverty, and famine in the new Normal. We feel, [t]he Pan African spirit of Ubuntu offers new foundation and a guiding light for future generations; its universalistic authority lies in this desire to forge liberation for all discriminated and oppressed people of the world despite their colour, race, or creed [in the New Normal]. (Eze, 2013, p. 671)

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CHAPTER 4

Why Ubuntu Can Be…

Why Ubuntu While being an African notion, Ubuntu remains a central precept or moral compass in our lives. It motivates not just the person but also the community to recognize and express the presence of others. According to the Ubuntu philosophy, no one can survive in solitude; this is the truth of the Ubuntu philosophy. Additionally, a person simultaneously has a concurrent link with others, i.e., the whole community. This moral concept gives security, particularly after the epidemic, when people are trying to keep people away, and everyone’s presence in Ubuntu is desired and expected. It helps him feel more at ease, secure, and psychologically robust. In addition, with this liberal monetary policy in the air and socioeconomic situations throughout the globe, we believe that Ubuntu is the only direction we need when we strive to meet everyday life’s demands and hardships. After discussing Ubuntu values in depth in Chapters 1 and 3, we must now determine if, by nature, we respect human beings, care about values, and place importance on viewpoints. Ubuntu, in our view, may serve as a starting point for the moral education required to tolerate and accept the pain of others. Ubuntu elevates a person not just physically but also on a deeper level, where he feels linked to the cosmos. We shall describe this as something new in Chapter 7. We agree with Mamman and Zakaria (2016) and others like Mangena (2014) that this is still an early stage of communication. This chapter will demonstrate Ubuntu’s philosophical, methodological, and practical consequences. How this notion may serve as a source of resilience in our lives, in academics, and beyond, and how disease can boost productivity to a human level. In reality, it is linked with the notion of Ubuntu and its accompanying concepts, which are covered in Chapters 1 and 2 at length. Scholars © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 J. Siraz Chowdhury et al., Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0_4

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(Davids & Waghid, 2022; Mangena & Chitando, 2011; Ramose, 2020; Udefi, 2015; Waghid, 2018) have brought to light a multitude. As our shared life is not a distinct entity, our society’s individuality is irrelevant. This is not the magnitude of our claim. It is important to note that a person’s well-being depends not just on him but also other groups in the family, society, and global elements. We can realize a person understood through his/her meaningful and respectful relationships with everybody in the respective community. Personal achievement claims are the antithesis of inactivity. We are not diminishing a person’s accomplishment. Still, suppose it is not seen in the achievement of the community or the accomplishment. In that case, the gap between the individual and society widens, and a challenge or competition arises, so we will attempt to see this chapter. In Ubuntu Research, our vantage point is a community, a collective force, and we have no access to other viewpoints. Reciprocity, solidarity, mutual care, society, and social belonging, constructing common culture, fostering, nurturing, and practising reciprocated morality, collaborative care for all community members, solidarity, and respect and compassion shall be practised here (Eze, 2013; Mangena, 2016; Qobo & Nyathi, 2016; Waghid, 2018). As we have seen in the preceding conversation, there are many perspectives on Ubuntu, but everyone believes there is no individual here. Usually or in the presence of everyone, a person may gather his sadness, and the individual seeks and gets solace. Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1 demonstrate that Ubuntu is relevant and consistent with the significant literature. We discovered the following justifications during our comprehensive examination of Ubuntu literature and prior pandemics. Let us first provide a philosophical rationale for our assertion, followed by some practical grounds, and finally, methodological reasoning. This chapter sets into three primary sections: the first is justifying Ubuntu which consists of three aspects: philosophical, methodological, and practical; the second is moral reasoning, and the third is a swift conclusion.

Justifying Ubuntu Philosophical Justification When Ubuntu, a People1 as Solving Issues When Europe lost in controlling this Pandemic (Coman, 2020), we discussed in detail in Chapters 1 and 2. In continuation of the reasoning of the previous chapters, it seems reasonable to proceed to an assumption. Let’s be clear, the term Ubuntu deserves a philosophical investigation, fundamentally. We think, however, that numbers still have a long way to go in global academic and public discourse. However, Ubuntu’s presence among political projects gives us space to read it more deeply. Ubuntu must not be seen in philosophical investigations of Africa. It is accessible to people all over the world. Not for, nor do we call for, regular public discourses or speeches. Ubuntu will serve 1

This phrase borrowed from Mucina (2013, p. 21).

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Fig. 4.1 The new science is the seedbed of globalization and western methodologies (Source Reading and inspiration from Olav Eikeland, Farid Alatas)

another purpose after this pandemic if we can take it easy, I know we have a lot of time to investigate, but this book gives us a fundamental outline.2 Some of the ambiguity in Ubuntu’s initial coverage is that it doesn’t promote Christianity, feminism, etc. If philosophy is the mother of science, then in Social Work, Anthropology, and Sociology„ whoever works with the community and people needs to see the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS). In HSP, we just point to Fig. 4.1, which gives two ends concurrently, the philosophical 2 In the Introduction chapter, we mentioned that, there is a progressive plan for Ubuntu trilogy.

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Table 4.1 Ubuntu in policy and pandemics Country

Period

Ubuntu policy adopted

Belgian Congo Zimbabwe

The early 1960s 1980

Namibia

1989

In Africa

1990s

South African Constitution

1996

Rwanda And in Pandemic Diseases originated country Sub-Saharan Africa

1994

In Genocide In reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction; election In Election for smiling citizen Following the example of other countries such as Chile and Argentina, but with the speciality of South Africa Refer to Fig. 4.1 The Central moral was Ubuntu (Gade, 2012) In Genocide

Diseases Cholera, Ebola, Lassa fever, Monkey pox Chikungunya fever Covid -19 HIV-AIDS

Adopted policy Ubuntu is adopted to face Sub-Saharan Africa China The USA for making further development

China USA Source Chowdhury et al. (2021)

justification of Ubuntu and its Methodological persistence with Indigenous Gnoseology. Ubuntu can only be with Buddhism (Shimizu & Noro, 2021), or Aram Ziai’s “comparison with Buen Vivir in Ecuador and Bolivia, Ubuntu in South Africa, Swaraj in India, Gharbzadegi in Iran, and Décroissance in France are only the most well-known among them” (Ziai, 2014, p. 2548). We have been working with the Rakhain Indigenous people of Bangladesh, who are a minority in geographical settings, and Buddhist in faith, and encountered this with the Rakhain Buddhist Logic, 2500 years older than the west. Instead of Kant, Descartes, and Hegel’s racial policy and philosophy, we find a homage to Gustavo Estiva, Peter Pels, Talal Asad, Mustafa Pasa, Shahid Qadir, Walter Mignolo, Linda Smith, Olav Eikeland, and our motivation. We need to see the logic from our land, like Ancient Indian logic (Matilal, 2017) and Buddhist rules. Nature has profoundly enlightened the Arab and Western worlds if we read HE Dalai Lama. Saadia Gaon’s Theory of Knowledge and Al-Farabi’s Intellectual Happiness were notable exceptions. Western policy, social theories, and political ideology are knotted in one root, which we have discussed in Chapter 2, very briefly showing the root of today’s globalization, pragmatism, and reduction of the global south, and pointedly the deadly cause of this Pandemic. This philosophical justification can be materialized

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with methodological underlying, which we said, we need a marking line to void the justifying self-interest and righting the wrongs (Spivak, 2004). Ramose (2020) states that Ubuntu, in addition, to being an ethical theory of human nature, embodies the concepts of values, ethics, and community justice from a traditional African perspective, where the community is essential to its existence. As already noted, the reality of African philosophies presents similarities to Western concepts—through their equivalence or immediate opposition. In this part, a brief analysis shows the similarities and differences between the African idea of traditional justice and the concept of justice as social justice with economics, a term coined by Professor John Rawls. The similarities between these two theories became more apparent with the rise of “Afro capitalism” Apart from the consequences of neo-colonial economic policies, the emergence of capitalist philosophy confirms the decline of socialist influence in African governments. John Rawls said that a society is orderly when effectively governed by a public conception of justice, in which all communities have ethical acceptance. Primary social institutions are known to satisfy these principles. Even if disagreements occur, members of society are determined to direct ideas to define fundamental rights and duties “and to determine what they consider the proper distribution of benefits and burdens of social cooperation” (Rawls, 1973). Our question comes from understanding equity as justice and that such principles are part of a primary contract signed in a just situation between free and equal people under favourable conditions. Its central ideas are related to the philosophy of constitutional democracy. For Amartya Sen, the concept of justice for Rawls must be seen in terms of the demand for equity. According to this theory, people have moral power, which is directly related to their sense of justice and their capacity for good ideas, an abstraction from social contract theory, previously presented by Locke, Kant, and Rousseau. Justice is considered, for this purpose, the basic structure of society. In this sense, while prioritizing rights over goods, institutions are crucial to influencing men’s rights and duties. It is not possible without saying something. More than half a century ago, the international normative sanctity of human rights gave rise to a significant proliferation of discourse surrounding the question of its basis and scope. Current severe social, environmental and humanitarian issues show that, far from exhausting the development of this discourse, the human rights agenda is still pending and more valid than ever. Rawls was not, then, true, but many like him would deny John Dewey. China and many Latin countries objected then. After all, these errors are what the Right-Mission rally is all about. It highlights the need for the world community to rethink its foundations and perspectives of supportive and peaceful cope. As one of the main assumptions that our book discusses, it is argued that the classic theory of human rights, built on the liberal and individualistic pillars of the Enlightenment, has faced some serious difficulties in peacefully reconciling with the multicultural context of the world community, especially after this period.

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A harmonious coexistence between differences is incompatible with phenomena. To explain this discrepancy, and from the genealogical point of view we are looking at, some determining factors in the modern construction of the argument of identity as support for the classical theory of human rights are analyzed. The liberal influence coming from ‘enlightened’ modernity as shown by Hegel, Kant, and Bacon, which owed much to the ideological pillars of the French Revolution, for example, had a decisive role. Similarly, the postWorld War II context was fundamental to the emergence of human rights legal systems as limits to state authoritarianism. On the other hand, global economic power had a decisive influence on the late development of the discourse on human rights and its ideological and ideological equivalence with the Western development model, which contributed to legal practice. Freedom rights take precedence over social and environmental rights. However, the global failure of such one-sided development and the identification of its discursive approach and the development model that supports it with the current social, humanitarian and environmental crisis does more for its emergence around human rights, which promises to define their field in the future. For Rawls, “fundamental institutions must operate under the values of liberty and equality, a sense of justice—the ability to understand, apply, and act on a public conception of justice that characterizes fair conditions of social cooperation” (1971, pp. 18–21). The philosophy of Ubuntu has not based on the premise that the essence of man is excellent and worthy of pursuit. African culture is compassionate, reciprocal, dignity, harmonious, and human, which refers to the ability to express. Moral education comes from families, the center of human development, directly affecting their place in society. The interesting point is to realize that, although it is communal, the Ubuntu philosophy is not opposed to the concept of individuality but that the self, or individual, is formed through its relationship with others. And if this point is believed, ubuntu also originates from the social contract between regional chiefs, councillors, and ordinary people. Remember, “Ubuntu embodies not only values and ethics but also justice. Justice in Ubuntu is considered justice not aligned with Christianity or any regionalism; rather, it takes a transformative commitment from the self.3 Ubuntu encompasses ethics and justice. Ubuntu’s justice is not associated with Christianity or regionalism; it requires a transforming self-commitment. Indigenous African morality Ubuntu restores order, balance, and peace to African cosmology and traditional African societies. Ubuntu’s Principles of Orderly Community provide tips for developing a peaceful society. Even in modern times. Ubuntu means justice regarding a person’s connection with the cosmos, nature, and other people. Ubuntu The definition is linked to relationships of co-dependence, the need for broad consultation and consensus 3

Those who takes a separation from personal experience, background and education from Academia, we do urge to read Thomas Pogge’s (2007). John Rawls: his life and theory of justice. Oxford University Press, at least the first 20 pages.

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on moral disagreement, a commitment to a “social theory of contract” as a guiding principle of policy, and governance as a core value of a revival. This is entirely different from Rawls’ theory. G. A. Cohen criticized Rawls’ thesis in his Rescuing Justice and Equality, specifically denouncing the theory’s impracticality. He felt that society could not work hard without incentives. Further, American philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum in her book Frontiers of justice: Disability, nationality, species membership, criticized this theory that it somehow does not take into account the disabilities and special needs of people with disabilities. Harvey said simply that we do not see the other side’s opinion anywhere in a modern democracy. We should put K Arrow’s observation on John Rawls, The central part of Rawls’s theory is a statement of fundamental propositions about the nature of a just society, what may be thought of as a system of axioms. On the one side, it is sought to justify these axioms as deriving from a contract made among rational potential members of society; on the other side, the implications of these axioms for the determination of social institutions are drawn. (Arrow, 1973, p. 247)

Similarly, Rawls’s sense of justice refers to the power of action where people are free and equal under the rule of law. Therefore, if the law does not favour man, justice and humane treatment of others may distinguish the two philosophies. Ubuntu, in our eyes, is this contact point. Thus, Ubuntu can be considered the theory that governs the concepts of cooperation and justice in Africa. Its application through institutions supports the implementation of a shared moral agenda that unites different people and nations. However, we still observe some challenges directly related to the intercontinental integration project, which we elaborate l in Chapter 6. Now we will discuss the Ubuntu applicabilities in social science and its methodologies. Methodological Justification: An Academic Ontology Ubuntu has been a tool in Indigenous Paradigm (Chilisa, 2019). We want to ‘re-write’ (Smith, 2021) the Indigenous history, so find some clues. Let me show the timeline, the root of justifying self-interest. Our endeavour is thus opposed to Joseph Banks’ Endeavour. We see today’s devastating outbreak has a rooted history in the west’s New Science since Nicolaus Copernicus in 1583 and Bacon too. Figure 4.1 is the gist of western methodologies which we have predominantly practised. Ubuntu has been at the forefront of the decolonizing movement for a significant amount of time, serving as a complementing Indigenous paradigm (Chilisa, 2017, 2019; Cram & Mertens, 2016; Fast & Kovach, 2019). Ubuntu stands for harmony, justice, and reciprocity (Chilisa, 2019, p. 189). The fundamental essence of Ubuntu is the negation of the individual, which is, by definition, in direct contrast to conventional philosophical principles.

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Descartes’ “I think therefore I am” and Kant’s4 colonial morality, John S Mill’s “utilitarianism,” and John Locke’s individual political development—all except Nietzsche (Bamford, 2007; Gade, 2012). Alenda-Demoutiez (2022, p. 1050), perhaps summarised nicely, Ubuntu and Buen Vivir oppose the strict Western individualist view of rights; they promote collective rights, those of people, communities, and nature. So, our point here is why every reasoning and logic has to be western. We think we need a third space; Metz (2021) rightly said extreme totalitarian communism and extreme individualistic word should be a call for an end. Let us delve into Social work or Community Development (Chigangaidze, 2021; Mugumbate & Chereni, 2019, 2020; Mugumbate et al., 2013). The Code of Ethics of Social Workers in Zimbabwe produced by the Council of Social Workers (CSW) describes ubuntu as humaneness. The code further states that ubuntu, or unhu in Shona language, places emphasis on values of human solidarity, empathy, human dignity, holding that a person is a person through others (CSW, 2012). The Code of Ethics of Social Workers in Zimbabwe says “ubuntu/unhu/humaneness includes the stipulations of the philosophy that: ...places emphasis on values of human solidarity, empathy, human dignity and the humaneness in every person, and that holds that a person is a person through others.’ It further states that the mission of social work includes promoting social justice, unhu/ubuntu, human rights, positive change, problem solving and improvements in individual and community relationships and the development of society in general. (Mugumbate et al., 2013, p. 91)

As an important note—nonsensing to sense, let us share. When we were proposing this Book to Springer nature in January 2020 amid this Pandemic, one day, our senior author Professor Haris texted me that Ubuntu has been in the Association of Social Works slogan, which is a recognition of Ubuntu. This rhetoric slogan, to us, is a mouthful vocabulary. After that, it has been two years for this Association—we saw no initiative. Yet, this is a justification for this book. Later, however, if not the Association at least, some studies, for instance, Chigangaidze et al. (2022a, 2022b). We appreciate that these studies have been prolific with insight and added to the Ubuntu knowledge pool. However, yet, failed to provide any guidelines. In addition to the above, Ubuntu has been a guide from a theological context and anthropology (Joseph, 2018)—another nonsensing matter to us, what is theological anthropology if anthropology, etymologically, is the study of human beings? Some words are helpful. Let us place some conversations with Clifford Geertz and Vincent Crapanzano, and we put them in Textbox 4.1. It is essential to understand that we need to be working in an engaging

4

On his Lecture on Anthropology, which later Michael Foucault translated, Kant divided the human race in four categories. In addition to the above, Kant used the term ‘Indigenous that refers to All black people of Asia, Africa, China, Amaerican Negors.

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manner (Mignolo & Nanibush, 2018). Engagement with the community and working in a life-long relationship is the core teaching of Ubuntu. One of the anthropological bestsellers of recent decades is Nigel Barley’s book, The Innocent Anthropologist. The entertaining style and the proportions of content are quite remarkable: more than half of the report consists of personal experiences such as how the author bought a run-down jeep, how his hygienerelated habits changed, and how he broke two of his teeth. We hardly learn anything about the Doajos, the people he studied. These proportions may be a bit exaggerated, but all anthropological reports must reflect the conditions of fieldwork and the researcher’s relation to the topic. (Letenyei, 2021, p. 156, emphasis ours )

We know this is not enough. Let us read some conversation. We are neither capricious nor unpredictable about this role of Anthropologist. However, the fact does not need a witness, as no part is committed nor performed.

Textbox 4.1 Geertz’s Engaging! Fieldwork

Vincent Crapanzano’s starting point is that ethnographical data are mute—they only receive meaning thanks to the work of the anthropologist. This is why in his essay, Hermes’ Dilemma, (1986)150 Crapanzano chose to analyze reports by several anthropologists, among others, Geertz’s study on Balinese cock fighting. Geertz’s text—writes Crapanzano—is all the less objective since he used the description of the cock fight by way of demonstration to reach his scientific goals. The latter raises several problems with the text, such as • There is no feedback, we do not know the locals’ opinion on the written text; • Geertz describes the Balinese village without taking into account his own effect on the community. Both problems are illustrated by the part of Geertz’ text where he says that he was ignored (treated as if “he is away”) by the Balinese. Crapanzano thought that this description was inauthentic: just because Geertz felt this way, the Balinese may have thought otherwise. This could have been avoided by feedback, by checking the written text on the spot. By the 1990s, following the postmodern turn, the mainstream of cultural anthropology generally accepted—in essays and films—the control of the researcher’s opinion, feedback, and the precise presentation of the role they play during anthropological field work. Source: Letenyei, (2021, pp. 154–155).

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If we take this assertion, how can we claim, as Greg Urban said, that anthropology is Neokantian science (Urban, 2013), even to some scholars rooted to Hegel also5 ? If anthropology is the study of people, then, very simply, how can this science be, or should be, colonial? Ubuntu discusses what constitutes a true man, why racism exists, and the potential of rejecting such chauvinism. As such, we are human. Our Ubuntu for all people is our explanation and promotion. As a result of man’s unity and variety, the “real man” is the “negotiable man,” which instantly develops as ethics. Compassion, generosity, compassion, empathy, and solidarity are the foundational qualities of humanity; if a person believes that none of these characteristics pertains to him/her, if s/he harbours pure evil or hate in his heart, he has already lost his humanity. The inhuman has two options: to prolong the vicious cycle or to begin on a route to escape it. This vicious cycle is difficult to break since, depending on various conditions, more traits, elements, or actors are required. Paul Rabinow, about two decades before wrote The challenge is to invent new forms of inquiry, writing, and ethics for an anthropology of the contemporary. 1 The problem is: how to rethink and remake the conditions of contemporary knowledge production, dissemination, and critique, in the interpretive sciences? The direction forward does not include yet another attempt to have anthropology imitate a natural science model anymore than it implies a foreclosure of anthropology finding a form as a distinctive knowledge practice. 2 Mimicry has proved to be neither prophetic of the course of disciplinary change nor empirically fruitful. It has, however, been fertile in bringing forth and fueling polemics. 3 The twentieth century has taught us that polemics and prophecy do not lead to an exit from epistemological or ethical immaturity (Paul Rabinow’s steps toward an anthropological laboratory).6

The questions remain as a question, and the 2020 Pandemic stamped, endorsed and proved that we, social scientists failed to answer, even conceptually. We believe humility and reciprocity are the central values for ending this cycle. Instead, it has a great deal to do with humankind since both share the etymological origin of “humus,” which means “earth” or “dust.“ To be humble in this context is not to submit and accept humiliation at the hands of the most powerful but to be virtuous, that is, to be robust, to be strong and to confront cruel situations. In this way, the humble paradoxically find power in their seeming weakness; s/he should be pardoned for liberty, harmony, and societal peace. As previously said, racism is rooted in unfavorable conceptions of black humanity. It is against humanity to discriminate against others based on their differences since humankind is intrinsically different. Now, when we

5 Schacht, R. (1990). Philosophical anthropology: What, why and how. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 50, 155–176. 6

https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/1567/conceptnoteno1.pdf.

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discuss racism and social exclusion, we mainly refer to a group, not an individual. Although racial prejudice is at the individual level, it is necessary to concentrate on the communal level since, just as no one is formed from nothing, so are racism and exclusion. In other words, an individual is born into a family, a community or society, a nation, etc., with a certain culture and value system. In this setting, racism, xenophobia, and homophobia are taught. Nonetheless, this is where human values and virtues are nurtured, promoted, and lived. Practical Justification: As National Policy and During Previous Pandemics Let’s look at it from the context of Africa. The main question is: Do the reconciliation and reparations carried out by Afro-revenues in post-apartheid South Africa and Colombia allow overcoming apartheid and social exclusion in those places? This question is divided into other subsidiary bodies to include the scope of our concern, Jemon. How can racism and the social exclusion of Afrochildren in “our America” be significantly overcome or reduced? This question repeats the first but needs to be understood, simultaneously announcing a third: Are reconciliation and reparations policies sufficient for this purpose? These principles generally recognize that the crime or offence for which compensation is sought was committed against human dignity. So, we ask ourselves: can the latter be achieved in exchange for material goods? Of course, the answer is negative. Summary of the central problem of this work To reflect on these questions, we have developed the leading solution and two subsidiary answers. In the original one, we argue that although the process of reconciliation and reparations in South Africa and Afro-retribution in Colombia aim, at the same time, and to a certain extent, to achieve differently, combating apartheid and social exclusion, this society builds a harmonious, diverse. And inclusive communities. It depends on the political and moral will to lift it. This goodwill comes from the heart. This leads us to another hypothesis, which extends the understanding and applicability of the first. Let’s explain. To give greater argumentative meaning, we reversed the order in which the questions were related, thus beginning with the immediate answer to the last question. In building a harmonious, diverse, and inclusive community, realized in human or human dignity, essential interdependence with ‘other’ people and other cosmic beings, no one or a community is compensated for the loss. Because above all, the simple fact of being human is to recognize, respect, and value other human beings. So, taking it to politics, a horizontal vision of concrete inclusion of all citizens of a nation-state must be central: a vision of solidarity, equality, and integration. Nonetheless, it has been proved that “black” (to Hegel, Kant, and west) means that negative attitudes and/or prejudices towards these people are a transversal problem (they are ethnic, “race”, class, gender, different institutions…), by racism and the social exclusion of Afro-descendants. What must be replaced is horizontal and respectful dialogue. Dealing with transversal social

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policies; would necessarily lead to adopting a “differentiated citizenship,” i.e. proportional equality among all citizens of a nation-state. See, after the release of Nelson Mandela, on February 11, 1990, negotiations began in South Africa between the ANC, Mandela’s political party, and the South African government led by then-President Frederic de Klerk. These negotiations resulted in drafting the 1993 Interim Constitution, which paved the way for the preparation and conduct of the first free, democratic and multiracial elections in South Africa. On April 27, 1994, that election was held. The ANC won, and Mandela was elected by a parliamentary majority, becoming the first democratically elected president and South Africa’s first black president, taking the oath of office on May 10, 1994. A significant challenge for Mandela and his government was to reconcile all South Africans and preserve national unity. The task was not entirely straightforward, in South Africa, ravaged by centuries of inter-racial, inter-racial, and inter-racial conflict, and where there was a division between two essential sides of the competition (black and white): on the one hand, the Boers of British origin and the South There was always a trace of discontent among the Africans and on the other hand Chief Mangosuthu. The Inkatha Freedom Party led by Butheleji had political conflicts with the Zulu ANC. On the day of the inauguration, Mandela invited his former white jailer to attend the ceremony as a “guest of honor”, which was symbolic and “the first of many other gestures he made spectacularly, demonstrating his impressive magnanimity” and “willingness to forgive”. In this gesture, it was possible to see his desire to confront his country’s short history by inviting his compatriots to forgive and reconcile. There were already signs of what the TRC would become. Well, death by all forms of violence and policies of ethnic isolation. Ways of dealing with the past had to be found. There were victims (dead and alive) awaiting justice; deep wounds to heal, hatred between all groups in the conflict; various nationalist narratives by the conciliar etc. Although this whole situation was strange despite its similarity to other violent situations in the world (the Jewish Shoah, the brutality of military dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, etc.), it was not a matter of creating another “Nuremberg” because, according to Tutu, the real winners of these terms nor was any vanquished; Therefore, the so-called “conqueror’s justice” cannot be applied, a justice that humiliates others (in the case of Nuremberg, according to the Archbishop Emeritus, ‘the Germans accepted it because they were soundly defeated,’ they could no longer but accept the verdict of the victors). In South Africa, no one has had the experience such humiliating trials because, compared to the Nuremberg trials, where the Allies, after that went home (USA, England, France, etc.), black and white ‘South Africa must stay together.’ Why and how, if we point, it was possible for Nelson Mandela, maybe a question, but this is Ubuntu. Mandela was born and grown by Ubuntu. Indeed, this historical moment needs some elaboration. It was then decided to create the TRC, following the example of other countries such as Chile and Argentina, but with the speciality of South Africa, to carry out the process of reconciliation and forgiveness. But, at the same

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time, finding and/or proposing ways to do justice to the victims on the one hand and granting amnesty to the executioners on the other hand. According to HE Tutu, this was “a third way”: not to call the victors justice or retributive justice, but not to accept “national amnesia”. Amnesty should be conditional: Amnesty candidates had to show that they had declared everything eligible for amnesty. Thus, the normal legal process was withdrawn if the candidates wanted to fulfill their obligation to express everything. In addition to these, the TRC’s constitutional law established other conditions for granting amnesty: the fact that the amnesty was requested should have been politically motivated; The item of proportionality [of the acts committed] should be observed, that is, whether the means [used] were proportionate to the objective should be taken into account. Victims and executioners must tell the truth, tell their truth; It should not be the same as “forensic factual truth”, but rather “social truth, the truth of experience, which emerges through interaction, discussion, and debate”; This is the personal truth, i.e. the truth of traumatized memory. This conditional amnesty was therefore intertwined between memory and oblivion since a clean slate should not be created respecting the past, but amnesties should be granted in consideration of national reconciliation. This led HE Tutu to say that his democracy with Mandela, South Africa’s democracy, had been “bought” at a very high price; amnesties conditional on reconciliation and peace were placed before reparations for all harms committed during apartheid. The TRC was vocal about being a tool of the “administration”, so to speak, of that “conditional amnesty”. This was already glimpsed in the 1993 Transitional Constitution when its negotiators warned that to confront the divisions and conflicts stemming from apartheid, “there is a need for understanding but not for revenge, for revenge but not for revenge, for Ubuntu but not for victimization”. President Mandela to turn the promise and desire into reality, Abdullah Mohammad Omar (known as Dullah Omar), the then Minister of Justice, introduced in Parliament in July 1995 the bill is, creating the TRC [known as the “Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act.” In the 1996 constitution, the term ubuntu no longer appears in the current South African constitution. The introduction of the period after the 1993 Transitional Constitution and its disappearance in the current form promulgated by President Mandela on December 10, 1996, which came into effect on December 4, is disputed. 1997. One view suggests that Ubuntu may have been introduced as a political act (conciliation or political strategy?) of the ANC towards the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), in the 1993 transitional constitution, whose president, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, transitioned and challenged the ANC during the process. With the victory of the ANC in the 1994 elections and the inauguration of Mandela as President, there was no need to give anything to the “IFP” who also won some seats in Parliament. Regardless, many South African politicians and/or intellectuals feel that, despite its absence in the new constitution, the spirit of Ubuntu permeates the latter.

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For more details on this subject, see Gade’s article and African Constitution, as seen in Fig. 4.2, which we have quoted from the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 200 of 1993. Thus, we think Ubuntu is wellfitted with policy directions, as seen in Table 4.1. Ubuntu has been in practical and problem shooter. Avoiding the lengthy lists, we see in Table 4.1. Let me cite Christian Gade’s masterpiece The negotiators of the South African Interim Constitution of 1993 agreed that in order to address the divisions and strife of the apartheid era in South Africa,

Fig. 4.2 New chapter of South African through Ubuntu in 1996 (Source Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 200 of 1993 (https://ucdpged.uu.se/peacea greements/fulltext/SyA%2019931118.pdf))

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‘there is a need for understanding but not for vengeance, a need for reparation but not for retaliation, a need for ubuntu but not for victimization’ (Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 200 of 1993: Epilogue after Section 251). The Interim Constitution does not explain what ubuntu is, but according to the South African Constitutional Court, which was established to adjudicate in constitutional matters, the spirit of ubuntu is something that is ‘part of the deep cultural heritage of the majority of the population’ (Port Elizabeth Municipality v Various Occupiers, 2005: 37). The Court also explains that ‘it was against the background of the loss of respect for human life and the inherent dignity which attaches to every person that a spontaneous call has arisen among section of the community for a return to ubuntu’. (S Makwanyane and Another, 1995: 227). (Gade, 212, p. 485, original citations are kept)

It is so common today that the ‘emotional’ aspect is little neglected in the academy and is then hastily abandoned as a rigorous element. Arguably, it lacks objectivity, symbolizes weakness, and is associated with fragility. It is a type of superstition coming from Western imitation, so our ahistorical ontology cannot accommodate it. It is no coincidence that, as famous Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galliano said in an interview held in Barcelona in 2011, intellectuals are the ones who can divorce the head from the body. I don’t want to be the head that wanders on the side of the road (or read, of body comfort, or indulgence cannot sell the head at Kayes, or to the Dept of Capital. As Goya said, education does not make men but monsters.” Edward Scheid wrote in 1993 that an intellectual does not walk the path. Those who only reason, you want to talk with sense, beware. Beware of just reasoning without feeling, and when reason divorces the heart, these characters can lead you to the end of humanity. The sensibility that Ubuntu teaches is not something new that will exclusively concern us but will make us human. This has been a real challenge for us. But admirably, it is in the numerical discipline that Ubuntu now appears. We stated elsewhere that “such as it is central to a nation’s decisive level (Mandela, 1995), an ethical concern in academic research (Mangena, 2016; Waghid, 2018), political (Chimakonam & Nweke, 2018; Chimakonam, 2016), social (Qobo & Nyathi, 2016), educational (Mangina, 2016; Gade, 2012), environmental (Chibvongodze, 2016) diplomatic guidelines (Edozie, 2017). UN Secretary-General AntónioGuterres said that this Covid pandemic is an x-ray that shows almost all states’ skulls” Chowdhury et al. (2022a). Mental education, human development, where will it come from, and our whole system is the wrong right to read the days are over. Without this development of the mind, there can be no possible horizon for human rights. For this reason, it invites us to imagine social revolution from individual spheres, to understand that it is the sum of personal changes which allows for critical mass-building and community meetings to inspire others to change. It should be noted that love in the classroom or at work does not mean romantic or filial love. This is understood from the oneness of ubuntu, the reflection of love from an ethical love of ‘we’, and a deep sense of connection with others. As suggested by the Ubuntu philosophy: “I am because you are. An injury

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to one is an injury to all” (Gade, 2012). Education is an educational process, continuous and permanent, which aims to improve. We should address the development of mental skills as an essential component of human development to train them for life and to promote personal and social well-being. Thus, sensitive education can play an indispensable role in addressing the reality of the epidemic collectively if it is seen in our district, neighborhood, village, village, or city. What practically we have witnessed in tribal society. There contribute to the dignity of human life, help empower people, and train them as rights subjects to make natural interventions in social reality. Thus, the transformation of social reality and the recognition of human rights can go hand in hand. It also catalyzes personal conversion. The Project on Advancing Human Rights Protection focuses on the understanding that change also comes from the microsphere and affects the macrocosm. Ubuntu becomes successful. It suggests that an essential part of social revolution lies in emotional education, understanding that collective transformation begins with individual evolution. The preceding resonates with the principle of co-responsibility. As above, so below; and as below, so above. In this sense, as it is outside, it is inside, and as it is inside, so it is outside. In this sense, passionate learning and love in action allow for the construction of horizons of peace where the rights and legal rights of all are recognized, protected, and guaranteed through genuine and meaningful governance processes. The rule of law, not rule by law, can be established. “Not only as a community approach or an ethical code, but Ubuntu also established itself as an academic discourse and discursive practice in international diplomacy to local primary education” (Chowdhury et al., 2022c). Ubuntu has been practical and problem shooter. We are avoiding the lengthy lists we have seen in Table 4.1. In the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture, António Guterres,7 the United Nations secretary-general, said that the economic knock-on effect of the coronavirus pandemic could lead to historic scarcity and food shortage. Gade (2012) particularly emphasized humanity, which should be the key to today’s crisis. Coincidentally, this discussion goes with the alliance to Nelson Mandela’s lifelong philosophy of Ubuntu. And in later texts, we find the reflection (Gumede, 2018). Ten years before Barry (2010) talked about the Next Pandemic on a different dimension. Again, in reasoning, this Ubuntu philosophy, as a reflection—the commendable contribution of 100 scholars from around the world—touched on various issues related to this 2020 pandemic—requires a guideline, despite all episodes concluding with recommendations; we envision a shared space as a beacon. Thus, this is Ubuntu. Moreover, as academics, we have been volunteering and working with poor, marginal migrants in Malaysia and Indigenous Bangladeshi people since the outbreak began (Siraz et al., 2020). This volunteering is not a viable option, 7 https://www.nelsonmandela.org/https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/100000 007245589/un-guterres-mandela-speech-coronavirus.html.

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and when the income gap is vital, Ubuntu is already recommended. And it caused us to reconsider our roles. Beyond volunteering, there are opportunities to work with and for the people if an academic wants to do so wherever they are and in whatever capacity they can. Ubuntu is the symbol of hope for the present and the future. Scholars formally propose Ubuntu as policy direction, as seen in Fig. 4.2. We so need to be human beings first to serve as humans. After this 2020 Pandemic, this is high time to ask, “who guards the guardians?”8 This chapter is, therefore, for us not an opinion piece ‘about’ society but a desire ‘for’ human beings. Ubuntu is in scholarship, and we have stated almost all leading texts (for example, Chigangaidze et al., 2022b; Gumede, 2018; Vusi, 2017, Ziai, 2014). To a larger extent, the Ubuntu spirit sounds like Marxist communalism, which may be true. Vusi Gumede, for instance, said, “[Ubuntu]..into the policy domain in Africa will bring about a revolution in the way we think, conceive socio-economic programs, perform public responsibilities and relationships with our fellow Africans” (Gumede, 2018, p. 11). However, Ubuntu is such a concept, as we discussed already, and can only be compared with Buddhist Brotherhood, Assabiay or Khaldunian Sociology and beyond.

As a Bridge Between East and West Wildlok et al. (2021) said that we must legitimate the future, and Ubuntu is the only viable option. We revealed that Ubuntu, by its very essence, concept, and characteristics, has opposed western Neoliberal morality. Also said is that we must begin with ourselves to improve the world, which may be extended to education as a beginning point. In a participatory democracy, we attempt to demonstrate that Ubuntu can coexist with the current circumstances. Let us elaborate. Presentation of Southern Epistemologies Since Antenor Firmin, Jose Rizal, and Jomo Kenyatta, amongst others, for Hussein Alatas, Frantz Fanon has served as the foundation and common container of academic discourse. Composed of academics and activists, Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Gayatri Spivak and many scholars (for example, Chemhuru, 2019; de Sousa Santos, 2018; Hountondji, 2019; Metz, 2021; Mucina, 2013; Rodrigues, 2020; Ramose, 2020; Spivak, 2004), has spearheaded in recent decades an extensive program of collective action. The reflections of this large and diverse intellectual community have developed a variety of knowledge that far from Eurocentric thinking—creates new and unique analytic spaces to understand events and circumstances that have been historically overlooked or vanished, rejected or globalized. Thought did not completely perceive and theorize the solution. Southern epistemology is built on the development and validation of knowledge based on the experience of resistance of social groups that routinely undergo injustice, oppression, and destruction resulting from capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy. Including the Unimaginable, From 8

Wronka, J. (1998). A little humility, please. Harvard International Review, 20(3), 72.

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Criticism to Alternatives: The Origin of Knowledge via Conflict. A close examination of Feuerbach’s theory indicates that Karl Marx had two knowledge paradigms in mind (Marx, 1970). First, the concept of knowledge following adversity: This was the prevailing paradigm he challenged and originated from Hegel’s theory of knowledge. According to G. W. F. Hegel, Minerva’s owl only flies after dusk; that is, knowledge arises during the moment of peace that follows the conclusion of strife. After a battle, the only remaining knowledge is that of the victorious. Bourgeois social theory is the common knowledge generated and taught in most contemporary universities; it is the knowledge of the winners. Karl Marx penned the Eleven Theses in 1845, which are brief philosophical observations. These theses were published for the first time in 1888 as an appendix to a booklet authored by his intellectual comrade Friedrich Engels. Boaventura de Sousa Santos is important in understanding these nuances (2018). The philosophers critiqued Marx were uninterested; the knowledge sought to prevent substantial social change. In his criticism, Marx proposes an alternative paradigm of knowledge: the paradigm of knowing before the conflict. Marxist theory was envisioned as a theory whose historical purpose was to prepare the working class to become a class without class: a class with revolutionary class consciousness. The immense variety of social battles throughout the twentieth century, as well as the multiplicity of groups in a struggle that do not agree with Marx’s historical subject, suggest the necessity for the third paradigm of knowledge: knowledge created during the fight, that is, the epistemology of the South (de Sousa Santos, 2018). In this instance, the south is a more epistemological term than geographical; it is a metaphor for the knowledge that battle generates. The variety of adversity is the basis of a multitude of information and wisdom. My epistemological perspective has been alternately categorized as colonial and postcolonial, demonstrating the conceptual absurdity of attempting to define a barrier between postcolonial and decolonial studies (Chemhuru, 2019; de Sousa Santos, 2018; Hountondji, 2019; Metz, 2021; Mucina, 2013; Rodrigues, 2020; Ramose, 2020; Spivak, 2004). The Postcolonial, Colonial, and Southern Epistemologies can be carried by Ubuntu morality. If we study these paramount texts after Edward Said and Hussein Alatas, we may determine that southern sociology is nonexistent in the west (Alatas, 2021; Chemhuru, 2019; de Sousa Santos, 2018; Hountondji, 2019; Metz, 2021; Mucina, 2013; Ramose, 2020; Rodrigues, 2020; Spivak, 2004). We must recognize that classes and social groupings established Southern cosmology as a struggle against the systemic injustices and numerous oppressions caused by contemporary hegemony. Such battles and discoveries demonstrate that capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy are the three primary mechanisms of current dominance. Marxism became part of the third paradigm of knowledge, a kind of knowledge formed through struggle, to the degree that it sustained or was reinvented by many of these battles. As with colonial studies, Southern

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epistemologies existed long before they were given names. Limiting themselves to the twentieth century, most liberation leaders who acted across the colonial globe indicated in their works and thoughts that they were adept practitioners of this epistemology. Among the most prominent experts, Gandhi, Mariategui, Fanon, and Marx, i.e. Marx’s unpublished work after volume 1 of Das Kapital, deserve notice. One of the most illuminating analyses on the connection between anticolonial studies and southern epistemology is that of (Alatas, 2021; Connell, 2020; Krishnan, 2022; Meghji, 2021; Moosavi, 2022). Dual epistemological inquiry characterizes Epistemology of the South (SE), which is founded on the notion that worldwide social justice cannot exist without global cognitive justice. Boaventura de Sousa Santos, on the one hand, SE seeks to reclaim the public and local knowledge engaged in the fight, which has not been acknowledged by scientific or academic knowledge - be it philosophy, art, or human sciences and society, contributing to a more meaningful view of the world. This cognitive exclusion dominates social exclusion. To provide a single instance, the genocide of indigenous peoples and their way of life has always been the flip side of the annihilation (demonization, eradication) of their knowledge (Mashana). On the other hand, SEs contend that real social conflicts often integrate several forms of knowledge, such as popular or local and academic/scientific (including Marxist). The efforts of Via Campesina for food sovereignty and agronomy, for instance, integrated peasant wisdom with agronomic, biogeochemical, social, and medical expertise, in many cases contributing to a Marxist understanding of the problem based on the idea of the epidemiology of labourer, yet not form the Southern Epistemology-SE (see de Sousa Santos, 2018). Social movements on a global scale incorporate farmer groups from many continents. These articulations and combinations—ecologies of knowledge—mutually modify distinct modes of knowing as they engage in discourse to bolster social movements against hegemony. SEs provide a compelling road map for study and activity in postcolonial and colonial studies and any other intellectual effort that rejects dominant perspectives. Among the stations highlighted on this map are Abyssal lines and the sociology of absence; the significance of struggle as resistance to dominance and tyranny; Ecology and Sociology of Emergencies; Demonstrating oral, written, and archival knowledge of Culturally Relevant Translation (Alatas, 2021; Connell, 2020; De Sousa Santos, 2018). The significance of conflict as opposed to hegemony. SE’s fights against hegemony are communal acts, Ubuntu as a point of the case, that converts even the tiniest slivers of freedom into liberating chances by recognizing the dangers of this transformation. They do it out of need rather than choice. Restoring minimal space means that freedom is restricted to the minimum release. Boaventura de Sousa Santos is not natural nor permanent; they have been imposed unjustly and may be replaced. In summary, they are contentious locations. The outcome of a conflict always comes down to the shifting of boundaries.

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Consequently, it is essential to differentiate between hegemonic freedom and counter-hegemonic freedom. The first kind of liberty is heterogeneous liberty, which is granted by someone with authority to establish boundaries. It is implemented to the degree that the need to operate within its predetermined boundaries is acknowledged. In the event of stress, the allowed release permanently ceases before the legal limit to minimize harm. In contrast, counter-hegemonic freedom is independent and liberating. It acknowledges the power but not the legitimacy of limitations. Therefore, it attempts to dislodge them by applying maximal pressure. They must be defeated whenever feasible. The oppressed’s fight may assume an unlimited variety of shapes. The most explicitly and carefully planned battles by people, organizations, and social movements aim to eradicate or diminish a specific unfair injustice. These conflicts may be well delineated in time and location, with plainly distinguishable heroes and antagonists and postcolonialism, colonialism, and southern epistemology. Depending on their size and scope in time and space, their degree of conflict, their leadership style, the sort of narrative that legitimizes them, their peaceful or violent character, etc., these broad categories of competition are subdivided into several subtypes. Different subtypes need and generate distinct forms of knowledge. Other types of resistance, however, cannot be readily detached from the daily lives of oppressed socioeconomic groups. They are seldom recognized as political acts since they do not entail confrontation or open and avowed opposition. James Scott appropriately labels them “daily forms of resistance” when material supremacy is at issue, “hidden replication” when situational dominance is at point, and “the emergence of isolated subcultures” when intellectual hegemony is at issue (1985, p. 198). James Scott correctly underlines the historical significance of such conflicts and resistance when he asserts, “a long historical perspective enables us to confirm that the luxury of an open and reasonably secure political opposition is as unusual now as it was in the distant past” (1985, p. 199). These types of conflict also need information that supports and gives them significance, such as awareness of unjust suffering, the arbitrariness of authority, and disappointed hopes. Critical study of actual conditions; judgments on how to resist in particular settings by pushing resistance to its limits without open confrontation; warnings about the progression of prior occurrences. Whether or not action is done affects the likelihood of specific outcomes. This necessitates applying detailed and specialized knowledge by individuals whose virtual world is inextricably related to the battle for existence since only the struggle assures survival. Colonial sociology of knowledge disturbed borders by what colonial administration did and the Culture of Extinction (see Alatas, 1972; Deleuze & Guattari, 2004). An essential aspect of Eurocentric modernity is the liberal belief that all humans are equal and that humankind is a faithful representation of existing societies. And it is a factor that has been a matter of contention in our methodological stance (Eq. 2.1).

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Instead of debating, it is preferable to acknowledge that liberalism realizes that individuals are not factually equal, as some are wealthy and others are impoverished. However, this empirical outcome does not contradict the reality that all men are equal on an abstract level; David Harvey is a worthwhile reading. Lastly, the lower caste does not consist of entire or complete individuals. These animals are deemed subhuman, postcolonialism, colonialism, and Southern epistemology, so it makes no sense to compare them to full-grown men. A thin boundary separates human beings from subhuman creatures. This line is invisible and revolutionary—the foundation that makes all other evident human distinctions possible and coherent. This chasm is the crucial premise behind Southern Epistemology (SE). Since the sixteenth century, it has marked the dramatic divergence between metropolitan and colonial forms of sociality that have defined the modern world. This split generates two hegemonic realms, the metropolitan and the colonial, which, despite their similarities, seem incomparable. According to Kant and Hegel, the metropolitan world is a world of equality and reciprocity among “us”: among those who are entirely human-like “us.” Thus the ‘western we’ omits the east. There are societal distinctions and power asymmetries between “us” that might cause friction and exclusion, but in no way do they call into doubt our fundamental equality and reciprocity. Therefore, these exclusions are reasonable. They are resolved by the conflict between social control and social emancipation and the systems Western civilization has built to handle them, including the liberal state, the rule of law, human rights, and democracy. de Sousa Santos, Deleuze, Hussein Alatas, similarly, it is impossible to envision equality or reciprocity with the colonial world, the world of colonial sociality, or “them” since they are not wholly human. Peter Pels said while referencing Bronislaw Malinowski that their Reciprocity is meant to make them western, as we saw in Textbox 4.1. Ethically, social science followed the intellectual genealogy of the past. Their exclusion is as rare as it is non-existent, to the point where the notion of their inclusion is incomprehensible. They are beyond the line of the abyss. The connection between “us” and “them” cannot be addressed by the conflict between social control and social emancipation, as it exists on this side of the line in the metropolitan world, nor by the processes intrinsic to that society. We will conclude this chapter with a few more words about the academic context of Ubuntu in the hope that it may prompt us to question our methods of being, acting, and seeing. Ubuntu is a Space for Social Sciences Let me read a quote, I don’t really like social science, I think it needs to be questioned. I think social sciences have so much to learn from humanities, you have to bring that in, you have to bring literature, the novel, film and music, and all of that has to come

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into social science. Because social science is so square and often times so abstract or dry that it secedes from life itself. It needs that sort of influence. … We perpetuate that in our teaching by simply saying: We do social science, we do political science, or sociology and so on. I always talk about that and I try to bring in teaching methods that move us away from that very dry social science perspective. (Bhambra et al., 2020, p. 259)

One may ask why Reciprocity—the answer is, watering to dry social science. Perhaps it is time to break the silence as method. Too, we want conceptual disobedience not only from a decolonial perspective but the social science as a whole (Young, 2020; Alatas, 2018), sociology (Bhambra, et al. 2020; Rodríguez et al., 2016), Indigenous social work and studies (Coates & Hetherington, 2016; Clarke & Yellow Bird, 2021; Corntassel, 2020; Weinstein-Moser, 2008) and, finally my motivation is the Bante’s question, as well as an answer to the Rakhain community leader, ‘what my people are getting back in return.’ And, to end with, this is a stand against Durkheimian neutrality, the Hegel-Kantian notion of sub-human. The practical aspect of Decoloniality is whether we must wait for universities to be decolonized or work within. When lives are at risk and the whole globe is in peril, as the claim goes, this volume is for everyone. This is a presented portion. This book is a memorial for all those people who have passed away. I would like to share a passage from the dedication page of the first.

Textbox 4.2: The Context of this Book

This volume’s context covers • who are helpless by losing the earning member of the family, • girls who can’t sleep at night without their father’s chest, • widowed, who are seeing the darkness of the night and spending time counting the stars. Source: Chowdhury et al. (2022d, dedication page).

To a more considerable extent, placing and proposing Ubuntu is a dialogue between the history of science and philosophy and Indigenous Gnoseology, or humanity. In broad, this analysis contextualized Covid-19, a deadly reality, and tried to make a space for social sciences for the policymakers. And this is an outer circled position that Emile Durkheim (2014) put and has been dominant in social science. An important part is Saadia Gaon (see Efros, 1942). Saadia’s Theory of Knowledge is far more critical than Kant’s (2008). In

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making a space in the kingdom of Social science, we discussed before, how the west created us (Fanon, 1967; Gandhi, 2019; Grande, 2015; Harvey, 2014; hooks, 1991; Kapila, 2007; P’Bitek O, 1971; Wa Thiong’o, 1992; Wolf, 2010; Young, 2020). We want an education that is not supposed to create a caste system (Mettler, 2014). We need an Epistemology of the South (Mignolo & Nanibush, 2018; Qobo & Nyathi, 2016; Rodríguez et al., 2016) with some practicality instead of metaphor (Tuck & Yang, 2012) by Ubuntu Spirit (Qobo & Nyathi, 2016; Udefi, 2015). Ubuntu can make a line of demarcation in the History and Philosophy of Social Science (Mignolo, 2017; Mignolo & Nanibush, 2018; Zhavoronko & Salikov, 2018). In this work, as a broader context, we intend to build a comprehensive vision within the canon of the western philosophical legacy. Anthropology is not synonymous with Neokantism, and the History of Anthropology should not be the history of colonialism (Pels, 2008, 1997). We want to re-write (Smith, 2021) what the Eurocentric Sociology of knowledge did, for example, Plessner’s (2019) work or Paul Ricoeur’s philosophical anthropology and current assertion (see Clammer & Giri, 2013). Therefore, we conceive that the western corpus carries out a free application of the principle of proliferation to the scope of ideas, actions, forms of life, and cosmovision. To unify the theoretical, methodological, cultural, and ontological pluralisms that we recognize in the Book’s pages are no and never against the method, we convincingly acknowledge the concept of Global Pluralism. In this horizon, Global Plureversilities and connectivity would highlight the centrality of the diversity of opinions and alternative conceptions for advancing knowledge and freedom of thought and action (Bhabha, 2012). This new hermeneutics of Reciprocity also allows us to appreciate the fragmented and non-homogeneous image of science that infuses Anticolonial, imperial social science. Finally, we think the constitutive moral component of the core of Reciprocal thoughts is essential for pluralistic values to overcome humanitarian limits, create global harmony, and minimize the interface. However, we do not aim to offer a radical shift and a defence of the historical work in focus. And of course, we are not alone or new in setting the textual context. Several worthy texts have appeared in this philosophical space (Agassi, 2012; Cuypers, 2017; de Mul, 2014; Lombo & Russo, 2020; Wentzer & Mattingly, 2018). Our context is intercepting two borders: philosophy and social sciences; though, in the last two chapters, we tried to around, they complement each other in many ways. This section unfolds the western ‘history of science,’ in effect, the history of philosophy where we encounter the history of science emalgated with the history of philosophy—both are full of bloodshed, looting, ethnic cleansing, and grabbing resources from the east. The genteel and lament construction of the western history of science and philosophy and/or scientism has dominated the knowledge field since 1492, roughly said if we read Alfred Crosby and Vandana Shiva. The development of global history in science or philosophy is not linear. Alternative projects of global knowledge history have been repeatedly put forward. All are influential in their context and have created Natural Laws.

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Still, in practicality, we are here to accept Reciprocity as not an alternative but a centrality of Social Research. It is essential as this concept covers Ontology, Epistemology, Methodology, and axiology and provides a model for most subsequent research on all possible topics anywhere in the world by anyone with any methodological paradigm. Later we will see the structuration that reflects the contradictions of the cognitive situation formed by globalization and how it can be minimized. It seems to be that three basic theoretical schemes collide: 1). the Critical school and 1) the Indigenous Paradigm in the history of knowledge as a particular type of transformation, distancing itself from the Eurocentric image of knowledge practice and 2). Epistemological development but retaining the ideal of progress in combination with an orientation towards various cultural values, presented mainly by IRP. finally, 3) The history of social science and its development in the multisystem world political community and the dialogue of its most diverse representatives, the growth of the world’s diversity as an exceptional value, regardless of its economic effect, presented by many authors and scholars.

Conclusion In this chapter, we tried to explain the resonance and justification of Ubuntu from a Philosophical, Methodological, and Practical perspective. Ubuntu is opposed to western Neoliberal morality, yet it can be a conduit for the current world order and humanity. From the context of the Epistemology of the South, a space is possible and will turn into a transformation. Suppose after 27 years; Nelson Mandela can invite his white jailer and promise a new world with the Spirit of Ubuntu, then, In the coming days. In that case, Ubuntu can be a means of seeing, acting, and being a person who is concurrently an individual entity and communal. Based on the position we have developed in this Ubuntu analysis in this chapter. On the recovery of the human whole, we can conclude that, despite the global recognition of the reconciliation process taking place in South Africa, which HE Desmond Tutu referred to as “the South” and “the African miracle,” only partial justice was served. Why not put it inside the New Normalcy? Although there was a certain national catharsis due to the confessions, apologies, and promises of forgiveness for the crimes committed, it was not done in the economic arena. This may be a lack of African procedure, but it disheartens Ubuntu’s spirit. It would have been a very harmonious and patriotic historical act if, in the New Normalcy following this deadly pandemic

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in 2020, all the cities, towns, and villages of the world that enjoy a very favorable socioeconomic status had agreed to establish special funds for the integral development of many infected communities. Just pondering what a courageous and reconciling deed it would have been if the wealthy had voluntarily relocated to the other side of the globe, as our ancestors did, and as Indigenous Holism did during this epidemic. It would have been possible to repay even a modest fraction to the impoverished if we still had time. We are hopeful, and luckily, this will be done in academics, policies, and the community. Consequently, there is an ongoing need for human justice, that is, a justice that considers all elements of a person’s existence, in this instance in the East. Regarding the 2020 Pandemic, this nation was the first target. Acknowledging some of the efforts made by anti-poverty social programs and those targeting the socially underprivileged is vital. The failure of these Health policies, municipal actions, and principles rests not only in their reliance on state intervention but also in their reluctance to address the repercussions and causes of social phenomena. Specifically, scholarly individuals who have been isolating themselves. In addition to the complicated bureaucratic procedure, which is another aspect of or effect of our liberal education system, of determining who to include and who not to form, the targeting of social programs is often problematic, stigmatizing the members of the targeted group. Beneficiaries of targeted social services may feel undervalued, and as a result, their human dignity is in jeopardy and has been seriously compromised by the pandemic. We tried to examine it from a philosophical standpoint. Therefore, people may sometimes withdraw from their ‘intimate adequacy,’ which degrades human dignity and rejects the humanity of others, in this instance, Indigenous, Asians, and Africans, a leading source of racial discrimination and social marginalization. This pandemic demonstrated that any nation-state attempting to address the poverty that plagues this person by disregarding these crucial variables is doomed to fail. This is due to the dignity of man and man as a non-negotiable field, man’s incredibly personal traits, the location of the retreat, and establishment. They are instances and places where, on the one hand, the individual will seek sanctuary from the monstrous will of others and, on the other hand, is fortified to confront its intolerable condition. Apartheid and the social exclusion of Asia, Africa, and Indigenous peoples, as unacceptable conditions resulted from unequal power relations that led to a lengthy process of social, cultural, and historical construction in which individuals of African-Asian and Latin American descent were dehumanized and deemed non-human. Understandably, because of the concentrated efforts of anti-racist research and the lens of decolonization, we now understand that “racial-ethnic” identity is not genetically determined but rather produced and “scientifically” built. Now we will see, to ensure a transformation, how to be seeing, know, be and acting by Ubuntu spirit in the next chapter.

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CHAPTER 5

….And How

Colonialism was committed to the education of a certain class. It was interested in the seemingly permanent operation of an altered normality. (Spivak, 2004, p. 524)

How Ubuntu This chapter comprises three parts—How Ubuntu be a central moral guideline into the New Normalcy—Ways of Knowing, Being, and Acting. We will explain that this three have a unique interrelation, interconnection and interdependency, yet, we will try to put them separately for an eased readership. When Victor Murray (1967) saw a boy in an African jungle sharing an apple with friends rather than eating them alone, he thought, “Ubuntu,” and then he pondered why. Is it not his way of being, acting, and knowing that was actually on his mind? A parent saw this collective beauty among the forest boys, who did not attend a contemporary school, did not know any teachers and did not read any books. How did it come about? Allow this to be the starting point for our discussion of the chapter. Ways of Knowing First, let us show the ‘ways of knowing from Karen Martin and Miraboopa’s masterpiece … Ways of Knowing are specific to ontology and Entities of Land, Animals, Plants, Waterways, Skies, Climate and the Spiritual systems of Aboriginal groups.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 J. Siraz Chowdhury et al., Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0_5

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Knowledge about ontology and Entities is learned and reproduced through processes of: listening, sensing, viewing, reviewing, reading, watching, waiting, observing, exchanging, sharing, conceptualising, assessing, modelling, engaging and applying. Ways of Knowing also entail processes that allow expansion and contraction according to the social, political, historical and spatial dimensions of individuals, the group and interactions with outsiders. So this incorporates the contexts as well as the processes. It is more than just information or facts, and is taught and learned in certain contexts, in certain ways at certain times. It is therefore purposeful, only to the extent to which it is used. If it is not used, then it is not necessary. (Martin & Mirraboopa, 2003, p. 208)

As we saw in Chapter 2 (Methodology), through the perspective of decolonization and the coordinated efforts of anti-apartheid scientists, we now know that racial-ethnic identities are not genetically determined but somewhat produced and “scientifically” built. Our discussion of human rights and democracy will be pointless if our activity does not help humankind. Licensed lunacy, Spivak’s statements are not untrue, and we are not in any way of going the ready cliches. Let us read from Spivak— The idea of human rights, in other words, may carry within itself the agenda of a kind of social Darwinism—the fittest must shoulder the burden of righting the wrongs of the unfit—and the possibility of an alibi. Only a “kind of” Social Darwinism, of course. Just as “the white man’s burden,” undertaking to civilize and develop, was only “a kind of” oppression. It would be silly to footnote the scholarship that has been written to show that the latter may have been an alibi for economic, military, and political intervention. (Spivak, 2004, p. 524)

On the other side, our exclusions are very uncommon if we read the statement of Spivak at the outset of this chapter, which means we exclude personal work while retaining a neutral connection with people and are driven by the mechanics of violence. The appropriation of life and resources is virtually always violent, and violence is always the purpose of funding, whether directly or indirectly. The dynamics at play have changed over time. Still, they remain fundamentally identical to historical colonialism, which requires brutal domination without the counterpoints of postcolonialism, colonialism, and southern epistemology. Our liberty is in our own hands. In other words, our Ways of Knowing comprise colonial and neo-colonial states, apartheid, forced and slave labor, extrajudicial extermination, torture, permanent war, primitive capital accumulation, refugee internment camps, military involvement, mass surveillance, racism, domestic violence, and Femicide. The fight for total independence from the colonial social system is a fight against occupation and brutality. In contrast to the battle for social emancipation on the urban outskirts of the chasm, the emancipation struggle did not signify a more broad and more sophisticated type of colonial authority. Aim towards its elimination. As we saw in Chapter 2, the epistemological priorities, meaning that

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the Epistemology of South-SE that SE gives us a shed on abnormal exclusions and the struggles against them are a result of the epistemology created by modern Eurocentric science. This epistemic violation was so devastating on the other side of the abyss that violence and appropriation became colonial laws, eventually, colonial social control methods. Current critical theories (Linda Smith, Bhambra, Wilson, Nakata are a few) have acknowledged diverse degrees of exclusion. Still, they have failed to explore qualitatively distinct sorts of exclusion, demonstrating a lack of understanding of the bottom line. Our society is devoid of unknown exclusions and battles against them. Methods of Knowing the worldwide struggle against contemporary hegemony cannot be effective if it excludes the fight against non-degenerate exclusion. The latter have profited from a massive cognitive investment in Eurocentric critical thinking, and the war against them has achieved considerable political exposure during the last five hundred years. When the presence of the abyss is acknowledged, the exclusion of the abyss and the fights against it take on new importance in Southern epistemology. The Sociology of Emergencies and the Ecology of Knowledge. The prevailing scientific world, which is Eurocentric and monocultural, is questioned whenever it is clear to us that some ways of being and doing are deemed unimportant and hence missing simply, because they do not satisfy the prevalent standards. Debunking these criteria requires an epistemic and political movement: a societal battle against SE’s reciprocal reinforcement and hegemony. As victimization is replaced by resistance, anticapitalist, anti-masculinist, and anti-colonial social change, possibilities arise in broad domains of social experience that Southern postcolonialism, colonialism, and epistemology previously disregarded. Each contributes in unique ways to denaturalizing and delegitimizing Eurocentric common sense monocultures. In contrast to the sociology of absence, which demonstrates and criticizes the waste of social experience produced by capitalist, imperialist, and patriarchal hegemony, the sociology of emergence demonstrates, renounces, and reevaluates other ways of thinking, knowing, and doing. As a result, a more comprehensive range of social experiences become visible and believable, allowing them to contribute to a more significant debate within possibly post-abyssal humanity. From a monocultural viewpoint, there is an ecological transition, which entails recognizing and enjoying the difficulty of coping with the coexistence of other ways of knowing, difference and acknowledgement, temporality, etc. The quantification of oral, textual, and archival knowledge. SEs attention to information that is suppressed, abandoned or neglected by dominant epistemologies because they concentrated on knowledge borne of the battle against contemporary forms of hegemony. Following Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics 1 and our Eq. (2.1) illustrated in Chapter 2, if a body of information does not contribute to the well-being of individuals or society, it is scientific knowledge, according to us. We have embraced one-dimensional,

1

Ross, D. (1956). Aristotle: the Nicomachean ethics. Philosophy, 31(116).

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incomplete, and bifurcated; it is the work of the losers of history or the hazardous class. One needs some sort of “licensed lunacy” (Orlando Patterson’s phrase) from some transcendental Other to develop the sort of ruthless commitment that can undermine the sense that one is better than those who are being helped, that the ability to manage a complicated life support system is the same as being civilized. But I am influenced by deconstruction and for me, radical alterity cannot be named “God,” in any language. Indeed, the name of “man” in “human” rights (or the name of “woman” in “women’s rights are human rights”) will continue to trouble me. Licensed lunacy in the name of the unnamable other,” then. It took me this long to explain this incomprehensible phrase. Yet the efforts I have described may be the only recourse for a future to come when the reasonable righting of wrongs will not inevitably be the manifest destiny of groups that remain poised to right them; when wrongs will not proliferate with unsurprising regularity (Spivak, 2004, p. 564).

In short, knowledge, by the western view, necessitates its extinction. Even if there is a written form, most of this knowledge is oral and evolves and develops as simple aspects of non-cognitive social behaviour. They may include music, poetry, tales, and indigenous knowledge. Is it authentic knowledge? The latter consists of written information communicated via writing, with writing needing discipline and memory. However, in this arrangement, Victor Murray, the kid he saw in the African forest, is not eating alone, but he longs for his cuddles, and even then, in his mind, this wild youngster has never attended school, has never been taught by a teacher; thus, his vocabulary is limited. Considering humanitarian conduct, converse! In this situation, the individual or entity does not know everything, yet everyone is responsible for this conduct. In 1938, Jomo Kenyatta informed the ‘neutral scientist’ Malinowski, ‘our knowledge, like yours, is not written down, but if it becomes required, that specific guy will do it.’ However, the typical set-up of information for everyone to fulfill specific roles is taught in childhood by the family and community. These positions are further divided into community-based, gender-based, age-based, age-group, etc. categories. And, like the cycle of life. The mother teaches the girl, while the father instructs the boy, the older and the younger. This is how it has been nurtured, cultivated, and passed down over the years. For instance, in the education that is being provided to our young, the individual is at the helm, and the justice of the person is being taught; there is no need to introduce the collective, societal, or national interest. It is a significant issue. In Western thought, the old are considered inhabitants of senior care facilities, while they are cultural capital. The family is the most crucial duty in constructing our outward and spiritual, material and immaterial relationships with family, society, nation, and surrounds, according to Akan. Where does this stretch commence? To complete our tasks in this

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book, we will make some self-recommendations or self-repairs, as we believe it is our responsibility to do so in the sixth chapter. Absences were recognized and made visible; a place of articulation inscribed in a tradition of thought that de Sousa Santos (2015) called the anti-imperial South. In this framework, the Epistemologies of the Southern Collection are forged. We have emerged from our methodologies in alliance with that of the Indigenous cosmos and aim to initiate that great legacy of critical thinking for generations. Readers are in contact for the first time with new methodological perspectives and ontological experiences in this vast and diverse field and concrete utopias. Epistemologies of the Southern Collection were conceived in a small Equation format (Eq. 2.1). Instead of creating a massive edifice of knowledge to which few have access, it is presented as a small craft to discover and a solid compass to cross the abyss. We here distinguish the metropolitan forms of sociality from the colonial experience. In a historical moment marked by the unbridled expansion of global capitalism and its satellites of oppression and domination (to endangering the entire planet’s life), the Latin American Council of Social Sciences and the Center for Social Studies have expanded their relationship. We are collaborating and keeping in circulation, through open access and in printed format, a set of materials contrasting imperial thought with diverse peoples, cultures, memory and resistance, symbolic universes, forms and lifestyles, temporalities and spaces, the forgotten men and women of history, the silent men of our time. Born from a project committed to women’s struggle. Incidentally, bell hook refers to theory as liberating practice, but what happens when the idea also becomes hegemonic? Rejecting the artificial division between academic and experiential approaches, hooks challenges intellectual class hierarchies in which the only work considered theoretical is work that is highly abstract, jargonistic, difficult to read, and vaguely referenced. Indigenous epistemologies, such as the South African ubuntu, are often embedded in people’s cultural intimacy and lived experience and are transmitted through oral traditions rather than written theoretical works. We think, here is the account of a law or constitutional law. Social science recommendations appear to us as a form of direct rejection of legal opinion. Judicial decisions have validated socio-economic rights. Terra Nullius seems to be the best example. I do refer to Bangladeshi activist and Indigenous scholar Rajkumari Chandra Roy. “The concepts of “terra nullius”, “conquest” and “discovery” as modes of territorial acquisition are repugnant, have no legal standing” (RC Roy, 2000, p. 149). Nevertheless, we have seen that the South African Constitutional Court has chosen to treat these rights as a means of advancing the transformative aspect of the South African Constitution. I can give an example of the constitution of Bangladesh. Aboriginal words are not there, have been deleted by the Law, or, Licensed Lunacy. What fault will stand, think? Some words are needed here. We assume the Ubuntu message has many essences in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

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UNDRIP is one of the significant consensuses and milestones of the Indigenous struggle, and rights came to the fore in 2007, after ILO-169. Even ILO Declarations are essential; however, let us place some texts of UNDRIP. In the annexe, UNDRIP first defined Recognition as one of the significant issues to be settled. Recognizing the urgent need to respect and promote the inherent rights of indigenous peoples which derive from their political, economic and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies, especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources, Recognizing also the urgent need to respect and promote the rights of indigenous peoples affirmed in treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements with States Article 3 Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Article 12 (1) Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practise, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human remains. Article 19 States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or ministrative ad measures that may affect them. Article 23 Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions. Article 24 (1). Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices, including the conservation of their vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals. Indigenous individuals also have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services.

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Article 24 (2) Indigenous individuals have an equal right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. States shall take the necessary steps with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of this right. Source: UNDRIP (2007)2

We see Article 19, and the State can never use force or coercion. Or, consult and co-operate with the concerned Indigenous peoples through their own representative body to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before legal or adoption and implementation that may affect them. Indigenous representation is a major focus here. Article 3, and 24 (2), clearly mentioned the Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination and, rights, see Annex of the UNDRIP, which states for their recognition. Even if we take ILO 107, which the Government ratified in 1972. Let me read from Rajkumari Chandra Roy “Convention No. 107 is described as: “.....the first attempt to codify the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples in international law. Convention No. 107 covered a range of issues such as land rights, working conditions, health and education.” Soon after gaining independence from Pakistan, Bangladesh ratified Convention No. 107 in 1972. Articles 11 to 14 address the issue of land rights. Article 11 recognizes both individual and collective land rights: [Article] 11 The right of ownership, collective or individual, of the members of the populations concerned over the lands which these populations traditionally occupy shall be recognised. According to the provisions of this Convention, the Bangladesh Government is required to recognize the concepts of both individual and collective land rights in the CHT. However, there is a marked lack of effective measures to ensure that the indigenous Jummas can enjoy these rights without hindrance and this includes their individual rights to their homes and farms, jums, and private forests as well as the collective rights to their common lands including forests. (RC Roy, 2000, p. 137)

We will discuss these in the next section in light of the context of Bangladesh because the UNDRIP is the major guideline yet to date for Indigenous and by Indigenous peoples. Dian Million said properly, UNDRIP is a profound ask for Indigenous wellbeing writ large. It is a document crafted with 40 years of Indigenous sweat and perseverance that names the most specific requirements for Indigenous life across the planet. Through 2 Assembly, U. G. (2007). United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. UN Wash, 12, 1–18.

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UNDRIP, the Indigenous seek to establish protections within a global human rights and humanitarian hierarchy created by liberal and non-liberal, democratic and non-democratic nation-states, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and developmental agencies. As a declaration, UNDRIP is advisory rather than enforceable in international law, but it exists as an unprecedented collective statement on how those without nation-state status will negotiate their wellbeing. (Million, 2020, p. 393)

As an imagination, today, the little child is learning from books that there are no indigenous people here. When this boy or girl sits in the ruler’s chair, will he ever admit that he was or is an indigenous person in Bangladesh? We have no better example of the way of knowing. This is how the eyes of society make the state. However, the right to life is guaranteed in the same constitution, which the tribals are fighting to fulfill. Suggest how many ways the tribals need to be saved. Their medicinal knowledge is still in our estimation today. Yet, indigenous plants and animals have only contributed approximately 25% of the new drugs (Sharif et al., 2018; Turner et al., 2022).3 Prospecting or bioprospecting plants and animals is neither a ‘western’ nor a recent phenomenon. Instead, it appeared much earlier in human history, particularly in Egypt, around approximately 2600 B.C. and in India, around 3000 B.C.4 Among the Persians, bioprospecting practice was even much earlier.5 Alas, who will listen to whom! According to available resources, to enable access to housing incrementally through measures and assistance to people in situations of vulnerability, such as urban slum dwellers, all under the supervision of the Human Commission. Thus, the decision combines democratic values and the possibility of judicial enforcement of economic, social, and cultural rights. Therefore, it will be the duty of the state to enforce such requests, but if there are any exceptions, it will be up to the judiciary to act to enforce their compliance. We talk about voluntary work (Chowdhury et al., 2020), done by many. It is our place to see rhythmic syllabi in the academic arena in the light of methodology. Can we not assimilate them? Let’s go back to the Ubuntu principles. The first mentions of Ubuntu are listed early in the 1900s when the Zulu cultural movement used it to revive respect for their traditional values. Subsequently, a clear reference was made in the 1993 transitional constitution, suggesting that it could become 3 Sharif, A., Asif, H., Younis, W., Riaz, H., Bukhari, I. A., & Assiri, A. M. (2018). Indigenous medicinal plants of Pakistan used to treat skin diseases: A review. Chinese Medicine, 13(1), 1–26; Turner, N. J., Cuerrier, A., & Joseph, L. (2022). Well grounded: Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, ethnobiology and sustainability. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10321. 4

Swami, D. V., Anitha, M., Rao, M. C. S., & Sharangi, A. B. (2022). Medicinal plants: Perspectives and retrospectives. In Medicinal plants (pp. 1–28). Apple Academic Press. 5 Neimark, B. D., & Tilghman, L. M. (2014). Bioprospecting a biodiversity hotspot: The political economy of natural products drug discovery for conservation goals in Madagascar. In Conservation and environmental management in Madagascar (pp. 295–322). Routledge.

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one of the pillars of the new democracy in the region. However, the final text of the 1996 Constitution no longer contained the term. Nevertheless, ubuntu has been mainstreamed into legal discourse through a series of decisions by the Constitutional Court and the South African High Court (Gade, 2012). If seen under the Way of Knowing, Ubuntu has the rule, translated from Zulu, which means “a person through another person”. So, people need to see and understand through a collective perspective. Thus, it derives from the Ubuntu concept that every human being is a collective and only human to understand. Therefore, a person’s humanity is defined by his moral commitment to the next person, whoever he may be. View from Ramose, or Gade, places Ubuntu as a fundamental category of African philosophy with an ethnic-normative matrix from the perspective that movement is the principle of being. According to this understanding, the status of being related to the whole being means being in a state of being. What is perceived always maintains a wholeness in the sense of “existence” and relation to what is to be. A continuous trans-individual involvement will accompany these ethics, that is, when we glimpse the pre-individual and collective reality, not by constituted individuals, but in the movement of constitutions. We examine communalism in African philosophy that opposes the individualism prevalent in Western ideals. The value of humanity will be entirely related to how a person actively helps and values other human beings. A person’s humanity is thus defined by his moral commitment to his fellow man, whoever he may be. With Ubuntu, we need this new identity, or change in the concept of identity, because ‘I am because you are.’ However, it is no longer limited to the African continent, since through the spread of liberalism, there was the expansion of a Eurocentric perspective, a hegemonic and, at the same time, significantly contradictory ways. Conflicting reasons When there was a “struggle” for the assertion of the so-called inherent rights of people, it was found that many who raised this banner explored or still exploited their former colonies, either explicitly or implicitly. Under the banner of protecting human rights and supposed equality between nations, it is worth highlighting that the proliferation of these values, branded, Western, was established through power imbalances. In other words, such ideals use a highly individualistic approach, basing the human person as the central value to the detriment of his meaning in society. Understanding, as it is said, comes from patiently reasoning with yourself. You cannot force your mind or order it about Gehlek Rinpoche, “An Interview with Gehlek Rinpoche” (see, by Mark Magill, https://tricycle.org/magazine/lama-all-sea sons). However, “[Ubuntu as a way of Knowing] keeps the Entities known to and in a network of relationships. Without this knowledge we are unable to ‘be’, hence our Ways of Knowing to inform our Ways of Being” (Martin & Mirraboopa, 2003, p. 209).

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Ways of Being Following Martin and Mirraboopa’s (2003) argument, we are as much a part of the world as it is of us. My existence resides inside a network of interdependent and context-specific interactions. It is simultaneously gained from the community and granted to us. There is no doubt about that. Because other intelligent individuals and I can live a lifetime of legitimate self-interest without difficulty. Again, an Indigenous, Adibasi or someone with the exine Ubuntu spirit strives for or is aware of the fundamental rights. Therefore, the concept of rights, which defines my way of being. Mind, in the west, is the brain (Broad, 1925; Chalmers, 2003; Drake, 1925); hence, education in the west is red (Grande, 2015). In 1925, CD Broad prolifically wrote, “I do not think that “Existence” can be defined, but I think that it can be unambiguously described. Whatever exists can occur in a proposition only as a logical subject” (p. 7). His education offers him and defines him officially. In contrast, Indigenous person similarly identifies themself, their family, society, and finally, the nation. This is how we demonstrate, to ourselves and others, our existence. The statements are contradictory yet true. They are driven inexorably by our ontology via our modes of knowledge, which also guides the connection between beings. Our way of being is based on the rights we obtain through satisfying our obligations to our nation and ourselves. There is an overemphasis on the “I” rather than the “total.” This perspective is the defining trait of egocentrism. In addition, it is crucial to note that they were offered in an enforced and unilateral manner, without allowing for intercultural debate. This is why the process of universalizing its corpus is ineffective and inappropriate in several cultures. The lack of interest in the conversation and the acknowledgement that not only Western culture contributes to the establishment of human-centred ideals leads us to question if this argument is motivated by hidden agendas. Suppose there is any genuine desire to move toward forming a universal norm for the protection of the person. Individualism and neo-liberalism are in big question, not only from the Global South but also from the West. There are a few iconic texts: Fevre, R. (2016). Individualism and inequality: The future of work and politics. Edward Elgar Publishing. Davis, A. E. (2020). The end of individualism and the economy: Emerging paradigms of connection and community. Routledge. Sapelli, G. (2019). Beyond capitalism. Springer International Publishing. Sassower, R. (2017). The Quest for prosperity: Reframing political economy. Rowman & Littlefield. Bromley, D. W. (2019). Possessive individualism: A crisis of capitalism. Oxford University Press. Almost all leading publishers are hosting such voices. Bromley (2019) said, “Anxiety and alienation threaten modern democracies. Political anger

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runs rampant in the United States, Britain voted to leave the European Union, authoritarian governments.” Sassower (2017) asserts, “[e]nvisioning a different mode of economic relations requires a rethinking of the classical frames of references we commonly take for granted.” Cardiff scholar Ralph Fevre’s observation is vital. The future of work and politics looks to be increasingly a question of how far the power shift from the individual to the organization can go and whether anyone might successfully resist it. Those who drive it, primarily those who, one way or another, have most invested in capitalism, together with any others benefitting from rising inequality—may well continue to press home their advantage (Fevre, 2016, p. 248). Ann Davis (2020) furthered this idea into a new paradigm.

Textbox 5.1: The End of Individualism

Terrestrials: A shift in mindset is also timely to mobilize the initiative, innovation, and comprehensive vision for a sustainable future. Rather than universals based on a “view from nowhere” (Nagel 1986; Latour 2018), there is needed a study of unique earth systems from the point of view of resilience and sustainability. Methods based on “Galileon objects” have the same universal laws (Latour 2018, 67–77) anywhere in the galaxy but may be less useful in understanding evolution of species on earth. Humans are “grounded” on living earth ecosystems, brought “down to earth,” in common with humus, another term for soil (Latour 2018, 4–5, 92; Haraway 2016, 32). Humans are integrated with, resulting from, and constituting part of, earth processes. Latour (2018) uses the term “Terrestrials” to indicate the presence of humans among other species on earth, considered in all of its diversity and interdependent ecosystems. Instead of the “modern constitution” (Latour 1993) which separates humans from nature, he proposes a new awareness of humans in nature and nature in humans (Moore 2015). A “Terrestrial” would be located in a specific landscape, with knowledge of its unique niche and its relationship with other living beings. Grounded in modern science, human habitation on the earth would benefit from a deeper understanding of earth processes, such as biogeochemical cycles and the niches occupied by varieties of species. The common elements of metabolism, reproduction, and evolution would be explored across species, as well as the common mechanisms found in multiple organisms as the result of evolution, such as mitochondria within cells. Rather than the human/nature distinction, humans would be co-residents of the planet earth, with a broader perspective on mutual interactions. With such a perspective, there would be a new voice, a first-person plural, a “we” which encompasses all living beings in the critical zone, the atmosphere of the earth. In the context of an infinite

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universe, the atmosphere is limited and fragile, affected by industrial and consumption processes, requiring care and close monitoring. Instead of “the individual” in the universal, infinite market, there are relationships and responsibilities within climate limits. Instead of the human for whom the earth was created, there is a variety of species with whom we interact. As Latour points out, at present, there is much scientific knowledge on which to draw, but no institutional mechanism. That is, there is no “representation” of Terrestrials, which makes organization of an earth-based politics more difficult. Source: Ann David (2007, pp. 206–207).

Ann David’s analysis (2007, pp. 206–207),6 as placed in Textbox 5.1, does not lit up any conclusion. In that case, there must first be a widespread acknowledgement of the imperfection of culture. Without subordination, restraint, or hegemony, a critical reflection of the individual’s cultural production and that of others will be beneficial. Both universality and relativism must be addressed in the second moment via intercultural discourse centered on the same concerns. In this manner, even queries originating from separate worlds of meaning may be answered. By valuing diversity, it manages to consolidate into an evaluative unit for integration. There is little question that some rights are intrinsic and inaccessible to human beings; nonetheless, it is claimed that they must be defined from a convergent viewpoint that considers culture. Based on the examination of Ubuntu’s foundation, it is also supported that it would be fascinating to utilize it as a model for reorganizing the human rights organization apart from this liberal philosophy. After the end of brutal and apartheid governments in South Africa, transformational constitutionalism, preferably founded on Ubuntu ethics, has been established. With the writing of its constitution in 1996, a transition from an ethnic dictatorship to a non-ethnic democracy occurred in a largely nonviolent manner. Thus, we constantly examine the constraints of state power via its apparatuses and the foundations of social rights with social justice in mind. Consequently, it is essential to highlight that South Africa’s constitution has a comprehensive list of economic, social, and cultural rights like Brazil’s. Several South African Constitutional Courts have a jurisprudence outlining socioeconomic rights, as seen by the cases they have handled, which demonstrates that Ubuntu’s order has had a significant impact. Their capacity to address social upheavals contributes to their transformational nature. Ubuntu is an ethical idea based on the dictum that “a person is a person via another person”; from this tenet, we derive essential values such as individuality, uniqueness, and humanity. The ultimate purpose of life should be to become a whole, genuine 6 Davis, A. E. (2020). The end of individualism and the economy: Emerging paradigms of connection and community (pp. 206–207). Routledge.

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individual. Through this awareness of the individual, society as a whole evolves, not simply inside oneself. As shown by applying the Ubuntu philosophy’s moral precepts in the South African Constitutional Court’s rulings on the problems, it may be inferred that managing human rights from a multicultural, inclusive, and political perspective is crucial. They are participating in human rights. Such integration would be feasible via a discourse between cultures on integration concerns, considering their idioms and recognizing their distinctive features. As believed, shared decisions may be established in this manner, resulting in a more inclusive and prosperous human rights organization. The bottom line is seeing self through the Common, what Gustavo said, and we put here a community. People in the communities I have been speaking about never use the word ‘community’. For them it is not an abstraction, it is a way of being. It is not that they live in a ‘community’, it is not that they are part of a ‘community’, because if you say, ‘I am part of a community, I belong to a community, then you are an individual part of that whole. The community in their case is not an abstraction but is the first layer of their being. Before being a person, a singular person, you are the community. And even in the conversation with them, you hear that: ‘who are you?’ ‘I am San Pablo Etla’. They react by naming the first layer of their being. That is how they can have migration and can live twenty years out of the community but are still connected with it. They come back to the community because they have this first layer of their being, they are the community. (O’Donovan, 2015, p. 751)

Ways of Acting As said, education is premier in ways of Acting. According to several experts, the distinctions mainly stem from geopolitical and intellectual traditions. However, geography has little relevance. In the years following the independence of the 1960s, postcolonial studies evolved by challenging the cultural foundations of Eurocentrism and claiming local or national contributions to world knowledge. This is the case with the “Subaltern Studies Group” of India (Ranjit Guha, 1982) and the critical comments of other African authors, including like O’Bitek. The total confrontation with the colonial project became a prerequisite for theorizing the postcolonial condition. Colonization was the most significant event in our history from the widest variety of perspectives […] in that the majority of our political difficulties stem from the point when we ceded control to others, the colonizers (see Achebe, 1982). Similarly, the Acoma poet and essayist Simón J. Ortiz (1981) proposed that Indian writers use English as a new Indigenous language rather than perpetuating the worn cliché according to Postcolonialism, decoloniality, and Epistemologies of the South, according to which the Indians were victims of the same language. These thoughts gained prominence through the work of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African diasporic thinkers, such as Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, Homi Bhabha, Walter Mignolo and Farid Alatas. During the

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1990s, decolonial studies evolved in Latin America, centered on the seminal work of Quijano, Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, and the “modernity/coloniality group.” Numerous diaspora scholars are affiliated with them, including Majid Rahnema, Arturo Escobar, Gustavo Esteva, Ivan Illich, Catherine Walsh, and Ramón Grosfoguel. According to these authors, colonialism has been the driving force behind the formation and growth of Western culture from the Renaissance to the present day, as stated by Walter Mignolo. The decolonial strategy reveals the racial, political, and social hierarchies that colonialism 1 created. The Latin American Group for Subaltern Studies initially issued the group’s foundation statement in the 1990s. Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2015), and Jonathan Dali (2019) said modern European imposed in Latin America. In addition to analyzing the living legacy of colonialism, an articulation of structures of power and knowledge established based on race and gender, survived historical colonialism and integrated into early twenty-first-century social orders. The adoption of the idea of creolization exemplifies how the Caribbean, Indian, and Latin American regions each have unique characteristics, as is the case with the adoption of the concept of creolization. The Creole condition emphasizes the features of pluralism and change that synthesize the diversity of regional cultural experiences. Reading Bernabé et al. (1990, 2005), we learned that we are simultaneously European, African, and Asian; we are also descended from the Levant, Indians, and pre-Columbian Americans in certain respects. Creolity is “the world refracted but recomposed,” a whirlwind of meanings condensed into one: a Totality” (Bernabé et al., 1990, p. 892). This knowledge is rigorous because it is a univocal version, a written version in the text and written in a specific language that fixes its matrix; It is monumental because, like a monument, the writing is permanent and thus far from everyday practice. Furthermore, why focus on ways of knowing groups that do not meet the criteria established by modern monoculture? As long as this knowledge is practical and does not serve the purpose of violence, it is as disposable as the people who harbor it. For Southern epistemology, this is zero degrees of inconsistency—an Essay on Postcolonialism, Colonialism, and Epistemology of the South. But problems do not dissolve with mere ideas, however eloquent they may be. First, a counterintuitive enterprise that investigates supposedly nonexistent and immaterial objects requires justification and is less epistemological than political. Second, the recovery of knowledge that does not exist as separate from other (non-cognitive) practices can only be achieved through non-attractivity approaches, as applied, is difficult to conceive. Third, the goal of SE is to create a knowledge environment. Subaltern knowledge is not a homogeneous monolithic category. Different struggles in different social and historical contexts, led by various resistive people, produce different pieces of knowledge in which contradictions abound. Furthermore, knowledge ecologies can also involve scientific and other dominant knowledge to the extent that these can be used to combat hegemony. Hence the ecology

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of knowledge, the epistemological vitamin to widen and strengthen the social struggle. The diversity of social groups resisting hegemony is as vast as the knowledge they generate. Such diversity is often a source of ideological sectarianism and political division. The great drama of our time is that while the dimensions of capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy are always pronounced, resistance to them tends to be fragmented. Given the cultural diversity of war-born knowledge, articulated struggles often require cross-cultural translation practices. How possible is a cross-cultural translation between Eurocentric narratives of human rights, Gandhian concepts of swadeshi and swaraj (self-sufficiency, autonomy, self-determination), and indigenous concepts of living in harmony with Mother Earth, Father Sky, or Ubuntu? For SEs, intercultural translation is neither an intellectual exercise free of social struggles nor driven by some isolated cosmic impulse. Instead, it is a tool that aims to promote a consensus strong enough to allow efforts and risks to be shared in acknowledging differences. Intercultural translation takes place at a certain point situated between two extremes: on the one hand, complete transparency and translatability between cultures; On the other hand, self-confinement postcolonialism, colonialism, and southern epistemology. A total of 65 language speaking, where Hegel put a single name for Africa. All cultures have different versions, some open and some closed, some like castles and some like a cobweb. It is a saying, “when cobwebs unite, they can tie up a lion” (Ndlovu, 2016; van der Walt & Oosthuizen, 2022). Available and hospitable versions are suitable for intercultural translation practice. Missing? Postcolonial/de-global studies and SE create a fascinating new academic terrain. However, they are still a work in progress, with themes of history, imperialism, ecology and spirituality. History, one of the central features of modern colonial hegemony, is its short memory, an active abuse, violence and destruction of resistance, conceived together as a necessary means to achieve radical progressive goals. This ideological position invites fatal distortions as well as noisy erasures. This explains James Baldwin’s cry decades ago: Hear me, white man! As few seem to know, history must read far from being anything for it. And it doesn’t refer only - or even mainly - to the past. Instead, the great power of the story comes from the fact that we carry it within us, that it unconsciously controls us in multiple ways and is a literal presence in everything we do. It could hardly be otherwise since it is to history that we owe our frame of reference, identity, and aspirations. In this light, it is surprising that colonial studies, in general, have limited their interest in history to discrediting narratives of the past that can easily be characterized as the history of the conquerors. The winners ignore the vast academic background developed by numerous resident historians of the Global South over the centuries and in recent times. Here and elsewhere, would it be possible to find substantial evidence of distortion and erasure? This vast historiography—a great lineage of historians and other scholars going back to Chinese scholars before our era, as well as scholars from the University of Timbuktu from

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the ninth century onwards, including Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah (1377)— proposes solidarity at least 500 years before than Emile Durkheim. Today’s thinkers of postcolonialism, colonialism, and colonialism, like Farid Alatas and many others, have been reviving the forgotten past. Southern epistemology, an alternative understanding taken into account, would see that many of the historical questions or revisionisms raised by recent anticolonial studies have long been part of historical narratives in non-Western contexts. Moreover, the postcolonial and colonial studies that have emerged since the 1980s have done so in a zeitgeist influenced by the ideology of the end of history, which has conditioned or severely limited the theoretical, political, and civic imagination. Doing historical or other research after the end of history within that ideological context is a work of critical scholarship tainted with a pervasive sense of historical pessimism and theoretical and political fatigue. These conditions discouraged the will to recover and value creative resistance to hegemony and create concrete alternatives across the Global South, both present and past. Imperialism Twentieth century is considered the age of imperialism. When the long cycle of historical colonialism began to die after World War II, imperialism meant extreme inequality in relations between countries with formal independence. Continuing a tradition started by de Sousa Santos, Walter Mignolo, Gayatri Spivak, Walter Rodney, Edward Said and the Subaltern group in the 1990s, in How Europe Underdeveloped Africa and Asia, argues that: Imperialism is a stage of capitalism in which Western capitalists establish political, economic, military, and cultural hegemony over European countries, the United States, and other parts of Japan. Those of the world were at a lower level, to begin with and therefore could not resist dominance. Imperialism was effectively the extended capitalist system encompassing the world for many years: one part was the exploiter, and the other the exploited; One part had dominion, and the other acted as supreme chief; One part formed the policy, and the other was dependent. Since then, imperialism (as well as capitalism and class or class struggle) had disappeared from the vocabulary of the social and human sciences, even belonging to some Eurocentric critical traditions, when he did not consider it obsolescence. This is the case with Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri in Empire and Edward Said, Orientalism, partly, to us, because of their culturalist bias, postcolonial and colonial studies have contributed to this intellectual erasure and failed to address Phronetic manner of Knowledge practice. Most postcolonialism, colonialism and epistemology of the South fought against “cultural imperialism.” After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989–1991, the extent to which the imperialism condemned by Walter Rodney was transformed, this time mainly against China and its allies, into a new version of the Cold War. To the extent a new imperialism may emerge, this time promoted by China. Also, imperialisms take new forms (digital imperialism, surveillance imperialism). It is time for anticolonial studies to grapple with new geopolitics. Today one cannot fully understand and effectively deal with capitalist, colonialist, and patriarchal hegemony without considering the less imperial

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dimension. More specifically, it is imperative that the liberation struggle, to which these studies must actively contribute, take on a solid transnational dimension, cross-fertilizing each other with historical and contemporary experiences of anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, and anti-patriarchal resistance. Regions. The slogan “Another World is Possible,” launched by the World Social Forum in 2001, has acquired an unprecedented urgency today. Comparative anticolonial studies are as necessary as transnational alliances within independence movements. Ecology is another missing link. The three main modes of domination are based on the same Cartesian concept of the reservoir between man and nature, nature as an inert entity, a vast resource at humanity’s disposal. Accordingly, those who consider themselves closest to the heart are not fully human. They are dehumanized racially and sexually. It is widely recognized that this concept of the human/nature divide is responsible for impending environmental catastrophes during periods of intermittent epidemics that are still in their infancy. Eminent Indigenous thinker Aylton Klenak eloquently frames the challenges ahead, and it has to be in our way.7 Society must realize that we are not the salt of the earth.8 We must abandon anthropocentrism; There is life outside of us; We don’t need biodiversity […]. We are worse than COVID-19. Humanity is separating itself from that organism, the earth; It is a civilization steeped in abstraction that suppresses diversity and denies the multiplicity of life forms, existences and practices (Krenak, 2020, p. 14). Postcolonialism, Colonialism and Southern Epistemology, Colonial studies still owes a decisive contribution to the close relationship between indifference to the “metabolic gap” as Marx called the human/nature divide under capitalism - on the one hand, the normalization of inequality, as well as the seemingly endless resilience of racial and gender bias on the other. Spirituality. It is the last missing link in this vast landscape of studies. The separation and hierarchy between soul/mind/soul and body is at the heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition. This long tradition reached one of its most extreme versions with the work of Saint Augustine in the fourth century. In this tradition, the soul is more than the body, to the point of being immortal, and it has its realm in the world beyond, the realm of the sacred. Over time, the field of consciousness was identified with religion and spirituality with religiosity. The idea of an absolute gap between the temporal world and the transcendental world 7 Krenak, A. (2020). Ideas to postpone the end of the world. And Krenak, A. (2021). Reflection on indigenous health and current challenges in dialogue with the dissertation ‘It has to be our way’: participation and protagonism of the indigenous movement in the construction of the health policy in Brazil. Saúde e Sociedade, 29. House of Anansi., Ailton Krenak on March 25, 2020, taken from https://www.scielo.br/j/sausoc/a/nwW YqyLcDq34mgyfBzqLwCm/?lang=en&format=html; de Sousa Santos, B. (2009). A nonoccidentalist west? Learned ignorance and ecology of knowledge. Theory, Culture & Society, 26(7–8), 103–125. 8 Krenak, A., Duarte, A., & Spinelli, M. (2021). Silence of the world: Scenic experiment script. TDR, 65(4), 67–76.

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gave rise to Thomas Hobbes’s separation between temporal/state power and spiritual/religious power in the modern era, as well as the idea of Karl Marx. Secularism and Secularism derived from it. Given the long duration of this tradition, colonial studies, as much as they have recognized the Westerncentric nature that characterizes this concept of spirituality, have found other ideas of spirituality difficult, if not impossible, to accept and shun. In a conversation with Einstein on the nature of subjective reality, Tagore highlights the limitations of the Western-centric understanding of the world on the subject: It is an eternal entity. We have to realize it through our emotions and actions. We imagine the Absolute Purusha who lacks individual limitations through our limitations. Science deals with something not limited to individuals; It is the impersonal human world of truth. Religion understands these truths and connects them to our deepest needs; Our consciousness of reality acquires universal meaning. Indeed, this theme represents the limit of most anticolonial research, its “highest possible consciousness,” as Lucien Goldman (1971) puts it. However, this is not the case for a study conducted by authors who grew up in non-Western-centric contexts. Some literature has come to our attention, which shows the path of a spiritual journey of Ubuntu with the Buddha. The discussion of ‘Ways of Acting’ will remain incomplete if we do not consider their merits. For instance, we have discussed Shimizu and Noro (2021). Some other leading kinds of literature are Chen and Chen (2021), Shimizu (2022), and Brincat (2020). Sociological, historical perspective This category responds to the fact that the relationship between Buddhism and education is considered to understand the past or present historical period, whether it is limited to a broad period, a specific region or a specific region. Shimizu and Noro (2021) addresses educational practices’ role in ancient India’s urban spaces (also see Apte, 1984; Zysk, 1998). They study the role of literary theology in medieval Kashmir. They reflect on the role of monastic temples as places of Buddhist learning, other disciplines, and even economic practices (Chen & Chen, 2021). They study pre-Vedic and Buddhist influences to understand the history of science in India (Tandon, 2019; Vassiliades, 2005). They deal with the contribution of logic to the configuration of the educational history of society such as Tuva (Salchak et al., 2022). They address the relationship of traditional Indian medicine to China as an element of cooperation between cultures (Brincat, 2020; Tandon, 2019). They study the contribution of Buddhist texts to Chinese linguistics (Meisterernst, 2017). They study Buddhist contributions to give a city a cosmopolitan character, not only religiously or philosophically, but also educationally or trace the influence of some philosophical currents such as Buddhism, Marxism and Leninism in Vietnam (Nguyen, 2019). The Human rights ideals of the colony are, in many cases, a “licensed insanity” (Orlando Patterson’s phrase, we read from Spivak) in imposing something transcendental on others. To make such ruthless promises to our needs and to develop that can undermine our humanity that one is better than those

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being helped is the ability to manage a complex. Life support systems are like being civilized. But I am influenced by deconstruction, and for me, radical change cannot be named ‘God/Civilization/Western’ in any language. We need not only to understand the Ecology of Knowledge9 but its practical aspect. Indeed, as Spivak says, ‘human’ rights must have the name ‘man’ (or ‘woman’ in ‘women’s rights’). It is a very or almost unknown place in the education system, at least in our policy; as Spivak says, it will continue to trouble me. Let’s turn Spivak’s words around: No, licensed madness is not the ‘unknown other’. Instead, we know. Licensed academics, politicians, and intellectuals are crazy. This effort of ours, this writing and speaking, for the future, even if the epidemic does not come, will be a resort. We will fix our mistakes. By much logic and history, conforming corrections will inevitably not be the manifest destiny of the groups that prepare their corrections, When errors do not proliferate with surprising regularity (Spivak, 2004, p. 564). We must mention two more writings. Ian Martin’s (2018), Closer to the Victim: United Nations Human Rights Field Operations; and Keane’s (2016), Caste-Based Discrimination in International Human Rights Law, we can understand our human rights problems. There is also recent historical interest and research on contemporary Chinese Buddhism in the face of globalization (Brincat, 2020); to identify China’s role in the twenty-first century; Or ask about the structure of higher education academic culture in a particular country, as in the case of Taiwan (Yang, 2019). We have been thinking of taking a common way to consider the link between Buddhism and education from authors considered as axes of study. In selecting this category, the documents we set allowed an understanding of the author in question, either from the influence of Buddhism on his ideas, works or actions. Or they will enable us to understand the role of individual or theoretical achievements within Buddhist thought or tradition. In our fieldwork with the Buddhist Rakhain community, we learned that Buddhist Bante, a monk. He influenced humanist Buddhism in the twentieth century, especially in education, morality and enlightenment. Buddhist morality, and Enlightenment, a good number of texts of recent times (for instance, Becker & Hamblin, 2021; Coderey, 2020, 2021; Lamirin et al., 2021; Payne, 2020; Sinnett, 1884; Chowdhury et al., 2022, 2023) arguing about self-Enlightenment and policy inclusion in local and global contexts. Taking these teachings into the Indigenous ground, we consider human beings as human, neither tribal (Malinowski, 1918) nor good for labor (Kant, 2008, 2013), or even subhuman (Hegel, 2001), even barbaric as Indian (Bacon, 2008[1620]). Some Buddhist exponents, such as Yan Wenhui and Tai Tzu. Among the characters that Buddhism influenced their work or thinking are Pierre Bayle and Johann Jacob Brucker, two Enlightenment thinkers. Ho 9 de Sousa Santos, B. (2009). A non-occidentalist west? Learned ignorance and ecology of knowledge. Theory, Culture & Society, 26(7–8), 103–125.

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Chi Minh considered Buddhism a precursor to his philosophical thought. Dieter Misgeld, a Canadian educational philosopher, had a Buddhist influence on his intellectual journey. Relationships with different fields within the field of education. Some forms of study can be established to elaborate in greater detail and in-depth research at both theoretical and applied levels. We hope the historical, sociological method will continue since it covers a wide range of topics that require constant inspection. In various areas related to education, summative analysis reveals much learning potential, both in curriculum design and the importance of reclaiming our paradigms responsive to each community’s issues. The theme of meditation and contemplative practice is a growing field within social sciences. For the Emory-Tibet Scientific Initiative, this is a category that I believe will continue to be researched in terms of the transformation it implies in curriculum design and the bridges it allows to build between two worlds of knowledge. This small sample can appreciate the tremendous thematic link between Buddhism and education, a philosophical component connected with many other things with change contributions that may become more specific or nucleated. Gradually their links can be found in common. Finally, I consider the section on the transformation of the educational paradigm to be the most exciting for those interested in the philosophical discipline. It offers not only a transition into the world of ideas, experience, and meaning but also a rich food of thought, a new light, different habits, and bridges over the colonial abyss. This small area, with limitations from Buddhism, education, and philosophy, of which we only presented a tiny roadmap, must be completed with other search strategies and platforms. It would be equally rich to include other sources and information systems with a strong presence in the field of knowledge. Buddhism, however, is not included in the Scopus. Hopefully, reviewing the profiles created here and suggested potential trips will benefit the diverse readership combined in each source.

Some Reflections: Can Ubuntu Support an Ethical Philosophy? If we center on a “world view” that is still present in South Africa, then we are the wrong walker. Ubuntu came to us from a specific principle. Can it maintain moral principles helpful in building a better society (including its origins outside its geographical area? As will be seen, a “developed” culture, in this case, refers to the valuing of community, cohesion, and two social bonds. To trace ubuntu’s origins and polysemy, we must see the historical root for a wider readership and justify our analyses. The role of regional political, economic, and scientific power will help explain the country’s rapid spread of the concept. Can it be derived from a particular concept and maintain moral values that help construct a better society (including its roots outside of its geographical area) if it is founded on a “world view” that is still prevalent in South Africa? As will be apparent, in this context, a “developed” society values coherence, community, and two social relationships. It is necessary to run a

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brief history of the term (noting its changes in meaning) and to refer to its most significant moment of expansion, which was the end of the apartheid policy in South Africa. Since then, this country has served as the primary hub for formulating and promoting politics and academics in Ubuntu. This has gained more traction among the many native phrases of Bantu languages. In addition, there are numerous additional names with definitions adopted by experts, such as Umunthu (Chewa), Umundu (Yao), Bunhu (Tsonga), Unhu/Hunhu (Shona), Botho (Sotho and Tswana), Umuntu (Zulu), Bhutu (Venda), Vumunhu (Changani), and Utu (Swahili) (Chilisa, 2019; Lougheed, 2022; Nnodim & Okigbo, 2020; Tavernaro-Haidarian, 2018). Unsurprisingly, phrases that convey a collective sense of interpersonal relationships are amassing in the many languages of southern, central, and eastern Africa, to the extent that they always comprise communal societies. Ubuntu, out of all these terms, is the one that assumed universal currency, possibly because it was used in non-Zulu and non-Xhosa languages. It focuses on the two primary black languages spoken in South Africa, which served as the primary hub for preaching around the globe. The influence of regional political, economic, and scientific power will aid in the explanation of the concept’s quick diffusion from country to country. One of the successes of this endeavour has been the realization that combating racism entails caring for life and the environment simultaneously. This reasoning exercise also included a comparison between the enslavement of Africans in Colombia, racism against Afro-descendants, and the Afrorelations process, on the one hand, and racial segregation in South Africa and the post-apartheid “reparations” process, on the other. We notice that both instances of racism toward black people share the same ideology of dominance over the global capitalist system in Europe. Another accomplishment of this reflection has been to show that ubuntu, or “interdependent humanity” or “shared humanity,” is a remedy for social exclusion and racial prejudice. The concept of “interdependent humanity” might be more successful in “our America.” The spiritual or psychological impact of racism and social exclusion was one issue that did not receive much attention or room in this work. We think it’s critical to consider this aspect in the struggle against the sins of racism and social exclusion. The lengthy history of discrimination and racism has resulted in many instances of poor self-esteem or an inferiority complex in those subjected to it. Future interdisciplinary studies on racism may be interested in exploring this spiritual and/or psychological aspect. For this, the official and widespread application of justice in “our America,” which is conceptualized from Western rationality, requires the addition of other scopes of justice found in other rationalities, such as African and indigenous. Therefore, the prerequisites for the possibility of a humanizing justice capable of overcoming racism and social exclusion in “Our America” are the acceptance of the limitations of the Western legal canon and the political will to engage in a symmetrical dialogue respectful of the rationalities that have been marginalized. One of the “successes” of this endeavor has been the realization

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that combating racism entails caring for life and the environment simultaneously. This argumentative exercise also included a comparison between the enslavement of people in the east and developing countries, racism against people of African descent, and the process of Afro-reparations. This comparison effort between racial segregation in South Africa and the post-apartheid “reparations” was not insignificant. We notice that both instances of racism toward black people share the same ideology of dominance over the global capitalist system in Europe. This reflection also demonstrated that the concept of ubuntu—“interdependent humanity” or “shared humanity”—is a remedy for social exclusion and racial prejudice. The idea of “interdependent humanity” might be more successful in our America or whatever, but this is a racist expression. The spiritual or psychological impact of racism and social exclusion was one issue that did not receive much attention or room in this work. We think it’s critical to consider this aspect in the struggle against the sins of racism and social exclusion. Since a guide and continuation of chapter two, this section fits under the Indigenous Gnoseology and Indigenous Paradigm, as “really creative research procedures are now merging with the potential of Indigenous science-based research approaches” (Massey & Kirk, 2015, p. 13, paraphrased). Is it possible to operate outside of objectivity? Can we consider the concerns of others as our own? Can we make room for philosophy? Can we think without blackand-white, east–west, or tribal-modern divisions? Can we create a theory that fits inside the Indigenous Research Paradigm? Talking about people, working with people, and bettering people, without any cultural Homophily, like the First Anthropologist Al-Biruni (see Sachau’s translation of History of India, AlBiruni’s Sachau, 2013, see preface). Or Ibn Khaldun’s humanistic position— ‘Asabiyyah’ or Solidarity—is an example of Homophily-free anthropology (Al-Muqaddima, translated by Rosenthal, 1958). Ibn Khaldun discussed solidarity 500 years before Emile Durkheim (2014) and Auguste Comte (Alatas, 2014). We advised that this book provides the foundation for equitable policy. In the first chapter, we invalidate (read: reject) scientific objectivity due to its’ subjective’ congruence with Colonialism, Christianity, and Culturalism. Thus, “this Ubuntu philosophy] is intended to be an arrow pointed at the centre of our [colonial myopic] culture [and purported scientific knowledge providers ] (David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs, 2018, p. xxiv, emphasis ours ).” We must understand the logic of Gnoseology above all else (Sanguineti, 1988). Why are we subjective, as Aristotle’s Gnosis argues under Phronesis in the more straightforward sense? (Eq. 2.1). This book is a workable alternative. The lengthy history of discrimination and racism has resulted in many instances of poor self-esteem or an inferiority complex in those subjected to it. Future interdisciplinary studies on racism could find interest in this spiritual and/or psychological component.

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Conclusion The demand for a transformation in methods of knowing, being, and acting is made in this chapter. It may be a good idea to look at how different nations have applied Ubuntu as policy. There are some examples if we are cognizant of Ubuntu’s role in humanitarian crises and are conceptually aware that we should be subjective, active, and contributing to the people. Let us read from Aram Ziai, But when looking closely, one realises that alternative concepts of what a good society looks like and alternative practices of organising it exist in almost every society: Buen Vivir in Ecuador and Bolivia, Ubuntu in South Africa, Swaraj in India, Gharbzadegi in Iran and Décroissance in France are only the most well-known among them. (Ziai, 2014, p. 2548)

So, the ethical–political dimension of ubuntu is in some way in line with the spiritual-psychological, since not only are both dimensions less alluded to in cases of the fight against racism but also their implications and operation are complex. For example, how would it be practically possible to do justice to a racially discriminated poor indigenous man or a racially discriminated poor black woman in a world dominated by white men from both the center and the peripheries? Speaking specifically of the post-Covid-19 era, what could be the scope of a discourse that revolves around reconciliation or shared humanity because of the changing poverty situation and daily discrimination of Afrodescendants? Is it necessary to reconcile to do justice? Should we do justice first and then negotiate, or vice versa? All these questions ultimately point to a fundamental question: what are the possibilities and limits of doing justice to fight racism? Here we have argued that justice is not a chimaera. It is possible and necessary to fight against racial discrimination and the social exclusion of Afro-descendants. But it should not be partial justice that contemplates only the cases committed, the size of the damages caused, the sentence to be executed, the punishment to be applied, and the sum of money to be paid. Given that the damage caused by slavery is not only material and psychospiritual but also long-lasting, the justice to compensate them must be global, encompassing the material and psycho-spiritual aspects of the life of Afrodescendants. In other words, that justice must attend proportionally to all the human spheres of the existence of Afro-descendant populations.

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Gade, C. B. (2012). What is ubuntu? Different interpretations among South Africans of African descent. South African Journal of Philosophy= Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Wysbegeerte, 31(3), 484–503. Gandhi, L. (2019). Postcolonial theory: A critical introduction. Columbia University Press. Graeber, D. (2018). Bullshit jobs: A theory. Simon and Schuster. Grande, S. (2015). Red pedagogy: Native American social and political thought. Rowman & Littlefield. Goldmann, L. (1971). La dialectique aujourd’hui: Colloque de Korˇcula (août 1970). L’Homme et la société, 19(1), 193–206. Guha, R. (1982). A rule of property for Bengal: An essay on the idea of permanent settlement. Orient Blackswan. Harvey, D. (2014). Seventeen contradictions and the end of capitalism. Oxford University Press. Hegel, G. (2001). The philosophy of history: Batoche.–With Prefaces by Charles Hegel and the Translator, J. Sibree, MA. Hershock, P. D. (2006). Buddhism in the Public Sphere. Taylor & Francis. Indigenous Gnoseology hooks, b. (c1991). Theory as liberatory practice. Yale Journal of Law and Feminism, 4, 1. Irwin, W. (2022). Black Panther and philosophy: What can Wakanda offer the world? Wiley. Kant, I. (2008). Toward perpetual peace and other writings on politics, peace, and history. Yale University Press. Kant, I. (2013). Of the different human races: An announcement for lectures in physical geography in the summer semester 1775. Kant and the concept of race. Trans. JM Mikkelsen, 41–54, SUNY Press. Keane, D. (2016). Caste-based discrimination in international human rights law. Routledge. Lamirin, L., Junaidi, J., & Haudi, H. (2021). The Concept of Enlightenment According to the Buddhist Wheel of Life. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(3), 4032– 4042. Lougheed, K. (2022). What is African communitarianism? In African communitarianism and the misanthropic argument for anti-natalism (pp. 11–26). Palgrave Macmillan. Malinowski, B. (2013[1918]). Argonauts of the Western Pacific. An account of native enterprise and adventure in the archipelagoes of melanesian new guinea. Read Books Ltd. Martin, I. (2018). Closer to the Victim: United Nations human rights field operations. In The universal declaration of human rights: Fifty years and beyond (pp. 85–97). Routledge. Martin, K., & Mirraboopa, B. (2003). Ways of knowing, being and doing: A theoretical framework and methods for indigenous and indigenist research. Journal of Australian Studies, 27 (76), 203–214. Massey, A., & Kirk, R. (2015). Bridging indigenous and western sciences: Research methodologies for traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine systems. Sage Open, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015597726

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Vassiliades, D. T. (2005). India and Greece: Early philosophical understanding. Indian Historical Review, 32(1), 255–287. Yang, K. S. (2019). Will societal modernisation eventually eliminate cross-cultural psychological differences?. 楊國樞文集. 第十冊: Research in personality trandformation and modernity, 111. Ziai, A. (2014). Post-development concepts? Buen vivir, ubuntu and degrowth. In Fourth international conference on degrowth for ecological sustainability and social equity. Zysk, K. G. (1998). Asceticism and healing in ancient India: Medicine in the Buddhist monastery (Vol. 2). Motilal Banarsidass.

CHAPTER 6

Concluding Reflection: Seeing Self Through Other…

The Self and the Other The rejection of African philosophy is a symptom of a Eurocentric, intolerant, and repressive civilization, whose primary migration activity is, through a writing process, a cruel diaspora surrounded by genocide, genocide, and epidemics in two African continents, according to Mozambicans. According to Guattari (1981), contemporary capitalism can be regarded as a globalized, integrated system because it has already colonized the entire planet’s surface. As it increasingly tries to overcome and control every means of sociopolitical expression, no human action escapes its control. It is not surprising that we must endure it; such is the reality. Devi Mucina (2013) said that Ubuntu Orality is a Living Philosophy. This is how a person has grown; Ways of Knowing, being and acting Martin & Mirraboopa (2003) emerged within the Ubuntu phenomenology. Aime Cesaire’s anti-colonial theoretical work, Discourse on Colonialism,1 illustrates how the colonial institutions were justified and how this continues to be perpetuated” (Mucina, 2013, p. 19). As we said, it has been political healing (Shimizu & Noro, 2021). For medicinal development from Buddhism, we refer to Zysk (1998). Regardless of these facts, we have discussed, it proves that Western philosophy has developed its pillars from the resources of the East (Vassiliades, 2005). We want to say excluding any possibility of philosophical thought outside of these constructed walls, excluding the case of knowledge other than itself and the possibility of coexistence in the same space of its understanding. It denies the existence 1

Césaire, A. (2001). Discourse on colonialism. NYU Press.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 J. Siraz Chowdhury et al., Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0_6

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of the African Ubuntu philosophy, decontextualizing it for the West and the established tradition. From the point of view of epistemological pluralism, as Bhambra et al. (2020) argues, the exclusion of the possibility of coexistence results in the de-orthodox nation of hegemonic knowledge, the struggle for philosophical and scientific conceptual colonization. As Hegel has said, authentic philosophy begins only in the West, or Absolute spirit is in Church that is a reductionist approach. By their writing of the west, we do not know about AlFarabi (see Butterworth, 2001; Netton, 2005; Walzer, 1988), but if we see, we give evil deed. There are limitations in our numbers, but this de-dogmatization is necessary to understand particularities rather than generalizing knowledge and its systematization. This understanding seems like a return journey, but it is a one-way journey, as, according to Professor Nascimento (2016, p. 208), “the same story that forms us, situates us, transports us, captures us, can set us free” and that is the meaning of the philosophy, freeing man from the shackles of the cave to know the world beyond. In this way of African thought, an important and beloved concept for the cultures of the continent, especially in the countries of southern Africa, is Ubuntu, which is “involuntarily interconnected and in an interdependent way the fundamental principles of all existence will be revealed, which would have no ontological, epistemological, moral or aesthetic meaning if they existed in isolation (do Nascimento, 2016, pp. 209–211, our translation). It is on this cosmological view that philosophy changes direction with that which We have to look at the point of distance between the extremes of this same straight line and realize that they converge at many points, although denied by the Academy. It has always treated it as an unimportant continent without epistemological history, maintaining that everything is totemism and fetishism. In a historical line of Western philosophy including the Ubuntu presence (Murray, 1967), it is easy to perceive this negation through Hegel, for example, who describes the African continent as a place without civilized elements, as does the social scientist Levi Braul, who says it is Barbaric in any India. And it has no historical interest, a place where men live. This discussion on infrastructure was distinguished by the externalization and domestication of cultural differences, culture, faith, and ethnicity. However, culture, philosophy, and much of religion survived the physical, moral, and intellectual brutality of which black people have been and continue to be victims, albeit in transformed forms. In the framework of African philosophy, I emphasize the significance of Ubuntu, a concept associated in many ways with two esteemed men: Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, who employed it with tremendous strength, courage, and sagacity. Humanity, collaboration, respect, hospitality, and charity exist as community principles because they symbolize the behaviors, we perform in harmony with one another as we strive to live with everyone, not just one person. A sense of community and spirituality is, to us, resembles the connection of past and

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future, that is, a cycle of existence and hence to ancestors. This book examines the state of Western philosophy from before this parasite and African philosophy, the thinker, and the margin of an African philosopher. They are attempting to comprehend what was done. The tone or concept of Ubuntu is rooted in the history of epistemology (not that of the west). If we consider Ubuntu a civic religion (Akinola & Uzodike, 2018; Prinsloo, 2013). Civic religion is a social compact, the assumption that I select through others. Historiographical generations have circulated among community members with varying lifestyles and philosophies, all of which are positive characteristics. However, this serves as a line of separation between Ubuntu and the West, which we will examine later, and remains so today. These interactions did not evolve suddenly, nor did society have written constitutions or regulations governing them. Family, social, and complex conventions may dictate which behaviors are permissible and which standards cannot be adhered to. This is what the people of the past passed on to us: dignity, freedom, harmony, and equality. We discover space within epistemic injustice (Kotzé & Boggenpoel, 2021; Moyo, 2021).

We Are Limited: Are We? One of the epistemological problems Kant seeks to unravel in his epic path in the Critique of Pure Reason will be briefly treated: the possibility of knowing synthetic a priori judgments of abstract concepts in themselves, such as God, immortality and freedom. We think we should start a little earlier. It is commonly found in international relations (IR) literature that human rights are a Kantian theme. It is essential to understand the importance and responsibility of both. What is the meaning of this statement? What causes it to indicate? How does the Kantian term underlie the concept of human rights? But Pragmatic Discourse is Kant’s invention. And let’s not forget, Cosmopolitan. The post-World War II period demonstrates the importance of Kantian thought for human rights, as the international system was also reformed during this time, but not exclusively, based on the idea that democratic regimes supported by human rights were most favorable. Maintenance of international peace and security. But it was only in the post-Cold War era that the theme of human rights gained adjectival power as a Kantian theme in IR. With the end of the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, there was a relative lull in human rights in the international system and on the international agenda. Along with this, the debate about the possibility of universalising and realising human rights in the global system emerges. Thus, it revives the discussion about Kantian concepts, mainly related to cosmopolitanism. However, understanding these Kantian concepts close to the field of IR and what it means to attribute human rights to the Kantian term depends on an analysis of Kant’s earlier arguments. The purpose of this article is to: Return to the previous points that Kantian logic requires to substantiate the

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claim that human rights are a Kantian theme in IR. It is intended to demonstrate the consequences of this “adjective” throughout the book. The first essential point in understanding this question is Kant’s distinction between law and morality since by distinguishing and subordinating law to morality, Kant leads to a complex theoretical system that characterizes human rights as moral rights. Another critical issue is the question of categorical imperatives. While elaborating on a way of verifying the morality and universality of an action, Kant provides a basis for human rights, considering that by submitting to such an action, the condition of autonomy is guaranteed, leading to the principle of human dignity. It upholds the concept of human rights. Next, we come to Kant’s discussion of the relationship between the state and law. From this, and from the idea that the internal and external order interact, we arrive at cosmopolitanism, a point where human rights and IR touch each other more clearly in the Kantian scheme. On the opposite, as discussed in Chapter 2, according to Al-Farabi, each level of life is a component of cosmology and is therefore defined by its progress forward into completeness, which is identical to the First Reason, i.e. the perfect Intellect when it is time to rethink the political and total economy (Alenda-Demoutiez, 2022; Sassower, 2017; Chowdhury et al., 2023, in progress). Thus, human perfection (or not individual pleasure as defined by today’s utilitarian standards, but communal happiness) is linked with continuous sensory perceptions and contemplation (Adamson, 2006). As previously stated, Al-Farabi classifies intelligence into four groups: potential, real, acquired, and agent,

As previously stated, Al-Farabi classifies intelligence into four groups: potential. The prospective Intellect embodies all human beings’ ability for thought, while the actual Intellect is an intellect engaged in the act of thinking. Al-Farabi defines thinking as “the abstraction of universal intelligence from the sensory forms of things seen and held in the individual’s imagination.” This transition from potentiality to reality needs the Agent Intellect to operate on the retained sensory forms; similarly, to how the sun lights the physical world, the Agent Intellect illuminates the world of intelligible, allowing humans to reason. This illumination transforms them into fundamental understandable, logical truths such as “the whole is more than the sum of its parts (Chowdhury et al., 2022, p. 40)

According to the Farabi, the collaboration is a sociopolitical form of development, which is growing systematically. This collaborative development begin from family and expand until society and state level. Ultimate level of

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this collaborative development is universalization. Therefore, the idea of the virtuous society (ma’mura al- fadıla) is depends on the dynamic, holistic and humanistic collaborative development which may called as a kind of political maturity also. Consequently, politics, social policies, and political policies are not associated with the phenomenon of distribution or the allocation of resources; they go far beyond, such as achieving social order, social fairness, reducing inequality, etc. In doing so, Al-Farabi initially offered collaboration, that is, solidarity, though not in the same way as Khaldian Assabiays or Solidarity. Nonetheless, there is a connection between the two polymaths (see Mahdi, 2020; Netton, 2005; Walzer, 1988). In addition, in accordance with Ubuntu Spirit, we feel that there is a lineage, connection, and cosmovision conduit. Let us explain a bit more. It lacks specificity, however, when reading, “It is no longer a choice, my friends, between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Thomas et al., 2022). In asking whether political deception can be ethically justified, three contradicting inferences arise. Herbert Davidson, an expert on Al-Farabi, hypothesizes that the emanations of the Active Intellect enable the Immam (leader’s) imagination to accomplish extraordinary exploits (LópezFarjeat, 2021; Oschman, 2020). Nevertheless, our arguments are as follows: 1). Political deception is an inescapable aspect of human life, exploited in the realpolitik of government. On the contrary, the ethical concern and guarantee of truth are explicitly stated inside it as illogical and preferable to falsehood. Reading Walter Mignolo, Ola Eikeland, and others such as Spivak indicates a profound deficiency in our fundamental research into the western history of philosophy. Such names are crucial in this context; Saint Augustine comes to mind first, followed by Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, John Dewey, John Rawls, Robert Pippin, Peter Singer, and Darryl Macer have, on the one hand, sidelined the truth and, on the other, overlooked realpolitik. To them, the truth is never compromised. Sun Tzu from China and Thucydides from Greece are realpolitik figures. In Ancient India, Chanakya Al-Farabi was followed by Ibn Khaldun Han Fei, Niccol Machiavelli, Henry Kissinger, Charles de Gaulle, and Lee Kuan Yew; nevertheless, Singapore National University teaches his ideology. Focus on realpolitik to the neglect of the truth’s importance. Not surprisingly, Frankfurt’s critical school (including, among others, Herbert Marcuse, Hanna Ardent, Derria, and Foucault) examined the matter, but abstract critique failed to suggest a positive, systematic approach to deceit. In Plato’s Republic, the argument that falsehood must be used as a medicine for the city is difficult in substance, but especially in implication. Plato’s inheritors, the second master al-Frb, continued Plato’s work by asserting that political policy requires restrained political deception, philosophical truths explained by religious symbols that meet the aforementioned criteria of being necessary, demonstrably necessary, and minimally harmful through collaboration.

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It is time, after this 2020 Pandemic, to revive the justice, Truth, Balance, Harmony and Connect to the Universe (Nagel, 2022, p. 165). Long before Emile Durkheim even Ibn-Khaldun, Al-Farabi provoked solidarity. The human mind progresses from potentiality to reality via its act of intellection. As it progressively comprehends this intelligence, it gets associated with them (as according to Aristotle, by knowing something, the Intellect becomes like it). Because the Agent Intellect is aware of all intelligence, it becomes linked with its perfection when the human Intellect is mindful of them all. “How to acknowledge Indigenous justice and avoid romanticizing such approach? This presents as a challenge until it is also recognized that the Western criminal legal system is enamored with ideal theory and romanticizes this ideology of safety and security, without anyone looking at it as such?” (Nagel, 2022, p. 130). It is referred to as the obtained Intellect: the core of Reciprocity from a scholar’s body-mind-spiritual connection and Reciprocal channels. Personal Sphere The question ‘What (or what kind) should a person be?’ One of the oldest is this educational and ethical question. And, as we see, Ubuntu’s first flagship is Speech Self. At one point in his Metaphysics of Morals, Kant could not take Kant in the light of our analytical tools, saying that the Buddha is more useful to us. Al-Farabi carries importance. Sadia Gaon is needed. Kant defined it as a pragmatic anthropological question. It is no coincidence that it is placed in the section titled “On Virtue.” In this law, Kant establishes a connection with the ancient theory of virtue, where this question was first formulated in each form. The human form has been inextricably linked to the concept of art from the beginning. Therefore, we are always at risk if we look for a combination of education and morality outside the “ excellence” category. Considering his entire work, it is unusual that Kant uses the word “anthropology” in only that one place, especially since it is relatively easy to show that his entire educational-ethical theory can be characterized as anthropological without exaggeration. According to Kant, what is least interesting about man is precisely ‘anthropological’ (what man is like), i.e. ‘merely empirical.’ What is “merely empirical” in man is first his animality (savageness), then his “immaturity” and finally his “pathological self.” So what was Kant thinking when he commented on the need for anthropology to make moral philosophy applicable to human beings through his pragmatic moral ideology? One possible answer, to us, is that Kant was thinking here primarily of moral education underlying pragmatism. To educate people morally, to “awaken their reason” (after the birth of the Buddha, literally, 2000 years later) required anthropological knowledge. And so time is the nexus of rainfall. And, about 700 years later, from Kant al-Biruni and Saadia Gaon. Kant, in contrast, says that moralizing and exhortation alone as a means of moral education is ineffective if people do not have adequate knowledge of

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specific cognitive capacities and motivations. But what is the moral basis? Colonialism, colonial laws, education, racial division of people? Surely we have not forgotten Kant’s letter to Blumebach? If morality does not focus on universal humanity, what is the need to treat this moral education? One must know, not through colonial education, how to effectively awaken people’s innate moral consciousness, and this requires, within a realist philosophy, a general “practical” knowledge of their capacities and purposes. But here we are talking about the primary empirical methods of applied pedagogy, which should not be considered part of moral philosophy. Kantian anthropology is, to us, sitting outside the system of philosophy if philosophy is to eliminate human suffering. So, this work was done by Buddha, Patanjali did it, and Ghazali showed it. According to Kant, the transformation of the animal into humanity occurs through restraint or discipline, understood as a negative action “by which the wilderness is removed from man. Through the power of knowledge one emerges from immaturity (in this sense, Kant is rightly regarded as the forefather of Building theory (cf. Kant, 1784). Pathological oppression in man occurs through the power of the “immoral mind”, i.e., the moral law. Nietzsche wanted the anthropological self not to be limited to cognitive moral-education, but to belong to the broader stream of human “imagination” and “invention.“ In this context, he set himself two tasks: A. liberating anthropology from morality (or rather from ethics); b. Expand the Anthropological Question: The question is no longer just what/what kind of person a person should be, but what/what kind of person he can be.

On the other hand, by Ubuntu, A person is a community, because, by nature, the community is not a commodity (Bakker, 2007; Esteva, 2020; Harvey, 2014; hooks, 1991).

Ethical anthropology strives for the moral perfection of man. Its roots go back to the Hellenic theory of virtue, which finds its most successful expression in its Hellenistic branch—the so-called philosophy/ethics of “self-care” even general education system is red, colonized and one-dimensional (Daly, 2019; Grande, 2015; Fanon, 1967; Harvey, 2014; hooks, 1991). According to this philosophy, for the worker to achieve moral perfection, he must rely on the so-called “practice of self”. No one explained this practice better and more succinctly than the Buddha, Ghazali, and Ubuntu: “Practice oneself based on justice, against good practice, based on the removal of animality and animality and violence” attachment which is established and firmly rooted and necessary. Repair-liberation is much more than education-knowledge: practice itself, and this is what will develop along this axis. While this seems to be a mechanical

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process devoid of human choice or will, Reisman asserts that al-Farabi is dedicated to human voluntarism. It is critical to the human person and society from a philosophical and practical standpoint. This occurs when man, depending on his gained knowledge, chooses whether to pursue virtuous or impure actions and, therefore, whether to seek genuine pleasure. And it is via the process of selecting what is ethical and reflecting on the nature of ethics that the natural Intellect may become “like” the active Intellect, thus achieving perfection. Only via this procedure can a human soul survive death and continue to exist in the afterlife. If we take Ubuntu as a civil religion (Prinsloo, 2013) is the underlying basis of a social contract between people with different ideas of the good life. To determine what actions are permissible and what policies govern interactions between people, contractors must use a set of shared standards with a common understanding of how these standards relate to each other. Humans, however, are not only born; they also come into the world. Coming into the world, for Sloterdijk, is experienced as a continuation of birth by other ontologically significant means. Such a continuation, however, entails developing extra-maternal substitutes for the primary sphere that intrauterine space was. Hence Sloterdijk’s careful attention to the intimate relationships and solidarities that not only nurture our entry in the world but also turn it into habitable space – into spheres. Spheres correspond to an intermediate world, ‘a between that is neither inclusion in the environmental cage nor the pure terror of being held out into the indeterminate’. (Duclos, 2019, p. 47)

The prevalent theme for these values includes dignity, freedom, and equality because respecting them enables dialogue between different groups. Contractors may decide that some standards are to be prioritized over others, and some are non-negotiable and cannot be compromised. Or they may not. What determines the best set of ethical values and their arrangement in a civil religion is nothing more than the combination that best allows for dialogue in a given space. After reading this book, we hope that those who call themselves white or yellow will understand that white or yellow or Jew or Gypsy, that is, our construction as a compromise with unconditional hospitality. As a method to structure the Ubuntu spirit, I used the division into three moments. We presented the theoretical framework at the beginning, and then I invited the participants to solve the philosophical entertainment. After solving the historical games, we will talk about teaching instantaneously to see the paths shown to us. Emphasis on hermeneutics and practicality as a civil religion’s justified features usually override any metaphysical considerations. Different parties may support other metaphysics, but a civil religion that relies heavily on a particular set of metaphysical assumptions will have little or nothing. Here the theistic metaphysics, the atheist, has no place. Here, despite our emphasis, we do not call the soul the subject of Kant’s metaphysics but rather rationalize it. I am conscientious about leaving it as straightforward as possible (Chapter 7).

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So I’d guess that a civil religion with overly specific metaphysical convictions would serve to solidify our solidarity. It must be remembered that a civil religion demands all men. One’s wife is not stable. Practical and moral, both ways. However, experimental values are also important here, as needed. As Family Therapy Ubuntu can be an excellent tool for family bonding. As capitalism developed, at least two parallel processes took place. The first was its complexity, moving from a human quality to something systemic–ethics, philosophy, ideology, or worldview. The second process is globalization. Our growing association with the west emanates from life, origins, and relationship with the community, which may make us detached from our roots (including our ancestors and future generations) and nature. These two developments have moved significantly since the mid-twentieth century. They are vital to understanding the use of Ubuntu since the 1990s—linked to a genuine (South) African contribution to community promotion, solidarity, forgiveness, unity, gives harmony and gives justice. In this sense, to understand the development of the concept, it is useful to go through what was agreed to be called the debate on the African philosophy of “ethnography”, a fundamental influence on its constitution. Its origins go back to the first sources of what would properly be African philosophy. Ethnophilosophy (Chilisa, 2019) preserves the unity of the ways of thinking, acting and feeling of people in all societies, especially families and social groups, usually characterized by the predominance of the group or community over the individual. Therefore, he attributes an “essence” to Negro-Africans, constant over time and space. Depending on the author can be attributed to more diverse factors, such as biological, environmental, historical, economic, social and cultural factors. In our recommendation, West’s classic theory of family relations suggests the transcendence of human nature. As Nietzsche sees the essence of education, the idea of self-transcendence is insufficiently developed. Or, more precisely, self-transcendence is the kind or means of education (mukti), which leads to the emergence of superman as a possible outcome of anthropology. This is the way to liberation, we see it in Ubuntu, as well as in the teaching of the Buddha. This is why we feel that those who see Nietzsche as a supporter of eugenics are deeply mistaken. It is, as an oribi, but a self-evident that selftranscendence, as a form of self-relation, has no point of contact with eugenics, which presupposes bioengineering directed at “others.” Furthermore, and more importantly, anthropology, which is most closely related to ideas of freedom (liberation) and possibility, is not like eugenics, which is essentially a form of coercion. As can be seen from the Kantian anthropological perspective (both utopian and etopian), Superman is only possible. Nevertheless, it seems that Nietzsche sometimes shows impatience and rushes to create the conditions for the appearance of Superman. When he says that man is a cross between an animal and superman, he gives it a

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religious veneer. Hegel also did this. Nietzsche believes that the end of this crucifixion can be seen in the simple rejection of the ballast of human life. Suppose morality is the force that maintains this ballast. In that case, morality must also be rejected: “To think properly about morality, we must put two zoological concepts in its place: the taming of animals and the education of a particular species.” According to Nietzsche, should it be fixed? First, the term “education” should be stripped of its zoological semantic layer so that education, and education itself, can serve as a stepping stone to superman and, more generally, to anthropology. By this method, the concept of “education” (or “higher self”, which is a more accurate translation of the German word Züchtung) comes closer to the noble meaning of the word or, on the other hand, equates to be. Like Kant, Nietzsche emphasizes the importance of discipline here. But unlike Kant, he wants to tie the domain to education, not to transform animals into humans. In other words, the domain is not the same as domestication: There is no confusion worse than the confusion of rearing and taming. It is necessary to separate domestication from education, to reject taming in favor of nurture so that anthropology can gain a new impetus. A tamed man is a ‘repaired man,’ i.e., ‘weak and damaged’ or colonized, captive and mimic. In contrast, disciplined education is “a means of gathering strength”, the best way for a person to become strong. We must be able to imagine education without the ethics of “determination” as a condition for anthropology. Because the “repair” man is anaemic, the life has been sucked out of him: “Morality is like a vampire to me…”. As a result, while “repaired” man, as controlled and weak for a life of slavery, Superman, guided by a disciplined education, “liberates life in man”. Community Circular A founding framework for these formulations was the work of the Belgian priest Placide Tempel, from 1945, based on his role as a missionary in the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The term “Bantu” was coined by German philologist and anthropologist Wilhelm Heinrich Emanuel Blick “in his notes in Bonn in 1851 considering the kinship of many African languages throughout the south (central, eastern and southern Africa)”. With Tempel, the idea of the uniqueness of Bantu culture was raised to a new standard based on the proposition that he had a traditional philosophy of his povos, which sought the Bantu essence—no limits, black-African. A Bantu ontology center on ‘forca essentials’ or elements that define what it is or must be, depicting “man” (or muntu). A force would connect men to other living and inanimate beings. It would connect the living to their ancestors (both living in non-present communities) and should be a means of transformation for future generations: for the Bantu, all beings in the universe possess their vital force; Human, animal, vegetable or inanimate. Every being was endowed by God with a specific power, capable of strengthening the necessary

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strength to become more substantial than a child. Absolute happiness, the only form of happiness, for the Bantu, possessed of the most extraordinary vitality; In the face of adversity and indeed, the only aspect of misfortune, it is for the reduction of power. All pain, wound or hatred, all suffering, depression or weariness, all injustice or failure, are regarded and designated by the Bantu as a depletion of the vital force. Ramose’s work was the first to associate blacks with philosophy, knowledge, a system of principles, and with a Weltanschauung — understood as an exclusively white, European, and Western expression. It had an extended response among Africans and African scholars, and it characterized African philosophy during the colonial period: not the “marketplace of ideas” of African thought, but Temple’s “Bantu philosophy” became a contender for the throne of “A”. Major African philosophical perspectives—still retain a certain magnetic quality regarding the issue. Or I see what is being called an “animist” view of the world—which is often universally and arbitrarily applied to all African thinkers—and, partly, to Temple and his anthropological perspective. In search of a positive black-African essence, which can contribute to transforming the current of alienation, individualism, and disgust, is revived by the two traveling through Ubuntu contemporaneously. We will now see the precise moment when corporeal Ubuntu seeks African originality through its ancestry. Visibility: The use of Ubuntu in the South-African transition is Nella, or the concept vaguely mentioned, without being defined, linked to the need for national unity and reconciliation: Ubuntu, a respect-for-all philosophy, is a parable. We listed why Ubuntu works. Ubuntu emphasizes sociality to encourage taking others’ projects seriously. Ubuntu considers compassion the highest moral feeling, and it lacks moral degradation. Empathy is an emotional response to another’s projects. Empaths understand others’ feelings. If honors are required. Ubuntu’s respectable. Ubuntu’s respect demand is supererogation and is challenging. The African host–guest relationship displays this. Ubuntu represents hospitality, a “Host” policy. Ubuntu people traditionally fed and housed strangers if they needed. The guest is not expected to repay favors, and people won’t say the host has Ubuntu if he wants something back. A ‘kind visitor’ helps with tasks during his stay. She helped wash dishes and make his bed. Ubuntu shows a guest enjoying violent deeds. The host–guest relationship collapses if declines extra activities. Rarely are guests unpaid. This local example relates to the 1994 nonviolent transition to black majority control in South Africa. Country Circular Ubuntu is understood, a priori, as a continuous process that cannot be stopped. Theoretically, no genic we see as stationary (for this reason, ubu can be considered as becoming, which, according to (Molefe, 2021; Ramose, 2002), suggests, a little overlapping with previous chapters, yet vital in concluding discussion—the idea of movement of being). ubu, which offers dynamism, and ntu, vitality. Thus, Ubuntu will be the life of movement

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because movement is the principle of existence for Ubuntu. The acting takes precedence over the agent, simultaneously, without alleging a radical separation or unrecognizable opposition between the two (Ramose, 2020). This idea of indivisibility is the basis that forms the complexity of Ubuntu, which is observed in other aspects of this philosophy and indicates the need for openness to deeper understanding. The concept of time in African thought is a fundamental element for this understanding and differs from the Western concept. From the African perspective, man has authorship over time, a personal experience of living until the sufficiency of the senses. Western philosophy sees time as something given to people to fulfill as they wish. Understanding what Ubuntu is a process that necessarily requires subverting colonial/modern logic. It is impossible to enter the Ubuntuist concept without abandoning this concept of society and “I.” Communicating with Ubuntu is about expansion, opening new avenues for (one’s) knowledge. While Ubuntu still lacks extensive research and study to facilitate understanding, it also constitutes an inclusive concept, but not necessarily in alignment with its original meaning(s). Unambiguously, this is necessary to colonize it: to colonize an idea that does not belong to the colonial structure and never belonged to the colonial system but was colonized because it was taken/extended by them. In this context, it is also necessary to talk about distance and distortion of the meaning of Ubuntu. In this case, it works like a sculptor’s hammer and chisel to remove the marble to depict the work of art. Marble’s “excess” can be considered a communication term: the plethora of information disseminated about Ubuntu hinders people’s flow of Ubuntuist thought in its originality and coherence. Therefore, it is necessary to remove that which affects distortion and triggers the boomerang effect, returning to modern concepts as if Ubuntu is serving this logic and not contradicting it. In this regard, the audiovisual material “Ubuntu: power beyond misunderstanding”, more specifically, the interview of the philosopher. Nascimento, given in 2020 to Silvani Euclinio on the YouTube channel Penser Africana, was too valuable to list. The most frequent misrepresentation about how Ubuntu came to the West. One of them is that it is about the complete understanding of the relationship between the company and the employees, more precisely on the part of the employees, based on a so-called “team spirit”, a concept articulated with the first book of Ubuntu. The text is a motivational novel (from Nascimento, 2016) about the dedication required for effective and efficient teamwork. Using the value of Ubuntu has linked South Africa to the context, even quoting Nelson Mandela on the cover. In this case, the application of Ubuntuistic concepts by nonAfrican writers has been questioned, in a context directly related to capitalism, suggesting that workers are “uncontrolled” in the corporate environment. Solidarity (do Nascimento, 2016) behavior must be developed, even if their role in that context excludes them, for example, from profiting from their work, that is, a cooperation that is not for the community in which they are inserted, but alien to them. As noted (do Nascimento, 2016; Jefferson

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Jr., 2021; Moyo, 2021) during interviews, competitiveness among workers is quite a form of instrumentalization of cooperation to subjugate them collectively, a cooperative subjugation. The second point of reflection on distortions is an assumed translation of the consensus, meaning that distortions sore Ubuntu term Ubuntu, which has become common and easily verifiable in various domains. This note comes from a Kenyan writer, John Mbiti, who, in his work African Religion and Philosophy, addressed the placement of the individual within the context of the Christian concept of family. This expression began to be questioned because of the relationship between Christianity and African countries. Ubuntu which is established in a very different way according to each location and which, according to Mangena (2016), does not translate the concept of Ubuntu. At this point, however, there is a discrepancy between Nascimento’s statement and some authors devoted to the study of Ubuntu, which we will see later and who assume, at least briefly, the relevance of this phrase to the resonance of Ubuntu. The third aspect raised in the interview is Ubuntu as a “theory of thinking about change”, which, for Molefe (2020, 2021), constitutes itself as essentially ‘Western’ and it chooses the binary relationship between self and other, which will create an identity of the individual. “For him, Ubuntu is much more related to the pronoun “we”, as if it is a “universal pronoun” than an “I” and another. It would be more appropriate, then, to think of Ubuntu as a “theory of us” (Ramose, 2020). A fourth form of conceptual misrepresentation, which mistakenly reinforces Ubuntu in a self-help discourse, relates to a story circulating on the internet at the beginning of the twenty-first century, famous for the image of several children sitting in a circle, putting their feet together. This picturing short story reports about an anthropologist who allegedly experimented with African children to test their behavior in front of a basket of sweets, placed as a reward object for a race to the basket. However, according to the story, they competed. This decides not to and contrary to the anthropological character’s expectations, they rush to the basket together to share the prize, teaching him a lesson that Ubuntu should and shouldn’t be shared. Keep all sweets for yourself, and enjoy selfish and lonely things. This plot brings about a delocalization of Ubuntu’s complex thinking, in addition to alienating African communities (Gade, 2011), since there is no scientific record of this ‘experiment’ with all the rigour of specifications required for a study. Furthermore, the highly questionable mini fable with many colonial elements refers to an African Indigenous people. It exhibits a gross generalization for a continent with numerous countries and communities, accentuating the idea that Africans are very different in their way of life. What the West classifies as development (see Lougheed, 2022; Gade, 2012; Molefe, 2021; Ramose, 2020; HE Tutu, 2015). Such misrepresentations and generalizations can be seen as part of the current colonization process, as well as thinking of Ubuntu as a philosophy that contemplates the entire African continent, its origins and where it exists, and Africans only think of Ubuntu without

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narrowly defining it. One of the objectives of those who study Ubuntu is to interrupt this cycle of confusion as a powerful movement of colonization and contribution, to pass an interpretation more consistent with the essence of the term. Regional Integration: Metonymic and Geographic Substitutes Apartheid was a new name, but the sagacious Nelson Mandela had stopped it. Apartheid was founded on the belief that whites were superior to Africans [blacks], “coloureds” [South African mulattos and mestizos], and Indians [South Africans of Indian heritage from India]. And its mission was to permanently maintain white supremacy” (see Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom). Asian is discursive, apart from the Chinese, who we consider to be dominant. Similarly, we Bengalis assert that the indigenous population is being eradicated. Asians state, we SAARC is the existing organization, again, who will perform the country’s leadership and discussion ensues. Who will hold the keys to the nation’s roadways, that is the question. Who will be the leader of OIC is a topic of much debate on the market. Africans, particularly Pan-Africans, will be the king of Gaddafi; this is no longer a secret. Our question is, how did King Gaddafi dream? We all know the answer. Why is Sri Lanka like way while there is a comprehensive SAARC organization? The questions are straightforward, and the solutions are known. Consider Latin. Because “our America” also relates to the exclusive creole ideology, Argentine philosopher Andres Roig issued a warning. We believe there is a connection between the socio-historical processes of the region and the African people if we see the legal provisional made for structural violence.

Textbox 6.1: Apartheid and Its Root

Translated from the Afrikaans meaning ‘apartness’, apartheid was the ideology supported by the National Party (NP) government and was introduced in South Africa in 1948. Apartheid called for the separate development of the different racial groups in South Africa. On paper it appeared to call for equal development and freedom of cultural expression, but the way it was implemented made this impossible. Apartheid made laws forced the different racial groups to live separately and develop separately, and grossly unequally too. It tried to stop all intermarriage and social integration between racial groups. During apartheid, to have a friendship with someone of a different race generally brought suspicion upon you, or worse. More than this, apartheid was a social system which severely disadvantaged the majority of the population,

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simply because they did not share the skin colour of the rulers. Many were kept just above destitution because they were ‘non-white’. In basic principles, apartheid did not differ that much from the policy of segregation of the South African governments existing before the Afrikaner Nationalist Party came to power in 1948. The main difference is that apartheid made segregation part of the law. Apartheid cruelly and forcibly separated people, and had a fearsome state apparatus to punish those who disagreed. Another reason why apartheid was seen as much worse than segregation, was that apartheid was introduced in a period when other countries were moving away from racist policies. Before World War Two the Western world was not as critical of racial discrimination, and Africa was colonized in this period. The Second World War highlighted the problems of racism, making the world turn away from such policies and encouraging demands for decolonization. It was during this period that South Africa introduced the more rigid racial policy of apartheid. Some important racial acts were, Group Areas Act, 1950 This was the act that started physical separation between races, especially in urban areas. The act also called for the removal of some groups of people into areas set aside for their racial group. Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1949 Immorality Amendment Act, 1950 Separate Representation of Voters Act, 1951 through the ANC’s method.

See also, Apartheid South Africa In the 1960s–Photos of the Black and White Years A history of Apartheid in South Africa Settler Colonialism and Afrikaner Nationalism Source: A history of Apartheid in South Africa, retrieved from: https:// www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-apartheid-south-africa

During my stay in Melbourne, I saw a place called Somalia Mall. There is a crowd where everyone turns their noses at him. I saw students with us at the University of Victoria, if someone said that the black presided over Footscray, how people looked at him with crooked eyes! Also, looked at interracial relationships between teachers and other staff. In

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“Down Town”, a particular focus was directed towards inter-racial and intraracial interactions, as the majority of people were white, Footscray or Somalia Mall in Heidelberg, mixed with black, Africans and citizens of other subSaharan countries, such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Congolese, Indian, Bangladeshi) and Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese, Laos). It was first important for the two neighborhoods to be different at first glance. Again suburbs like Ivanhoe, and Ringwood, may be represented as an affluent neighborhood; homes to more whites than blacks and university students, and Hooper’s Crossing, as a lower-middle-class neighborhood. In comparison to suburbs, more blacks live than whites, and many are immigrants and/or refugees from countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Our focus, in these examples, is that inter-racial (white, black and colored) and intra-racial relations (among university students of different ethnicities in South Africa) are manufactured. On the other hand, if Ubuntu spirited them since their birth, was it possible to hate another human being? We here introduce the concept of “legitimate intervention” by Ubuntu in African countries that threatened its principles, thus becoming a potential cause of imbalance in the region (Davids & Waghid, 2022; Gumede, 2018; Mwaanga & Mwansa, 2013; Waghid, 2020). According to the authors, since its institutionalization, the AU has taken a more active role on the continent, condemning all the unconstitutional changes of governments that have already taken place since then, applying economic sanctions and temporarily removing the organization’s governments—demonstrating his commitment to democratic principles (see Gade, 2012). Related to two entities, the organization of AF units. According to the implementation of the stages described in the Abuja Agreement, in 2019, the fourth stage, the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLEC), or the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)2 was launched, potentially being considered the most extensive free trade. The agreement, scheduled to enter into force on July 1, 2021, is projected to create a free trade area with a population of 1.3 billion and a GDP of $2.2 trillion. One of the objectives of the agreement is to increase intraAfrican trade, since the reduction of tariffs while reducing non-tariff barriers has a high potential to develop intra-regional trade on the African continent by creating a single African market of goods and services for 1.3 billion people, the African Continental Free Trade Area is the African Union’s commitment to achieving the dream of Agenda 2063.3 As such, it brings great hope of decent job creation, poverty reduction and prosperity to the continent. (Of 2 3

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), see https://au.int› cfta.

UNDP works to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through sustainable development, see the report Guide to Exporting to African Continental Free Trade Area, Oct 5, 2021. Https://www.undp.org/botswana/publications/guide-exporting-africancontinental-free-trade-area?utm_source=en&utm_medium=gsr&utm_content=us_undp_p aidsearch_brand_english&utm_campaign=central&c_src=central&c_src2=gsr&gclid=cj0kcq jw39uybhclarisad_szmqyzb5rjejw4dymrdv_wve5dwuioo2qpgogjrhlezrogwazojmkq7maaror ealw_wcb.

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course, the Abuja Agreement, set to run from 1994 to 2028, and Agenda 2063, set for 2013–2063, require great efforts by African states for ambitious projects, where UNDP has been working under the SDGs regime.4 The sixth and final phase of the said agreement, scheduled to take place between 2024– 2028, refers to the implementation of the Economic and Monetary Union and an African Parliament. Instead, the ten-year plan of Agenda 2063 (first phase 2013–2023) presents ambitious goals for changing the country’s context in five areas, namely, • In general terms: improving the quality of life; Transformative, inclusive and • Sustainable economy; • Integrated Africa; • Empowered women, youth, and children. • A well-governed, peaceful, culture-centred Africa in a global context. Thus, the history of organizations at the continental level in Africa shows that they, from their institutions, have worked to achieve bold goals, starting from decolonization and, more recently, integration between countries. The spirit of Pan-Africanism is a significant ideological driver of relations between African peoples and states.5 Besides being considered a political movement, it directly influenced continental culture and philosophy. Prominent leaders and thinkers on the continent, such as Kwame Nkrumah, contributed to forming political entities based on solidarity and unity among people of African descent. Pan-Africanism gained strength with the liberationist currents of the states—giving the movement great political air from its inception. Initially, a continental agenda based on state-controlled social democracy was desired, according to Walter Rodney (1979), who has been honored as a ‘Pan-African Martyr’ (Montoute, 2021). Walter Rodney said, African development will be possible only based on a radical break with the international capitalist system. Indeed, efforts to reinvent and govern themselves have been observed by countries such as Ghana, Tanzania, and Congo (among others)—the application of different economic ideologies, the existence of neo-colonialism, and the efforts of large numbers of conservative Africans. Even today, the spirit 4 Crippen, M. (2021). Africapitalism, ubuntu, and sustainability. Environmental Ethics, 43(3), 235–259; Crippen, M., & Cortés, A. A. Ecology and technological enframement: Cities, networks, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In The city is an ecosystem (pp. 13–24). Routledge; van Norren, D. E. (2022). African ubuntu and sustainable development goals: Seeking human mutual relations and service in development. Third World Quarterly, 1– 20; van Norren, D. E. (2020). The sustainable development goals viewed through gross national happiness, Ubuntu, and Buen Vivir. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 20(3), 431–458. 5 Our recent endeavor, after this volumes on Ubuntu Book 2: Less than Nothing towards an Integrated and Sustainable model for Commoning the Community from the Three Moral Cosmovision: Islam, Buddhism and Ubuntu Solidarity; Ubuntu Book 3: Ubuntu Spirit for Self and formal Education Under the SDGs.

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of Pan-Africanism continues to hold sway on the continent but has been transformed in the context of political and economic appeals promoted in the 1960s. Today the movement is intrinsically related to ‘Afro capitalism’ encouraging the continent to grow and develop within the capital stimulus. In this context, incentives to create and strengthen regional economic blocs are highly motivated and part of the African Union agenda. It is important to note that behind the desire to create regional bloc-like groups in Africa, there is a prominent call to find commonalities connecting them in terms of economic and moral benefits (for a good read, see O’Donovan, 2015; Chowdhury et al., 2023). In the African context, there was a need to reaffirm the political and philosophical concepts that distinguish today’s continent from the colonial pre-emancipation context. As noted, this autonomy was not complete—even today, neo-colonialism determines the future of certain African states, reducing national independence. However, we have noticed a growing interest in developing international relations among African countries. Elaborating on local solutions to regional challenges, we see that there is also urgency in reinforcing theories in the ethical field—of which Ubuntu is the most famous. Ubuntu is thus manifesting moral guidance in concrete form or mode of existence. Global Integration: A Global Call Ubuntu is a certain existential tendency (existential) (Ramose, 2020), and a living philosophy (Mucina, 2013). After Covid-19—for the New Normalcy— it is more strongly claimed as a humanistic-existential framework for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic (Chigangaidze et al., 2022), even in social science (Chigangaidze & Omodan, 2021; Koen, 2021; Omodan & Makena, 2022). “Ubuntu” is the ethical principle that popularises the statement “I am because we are.” In short, we are encouraged to acknowledge our shared humanity. According to Koen (2021), in general, “Ubuntu signifies society as experienced and achieved with others and humanity as a value” (for Social Work’s context, see Chigangaidze, 2021). Ubuntu is categorized by Ramose (2002) as the origin of African philosophy from which both African ontology and African epistemology emanate.” 2020 for Ramose; 2021 for Molefe. Ubuntu is an ethical system that regulates diverse African societies since it is based on traditional African beliefs that predate colonialism and derive from the Bantu ethnic group, which has a widespread presence on the African continent. It is also known as Umundu (among the Yao speakers in Malawi) and Bunhu (among the Tsonga of South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe). Although the concept of Ubuntu infiltrated many sociopolitical-cultural realities on the African continent after its reintroduction in the twentieth century, the philosophy’s humanistic ideals remained. However, the phrase should not be reduced to a philosophical problem; we must also consider why and for whom Ubuntu is significant. Ramose (2020) states, “[i]n other words, we must study the political context or space that enables and permits us to have a debate about Ubuntu (in Molefe, 2021). When we question, “What

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is Ubuntu?” we must recognize that the term’s use in modern times is also related to political objectives (if Textbox 6.1 is a lesson and this 2020 Pandemic). Ubuntu is never merely an academic quest but also a means of expression. In essence, it is a method of doing politics and working. Ubuntu is, first and foremost, a political work; it is our responsibility to realize this. Although its origins are rooted in pre-colonial Bantu culture, its development in the twentieth century coincided with the emancipation of African monarchs to restore a uniquely African identity. According to the author, the resurrection of the statement “I am because we are” is a reaction to Descartes’ “I think; therefore, I am,” which dominates individualistic and rationalist thought in the Global North. In the process of detaching themselves from modernity and decolonizing aspirations, Africans become complacent with the same modernity that damaged their history and sense of humanity, according to Molefe (2021). In other words, an African who adheres to HE Tutu and Mandela’s teachings must first comprehend what the West is before constructing his identity as an “other”: a Western individualist and an African communalist. In other words, Western scripts serve as the basis for defining what it means to be African. However, while al-Farabi provides a valuable paradigm, it may be combined with the Ubuntu ethos. As a prerequisite for Reciprocity, it is necessary to adopt highly precise ideas of human nature (see Chapter 7). Inasmuch as AlFarabi proves that political deception can be justified, he also demonstrates that it cannot be justified outside of an ideal situation (Butterworth, 2001). Now we realize, as was previously stated, that “Ubuntu” represents shared humanity, offering us with a sociocentric perspective on life that is incredibly useful for reconsidering the relationship between offender and victim. In this book, Nagel offers a new theoretical liberation model—ludic Ubuntu ethics—to illustrate five alternative justice concepts through a psychological lens, enabling a comparative examination of negative Ubuntu (e.g., through shaming and separation) and positive Ubuntu (eg., mediation, healing circles, and practices that no longer rely on punishment). Using discourse analysis and a constructivist approach to justice theory, the volume offers a fresh take on prison abolitionism by drawing on precolonial (pre-carceral) Indigenous conceptions on justice and Black feminism. Nagel also introduces readers to a post-secular perspective by stressing the community’s response to the spiritual components of healing from injury and taking them seriously (see Nagel, 2022). Ubuntu, in addition to moral ideas about human nature, includes values, ethics, and community justice from a traditional African worldview in which the importance of community is fundamental to its existence. As was previously stated, the actuality of African philosophy resembles Western ideals in their equality or direct contradiction. In this part, the parallels and differences between traditional justice in Africa and the concept of justice as justice, coined by Professor John Rawls, will be examined. The emergence of “Afro capitalism” has highlighted the similarities between these two theories.

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Textbox 6.2 Realpolitik

Sun Tzu from China, Thucydides, a Greek historian who wrote the History of the Peloponnesian War and is also cited as an intellectual forebearer of Realpolitik. In Ancient India, Chanakya (or Kautilya), an early Indian statesman and writer on the Arthashastra. Yet, Al-Farabi, then Ibn Khaldun, an Arab historiographer, for his Al-Muqaddimah, a universal history of time. Han Fei, a Chinese scholar who theorised Legalism (or Legism). Of course, Niccolò Machiavelli, the Italian political philosopher, for his Principe (The Prince), in which he held that the sole aim of a prince (politician) was to seek power, regardless of religious or ethical considerations. However, there is scholarly debate about the nature and morality of his advice. Cardinal Richelieu, a French statesman followed by Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher who wrote Leviathan in which he stated the state of nature was prone to a “war of all against all”. Frederick the Great, a Prussian monarch who transformed Prussia into a great European power through warfare and diplomacy. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, a French diplomat who guided France and Europe through a variety of political systems. Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, a Koblenz-born Austrian statesman opposed to political revolution. Carl von Clausewitz, an eighteen century–nineteenth century Prussian general and military strategist who wrote On War (Vom Kriege). Camillo Benso of Cavour, an Italian statesman who diplomatically managed to maneuver the Kingdom of Sardinia. Otto von Bismarck, a Prussian statesman who coined the term balance of power. Balancing power means keeping the peace and careful Realpolitik practitioners try to avoid arms races. Twentieth century proponents of political realism include Hans Morgenthau, Henry Kissinger, George F. Kennan as well as politicians such as Charles de Gaulle and Lee Kuan Yew. Mao Zedong’s Three Worlds Theory is described as Realpolitik by his critics, including Enver Hoxha, who argue that it was not based on a strong ideological grounding and used only to justify rapport with the West. And all these scholars, statesman failed to center people. Lee Kuwan of Singapore is another name, his ideologies and views are now taught at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, an autonomous postgraduate school of the National University of Singapore. Source: Authors’ Reading

Apart from the effects of neocolonial economic policies, the rise of capitalist philosophy in African countries is evidence of the collapse of socialist influence. Seeing back at John Rawls, a society is orderly when effectively managed by a

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public idea of justice, in which all members of the society have ethical acceptability. It is recognized that fundamental social institutions adhere to these principles. Even when conflicts arise, members of society are committed to directing notions to define fundamental rights and responsibilities and determining what they think to be the appropriate allocation of the advantages and obligations of social collaboration. The Utilitarian conception of “equity as justice” derives from the notion that such principles are a component of a basic contract signed in a just situation by free and equal people. Ubuntu’s core concepts are consistent with the theory of constitutional democracy. Amartya Sen argues that Rawls’s conception of justice must be understood regarding the need for equity. This theory asserts that humans have moral power, which is closely tied to their sense of fairness and potential for good ideas; it is an abstraction of Locke, Kant, and Rousseau’s social contract theory. In this context, justice is considered the foundation of society. In this way, institutions are essential to influence men’s rights and obligations, even though requests take precedence over goods. Instead, Young asserts that “the way institutions interact in a community place its members in different relative situations. For Rawls, fundamental institutions must work under the values of freedom and equality, a sense of justice—the public’s capacity to comprehend, apply, and act following a concept of justice that defines the just parameters of social cooperation. From societal conditions deemed equitable. Ubuntu is based on the premise that the essence of human beings is good and deserving of pursuit. According to Letseka (2014), the theory describes the capacity of African culture to communicate “compassion, reciprocity, dignity, harmony, and humanity. Families play a fundamental role in human development and directly impact a person’s place in the community, which is the basis of ethics. Although communal, Ubuntu philosophy does not deny the concept of individuality, as the self, the individual, is produced through his relationships with others. Either. Additionally, Ubuntu emerged through social contracts between area chiefs, councillors, and the general populace—opinion leaders. According to the author, several kingdoms, like the Basotho and Zulu kingdoms, were ruled by a ‘chief through the people. Meaning that the judgments are reached by consensus and discussion instead of arbitrariness and coercion. Ubuntu goes beyond morals and ethics. It also symbolizes justice. In Ubuntu, justice resembles as doing what is right and moral in Indigenous African civilizations. According to him, “the core of Ubuntu is its capacity to restore order, balance, and peace in African cosmology, as well as to balance conflict and harmony within traditional African communities.” Even in times of rapid change, the concepts of Ubuntu in an orderly society provide valuable lessons for constructing an ordered society. This is because Ubuntu is synonymous with justice—in terms of the proper relationship between a human and the world, between an individual and nature, and between an individual and other human. Relationships of co-dependence, the necessity for broad dialogue and compromise on ethical disputes, and the dedication to “social contract theory”

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as a guiding principle of policy and governance are related to the idea of Ubuntu. Similarly, Rawls’s sense of justice refers to the capacity for action in a society where all individuals are free and equal. Fairness and courteous treatment of other Intersections between these two philosophies include others. Therefore, Ubuntu can be viewed as the principle that governs the ideas of cooperation and fairness in Africa. Its implementation through institutions facilitates accomplishing a moral plan that includes diverse peoples and nations. Nonetheless, we continue to witness several obstacles directly associated with the African continental integration effort. Since the pre-Organization of African Unity (OAU) era, when the Casablanca Group and the Monrovia Group began, it is known that discrepancies among African countries have existed in the integrationist process, and these divisions tend to be permanent. However, colonial and integrationist ideals have always been sufficient to support the project and strengthened throughout the process. In pursuing equality on the African continent, bolstering Ubuntu as a theory of justice adapted to local reality emphasizes its ethical ability to balance conflict and harmony among African communities. According to experts (see Letseka, 2012, 2014; Mayaka & Truell, 2021), it is crucial to bolster this ideology to lead the activities of member nations and the African Union toward its pertinent mission. Since the pre-Organization of African Unity (OAU) era, when the Casablanca Group and the Monrovia Group began, it is known that discrepancies among African nations have existed in the integrationist process, and these divisions tend to be permanent. However, colonial and integrationist ideals have always been sufficient to support the project and strengthened throughout the process. In pursuing equality on the African continent, bolstering Ubuntu as a theory of justice adapted to local reality emphasizes its ethical ability to balance conflict and harmony among African communities. It is essential to enhance this vision so that it leads the activities of member countries and the African Union towards achieving its mission: “An Africa that is united, prosperous, and peaceful, led by its citizens, and reflects dynamism and strength on the international stage.” (The African Union). It confirms the notion that, at the continental level, African integration must ensure the rejection of any discriminatory attitude among member states. General guidelines must be adhered to for the process to be advantageous for all parties. Figure 6.1 illustrates our recommendation.

We Did It: O Mind; It Will Happen, if You Make a Bet, You Promise That Bet Will Stay with You Tagore said, O mind, it will happen if you make a bet, you promise that bet will stay with you. Ubuntu is our bet, conviction. Twentieth-century thinkers inspired by Nietzsche’s anthropology (Foucault, Deleuze, Rorty, Schmid, Sloterdijk) all do what Nietzsche did not: they reject idealism in favor of

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•Personal Practice •Education Policy

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•All inclusive legal provision with Communal Idenity , SelfDeterminition per se. •Volunteersom as mandatory for Academia

Contemplation

National Policy and Legal Provisional Level

SELF

Since most of Supranational Organization covers al national and countries, hence, they have larger scopes to imply the Ubuntu as moral guidelines

Supranational Bodies : WHO, UNICEF and Others

Regional and religious cocoperation

•ASEAN, ARAB LEAGUE, African Union* •Religious Organizations

*African Union (AU), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Council of Europe (COE), European Union (EU), League of Arab States (LAS), Organization of American States (OAS), Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Fig. 6.1 Ubuntu and its way of Actions

optionality. Nietzsche said: “Man is something to be overcome.” This is his ideology. Superman is the answer to his question, “what/what kind of man should be?.” Or, in Freudian terms, Nietzsche’s ideal pattern reads: “Where there was a man, there must be a superman.” However, his followers recognize only one side or the other of the anthropological question: possibility. And Richard Rorty says something similar: “The ideas we, humans, can create about ‘what’s going on?’ or ‘What is real?’ and ‘What is man?’ It is preferable to replace such bad questions as. Our own?’” According to Nietzsche, “What/what kind of people should be?” And there is no essential difference between the question “what/what kind of person can be?.” To think otherwise is to face a false dichotomy: if a person can be something (if he wants to be), he should be. So, again, Nietzsche’s answer to both questions is unequivocal: Superman. Of all the thinkers mentioned after Nietzsche, Sloterdijk has been the most forward in trying to stimulate the discussion of anthropology to reaffirm it. He poses a slightly modified version of the anthropological question: what can a man be after the age of humanism because a kind of Did anthropology end unexpectedly? During this 2020 Pandemic, we tried to materialize th Ubuntu Spirit. Let us share our works in dotted points.

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Materializing Ubuntu Among the Migrant Workers of Malaysia • When the Bangladeshi migrant worker in Malaysia were starving, we, amid the stricked lockdown, we digitally arranged food for them 6.1. • In Malaysia’s case, the food crisis, again, we admit, for the locals is not an issue because of these stimulus packages; however, these excluded the Bangladeshi migrant workers. We gave herein a few photos in Fig. 6.2 out of thousands from our volunteering, as we stated as a survival method. It is not possible for a human being, at least for us, to construe the situation in a language format. Some statements, pictures, observation is indeed more than enough if they can feel it at all. These photos are self-described, and suffice to disseminate what we wanted to say. Materializing Ubuntu Among the Migrant Workers of Malaysia • Where I, jahid, have been working, the Rakhain community of Bangladesh, I have provided see Fig. 6.3 • In our field visits, we saw and have been engaged with people’s volunteering activities, only are saving their people. The volunteers are from Indigenous people: Bangladesh Tripura Kalyan Sangsad-BTKS is one of these organizations. BTKS provided food by collecting from all the well-wishers through Facebook and Whatsapp group. Some pictures can be seen in Fig. 6.3. Bangladesh Tripura Kalyan Sangsad and Vidyananda Foundation have distributed food and health care items to 12,000 unemployed families in remote villages of Khagrachhari due to this locked-down. • Similarly, Rakhain organizations are providing food for their people. Taken this information, observational remarks, we delve into discussing, analyze in the following section. • If we see, in both contexts, the policy did not include the marginal people’s life. It is a big methodological and ontological gap in the new liberal ideology. In all means, the old normal dominated the social system with a profiteering path that caused the people is starving. As we stated above, the western dominated theories, research are not well fitted with marginal people’s everyday life. If the theory does not reflect people’s transformation (Harvey), liberty (bell hooks), or the academicians does not act with the spirit of practical-critical consciousness. It is probably time to refrain ourselves. From academia to politics, the COVID-19 proved the failure of old normality. During the crisis, both states have proved. The state of exception is going to state of the ordinary in the New Normal era. Despite the absence of enough evidence, either from Malaysia or Bangladesh, making a final policy direction, some assumptions can make. This study perturbs with re-examining the future

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Fig. 6.2 Materializing Ubuntu with the migrant workers in Malaysia (Source Field visit)

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Fig. 6.3 Sensing Ubuntu among the Bangladeshi Rakhains and beyond (Source Field visit)

of studies. Based on present trajectories, yet we see a few theoretical observations as we presented in Figs. 6.2 and 6.3. Ubuntu Related Scholarship • Perhaps, firs time ever, Ubuntu has been taken in the Asian land Not only doing practical works, we tired to share in scholarship. In introduction chapter we mentioned that this book is an put come of our feelings, particularly, Ubuntu is an axiology. Admitted, this pandemic taught me Ubuntu should be a policy beyond academia. Book Chapters i. Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M., Roy, P. K., Hamidi, M., & Ahmad, M. M. (2021). Ubuntu Philosophy:‘I Am Because We Are’–A Road to ‘Individualism’ to Global Solidarity. In Handbook of

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Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on Marginalized Populations and Support for the Future (pp. 361–381). IGI Global. ii. Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M., & Rakhine, M. A. L. (2022). How Digital Ethnography Can Be a Tool to Indigenous Gnoseology: Seeing with the Rakhain Community of Bangladesh. In Practices, Challenges, and Prospects of Digital Ethnography as a Multidisciplinary Method (pp. 94–108). IGI Global. iii. Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M., & Rakhine, M. A. L. (2022). How Digital Ethnography Can Be a Tool to Indigenous Gnoseology: Seeing With the Rakhain Community of Bangladesh. In Practices, Challenges, and Prospects of Digital Ethnography as a Multidisciplinary Method (pp. 94–108). IGI Global. iv. Chowdhury, J. S., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, M. R. M., & Rakhine, M. A. L. (2022). Are We More Social or Individual by the Digital Ethnographic Tool?: A Reflection With the Rakhain Community of Bangladesh. In Practices, Challenges, and Prospects of Digital Ethnography as a Multidisciplinary Method (pp. 78–93). IGI Global. v. Siraz, M. J., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, R. M., & Roy, P. K. (2020). Not Now, When Then? Bangladeshi Indigenous Ways of Acting in Responding C-19. In Virus Economy„ Innovation Solution Lab, India. Pp. 74–86. vi. Siraz, M. J., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, R. M., & Roy, P. K. (2020). Globalization to Slowbalization to Indigenous Holism: Combating the Preemptive: Vaccinationalism with the reflection of Saadia Gaon and AlFarabi,(Pp.103–162) in Virus Economy, 74., Innovation Solution Lab, India vii. Siraz, M. J., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, R. M., & Roy, P. K (2020). Can Ihsanic Philosophy be an alternative to ‘Social Justice’? An empirical reflection from Bangladeshi Indigenous people, in Legacies of Love, Peace and Hope: How Education can overcome Hatred and Divide, Eds. Darryl Macer. Eubios Ethics Institute, Christchurch, N.Z, pp. 278–300. viii. Siraz, M. J., Abd Wahab, H., Saad, R. M., & Roy, P. K. (2022). Volunteering for academicians, in The 2020 Pandemic and Social Science: Some Insights from the South, pp. 155–178, University of Malaya Press 9Forth Coming, 2022). Article i. J Siraz, H Abd Wahab, RM Saad, PK Roy Volunteering’as Praxis During COVID-19: Experiences from Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in Malaysia and Indigenous Communities of Bangladesh, Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics, 2020.

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Books I. The Covid-19 and Social Sciecnes: Seeing from the Global South (Universiti Malaya Press, 2022), II. Handbook of Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on Marginalized Populations and Support for the Future (IGI Global). III. Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy (Book, Springer Nature, 2023). IV. Practices, Challenges, and Prospects of Digital Ethnography as a Multidisciplinary Method (IGI Global). V. Reciprocity and Its Practice in Social Research (Book, IGI, Global, https://www.igi-global.com/book/reciprocity-its-practice-social-res earch/279803. If we assume that humanism “believed that humans were ‘effectual creatures’ and therefore did not need to allow the right kind of influence to reach them,” it is easy to understand why that age saw itself as a culture that could not read—educated on that which domesticates it. Nothing is more logical than to establish that after the end of this age, man’s barbarism (animalization) tendency comes to manifest itself. Realistically, however, no statistically, concluding that a return to humanism is not possible, he doubts that the question of raising and forming a person “can only be efficiently raised within the framework of theories of domestication and education, and therefore turns to anthropology to break out of the deadlock of the contemporary brutalization of man.” Here it should be reminded that Sloterdijk, like other contemporary thinkers influenced by Nietzsche, does not use the word “anthropology” but two seemingly related words, let me read from a different text. Ever since Kant, notes Sloterdijk in Philosophical Temperaments, being an anthropologist means interpreting humanity no longer directly through the nonhuman (the animal) and the suprahuman (God), but as the domestic animal which must look to its own breeding.31 In putting forth this proposition, Sloterdijk was more or less rewording the thesis developed by Michel Foucault in his Introduction to Kant’s Anthropology, namely that for such an anthropology the finitude of the human becomes the only point of view from which to envisage the question of being. To this day, Kant’s conception of human finitude is still central to modern anthropology and, in fact, to modern Western rationality. (Duclos, 2019, p. 45)

Yet, this is far behind the Western mind ontology (Broad, 1925; Chalmers, 2003; Drake, 1925). It is precisely the defense of life that leads us to Ubuntuistic ethics. It is worth repeating Ramose (2020) here again to remember and reinforce that Ubuntu advocates an ethos with life as its top priority: the particle ntu of the word means vital force, and the prefix ubu suggests the idea of flow and dynamism. In this way, Ubuntu is guided by values that keep the movement of life, like a river that follows its course, flowing

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through even obstacles (bypassing them or wearing them out). The Ubuntu ethics is active and relational, contributing to the humanization of everyday life, considering everything that exists as important and demarcating what it means to be a human being (Molefe, 2021). A group identity, which privileges belonging, is central to ethical guidelines guided by the intensity of the vital force. To decide between the “right” and the “wrong”, the morally acceptable and the reprehensible, it is necessary to consult how much vital force a given circumstance demands for the individual and the group. As summarized by Lougheed (2022) and Mangenga (2016), the forces have no other purpose than to enable the generation, care and transmission of life. This is a central point in African ethics. The vital power is modulated in the actions of giving and taking, intrinsic components of relationships. In this sense, when someone offers something for free to the other, and the other receives it with recognition, moving forward with the great action, a new cycle of generosity, responsibility and solidarity is triggered, involving more donors and recipients, who expand their life forces through interrelationship. This is how the Ubuntuistic ethical guidelines gears. Mangena (2016) illustrated this dynamic to clarify understanding, as shown in Fig. 6.1. An ‘ecological worldview’ and ‘relativistic anthropocentrism (2014, pp. 20–21). Understandably, this position is different from what the Western Enlightenment advocates. According to Malomalo, this helps the African human deal well with the idea that not everything is subordinate to his will. There are, for them, other wills belonging to the ancestors and the orixás, who also actively participate in human life and which, therefore, must be taken into account by people. Swanson (2010) also recognises the spiritual perspective of Ubuntu. This focus on the dignity of others makes it possible to cultivate values to strengthen the collective web, which results in internal rooting at the individual level. And it is these values developed by muntu, with an eye towards the collective, that surprisingly ends up shaping it in its authenticity, granting it a deeper reach of its human potential. Maybe someone may tag Ubuntu with Christianity as HE Demond Tutu’s assertion, but we know how much he paid for being a people-friendly Archbishop and how he did payback for his immense immersion with the community’s marginal people. Some scholars, Manyonganise, for instance, chip with gender biases, but we defend, when there has no ‘I’, not a definition like Anthropology is the study of Man and his …., then why is this notoriousness? We will see exciting information where we find HE Desmond Tutu, then president and Frantz Fanon in Textbox 6.3.

Textbox 6.3: When We Are Against Our Own People

We condemned the position as a betrayal of Africa. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “The two-degree target condemns Africa to incineration and no modern development.” And when I asked President Sarkozy in the

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negotiation, he said to me, “Ask Meles”. So I asked Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and he said, and I quote, “I want cash, not SDRs (Special Drawing Rights).” Later on it transpired that he secured 1 billion US dollars to fight terrorism in Somalia. Fanon said, “The colonized man will manifest his aggressiveness against his own people.” I will stop. Source: See, Justin Ling’s article, ‘justin trudeau’s billion-dollar scandal is a story of power, branding, and charity’, retrieved from www.wrongk indofgreen.org/tag/un/

We want to remind ourselves that we must be sensing the time and scientific practice… if ‘Not Now, when then?” (Siraz et al., 2020). After this thick and traversed argument, the deadly months still encounter the global south, yet are grappling for safe water. Over three billion people have no access to daily hygiene, less than two dollars are for the living, and over eight hundred people go to bed without food. Hence, we propose a contemplation, a spiritual shifting,6 first which HE Desmond Tutu (1999) lit up the spiritual sky of Ubuntu that we need to realize and lit up ourselves as humans. The centrality of human essence is ‘Ubuntu.’ On the policy level, we propose a multi-layered which can be perceptive and incepting of Ubuntu, as seen in Fig. 6.1. We mentioned before reminded us about a good-looking society, and if so, we may say, if Not Now, When then? First, and most crucial aspect of Ubuntu is self-realization. Our strong recommendation is the contemplation of self should take this in Education policy. We need restoration and stand against the ‘Objective’ practice and following a valuefree approach and the neutrality of western New Sciences of Francis Bacon7 (2008 [1620]; Kant’s cosmopolitanism that divided humanity (Kant, 2013); and Hegelian Spirit8 (Hegel, 2007[1807]; 1977) and his ‘One-dimensional’ (Eikeland, 2007) History (Hegel, 2001). Leading anticolonial scholars (for example, Alvares, Mignolo, Pels, Eikeland, Mohan, F. Alatas, Pasha and Murphy, Sassower are a few names [For a south-south cooperation some are very diligent, like de Sousa Santos (2015), Pasha & Murphy (2002)], and scholars from Indigenous Research Paradigm, since Antenor Firmin, Jomo Kenyetta, Vine Deloria to recent such as Lina Smith, Martin, Shawn, Margaret Kovach 6

see www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

7

“…barbarous districts of New India, Bacon termed India lime this (Bacon, 2008, 65), Jonathan Daly’s observation about west, particularly on Bacon’s New Organon is, to me little lack of totality. Daly said Bacon advocated combining Aristotle’s observation and classification with Plato’s theorizing (see Jontahn Daly’s How Europe Made the Modern World: Creating the Great Divergence. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 94). But if we read and follow the Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle, then, we may say, Bacon totally rejected the core essense of Aristotelian nature of ‘practical use of wisdom for the welfare of the Polis. 8 Hegel’s (2001) Philosophy of History is one of the well-read book, at least Robert Pippin, Slavoz Zizek, Peter Singer admires in many ways.

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Bagele Chilisa are few names, agreed that we need to work for human being instead of reproducing the Eurocentric system. So, approved or not, Objectivity is a myth and well-practised in the current Sociology of Knowledge. Hence, seeing the deadly scenarios, we are not standing by the people because we are ‘objective,’ meaning that we are Bullshit in ontology, doing bulshitazation in social science. Thus, this contemplation is the first step to be aligned with a subjective and reciprocal stand; this is, “[o]ur alternative—to concentrate on the nexus between inequality and knowledge about inequality—offers a more critical [and practical] setting to revisit questions that have become even more complicated under new conditions [of the post-covid era]” (Pasha & Murphy, 2002, p. 2). Our collective behavior and accomplishments in this new normal are a function of our ongoing development and progress of mental representations of form and practice of Knowing and Ways of Being and Acting. The second one is the legal provision. From our practical experience, we encountered how a state inherited the Hegelian Totalitarian legal and dominant instruments to control, maintain and manage marginal people. As following Al-Farabi, and Aristotle, volunteerism is the key and can be a regal to education policy, we need to work for the people, whatever the topic, whoever my community and in whatever ways, we need a Reciprocal stand. The third section is the regional organization, which can be merged with religious organizations too. Here we should disclose that we are not proposing South-South cooperation (Waisbich & Mawdsley, 2022), which may cause and proselytize another regionalism (Mukuni & Tlou, 2021; Metz, 2021).

Conclusion: Towards an (Indefinite) Optimistic Prospect Again, this must end the discussion at a point where Al-Ghazali, Buddha, and Patanjali can all be discussed. Let’s say the title is, ‘Human Nature: A Comparative Discussion,’ however, we must dare. Whereas the political limitations of Sloterdijk’s spherolog y, religious divides, and territorial disputes. Let alone this Covid had none of these. We feel, and it has become increasingly clear, that we must keep the political air cool to maintain therapeutic stability. The book shows how we can adapt and survive in a changing environment, such as during a pandemic, with psychological, social, and economic pressures. Ubuntu is a possible mounting medium for us. Change is a breeding ground for new sensitivities, tools, principles, and guidelines simultaneously for uncovering an unfettered consciousness. What will happen with your monstrosity? I saw that during this epidemic, if those who live a little better, a little relief, a little peace, hold beautiful dreams, will it be too bad? If we care about translating anthropology into ‘reality,’ it seems better to return to Kant’s anthropological scheme, according to which the “moral” of man has always been the essential drive away from “vampirism.” His power of self-creation (self-invention) under the guise of freedom as a “truth” of the mind. But Wilkinson & Kleinman (2016) comes to mind.: How we think about human suffering in congruence with Mahamati Buddha and Ubuntu

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(Brincat, 2020; Shimizu, 2022; Shimizu & Noro, 2021). Yuen (2021), states very carefully, “If We’re Lost, We Are Lost Together. No, we see hope. “Do not be disheartened by my mercy” is the saying of the great Qur’an. Let it be accessible with two songs of the Covidian time. Scholar and bioethicist Darrell Macer has very interestingly included the poems in his book. Holding hands, coursing, we in the new normalcy choose… Corona Satpak (Seven Chakra) Corona Satpak (Seven Chakra) Let’s do it in the time of seven Pak-Corona. Let’s hold hands friend that time goes by. Let’s eat Pak, friend - for the sake of the warriors ahead. Wipe away all at once - the sweat of all doctors and nurses. All the troubles will be tied in two knots - police and soldiers. These are the names of our thousands of Che Guevaras. These are the roses that bloom in the branches of death Let’s do it in the time of seven Pak-Corona. Trouble tied to three pucks - as much as losing all loved ones. All children without a mother in the world Let the world be their father. These are our Jesus of this century. I ‘loated them with affection. Don’t let disrespect make these Jesus cry Let’s do it in the time of seven PakCorona. Trouble tied to four legs - as much as a stateless man. The wounds of leaving the country are in the depths of the mind. There are as many diasporas from west to east. Our path will be with you Countryless people in the country, in the clutches of the big uncertain corona Let’s do it in the time of seven Pak-Corona. Come tied up in ‘ive bundles - the water of the destitute. The noise of life stops there More tied to six pucks - so that the stupid dry mind can sleep Hundreds of people in my country are starvingThis Kuala Lumpur is all around you Let’s tie the knot - friend, all our hands. Thoughts roam my pastures with the starving all night In the ocean of time with the hardships of the sexual intercourse of my desire at seven o’clock People of my East – When we wake up, light shines in the world. Let’s do it in the time of seven Pak-Corona. Source: Siraz, 2020, pp. 257–258). (24–25 May 2020, Kuala Lumpur)

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CHAPTER 7

Assimilating Ubuntu Spirit into Self: A Practical Note on the Selfosophy and on the First Wings: JR Self-Repairing Model

What I Have learned: Connecting to the Cosmic Totality. Let us put an introduction. Some may find this model aligns with Theosophy, however, not in the sense of a theosophist (Blavatsky, 1895). My first read, Bruce Campbell’s Ancient Wisdom revived (Campbell, 1980). Julie Chajes ( 2019), and I agree with that many yet, have a faith a sizeable minority of people with no particular connection to Eastern religions now believe in reincarnation (p. 1). My second homage is with infamous and magistral figure Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy movement. As a note, it is said, his usual and casual conversation goes to book format, such a figure who, many time talked in front of career doctors and made his activities proved. Even, no a a days, scholars like (French, 2021). I am not providing a details account, however, it has been take out of academia as it suffers of the polygenic genre. This small chapter will be adding something new to the Science of Medicine (Wujastyk, 2022). “Essential to our task is a consideration of the relations among what we will refer to here as the “three bodies.”* At the first and perhaps most self-evident level is the individual body, understood in the phenomenological sense of the lived experience of the body-self. We may reasonably assume that all people share at least some intuitive sense of the embodied self as existing apart from other individual bodies (Mauss 1985[1938]). However, the constituent parts of the body-mind, matter, psyche, soul, self, etc.-and their relations to each other, and the ways in which the body is received and experienced in health and sickness are, of course, highly variable” (Scheper-Hughes and Lock, 1987, p. 7). The fourth body: the Spiritual self, is the subject matter of this chapter.

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 J. Siraz Chowdhury et al., Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0_7

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Fig. 7.1 Latife sitta: The 6 inner parts in Islamic Sufism

As said, This project is for my children, for your children, the Medicine Wheel represents healing, to heal the wrongs of the past, and creating the opportunity for a brighter future. I want to listen and learn from my predecessors to create a future where everyone has the opportunity to achieve success without systemic, historical, or racial barriers (Parisian, 2020, p. 73).

So, a question may come by, what is the essence of a self who does not have any single-word knowledge of academia? Let me place this in brief (Fig. 7.1). Here I have two Parts to work with the JR Self-repairing Model One is Exoteric and Esoteric. In this stage, I will work on these two aspects; maybe over time, I will take it into a clinical model under Selfosophy. This is in my practice and can be a clinical model. We describe this in Fig. 7.2. We, if not mistaken, WHO has a concern about Indigenous Spirituality (Abbott, 2014; Williams, eds., 2020 and this Report is good read: Historical and ongoing discrimination threatens spiritual, cultural and physical survival of indigenous peoples see, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel eases/2022/10/historical-and-ongoing-discrimination-threatens-spiritual-cul tural-andUNreport). The Budhist monks carry a good tradition of medicinal advancement (Zysk, 1998; Sebastian, 2022; Wujastyk, 2022). In medical

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Fig. 7.2 JR self-repairing model (Notes B = Body, M = Mind, S = Spirit, E = Energy, En = Emotion, Eso = Esoteric Breathing, Exo = Exoteric Breathing, OS = Other self)

Anthropology, the body is shaped by western thought, in the abstract, we gave some initial positionality in ethnography, overlooked people’s contemplation. So, we propose to be the repairing Self, the inner self, for Self and others, and the JR Self-Repairing model is we adopt from our own contemplating ways along with all 3 Bante and 3 Sitama’s teaching. The combination of Rakhain Sitama and Bante shows some eating habits, sleep cycles, and some of our generic breathing techniques, which helps in Esoteric— balanced blood flow, thinner cells, low blood pressure, low heart rate, and balanced pulse. With an Exoteric process—one can keep the blood cells open and supports

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the right airflow and obstacles. And, above all, it helps to keep our cognition and consciousness sensual, our body-mind-spirit in a balanced manner.

JR method—Fig. 7.2 has been a part of my everyday life, inspired by other texts, for instance (Wang et al., 2020). Moreover, along with some friends and relatives, we have been practising. This model gives a better ‘self’ within the self to understand the whole cosmos. And we believe that if someone repairs her or himself by this method, we do not need to come down with a development prescription or medicinal prescription to fix me. Our faith, the inception of the JR Self-Repairing method, and its practice in the everyday personal sphere may connect the Person and Community—to a more considerable extent—the policy arena—and this method can profoundly transform the scale, dynamics, and significance of social science research. To us, this method merges the two domains of IMK: Plant and Non-plant, in a single line, and inevitably, is my lesson from this Rakhain community. Let me describe, A working definition of the JR method is as below, JR is tool that combines Esoteric and Exoteric balancing within the body, that can repair ourselves for a better and healthier life, and this is, nothing with religion and faith, it is natural and hence universal, and it helps to be connected to Cosmic totality, not only within Indigenous people but everywhere.

Why this model I adopt and am sharing with the readership is question. Let me clarify. Wendy Geniusz (2009) put some practical Indigenous Medicinal Knowledge for Readership in the book’s Appendix about 24 pages containing making Medicine, tea, wool, and some beneficial medicinal other process. Spirituality and Buddhist moral teaching is now in Social sciences, in specific, ‘spirituality matters in Indigenous life’ (Turner, 2020) and from the Buddhist perspective too (see, Arjana, 2020; Greenwell, 2018; Padma, 2021; Ravindran, 2006; Suzuki, 2011). Even from a Social Sciences perspective, we see ‘Coming to stillness is the art of social work practice’ (Jacobs, 2015; Kwan et al., 2020; Wang & Tice-Brown, 2021; Wang et al., 2020, also see the note)1 and in social science tool. Fiona Gardner (2022)2 nicely adopted the message of silence. This work makes clear that connecting with spirituality in the widest sense is an integral component of socially just social work practice, citing Gardner’s viewpoint in combining social work content with religious and spiritual sources. Gardner links common understandings of spiritual/religious traditions, critically reflective social work, relational worldviews of First Nations peoples, and green and relational methods. This JR

1 Iyer, P. (2014). The art of stillness: Adventures in going nowhere. Simon and Schuster; Heim, W. (2021, December). The Times of Caring in a Nuclear World: Sculpture, Contamination and Stillness. In Arts (Vol. 11, No. 1, p. 7). MDPI. 2 Gardner, F. (2022). Embedding spirituality and religion in social work practice: A socially just approach. Routledge.

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Model is really motivated by this chapter, Embedding spirituality and religion in practice: working with individuals and family. The accumulation of these powerful philosophical messages leads to the slowing of Panic/Energy flow in the body, mind, and spirit, resulting in our academics and, hence, we have nothing to do practically for the community. Let us cite a sentence, “How can a profession with religious origins, sharing aspirations with the best aspects of religions, and claiming to deal with the whole person, cut off the spiritual realm of life?”’ (Canda, 2005, in Ranz, 2021). Nonetheless, Shahjahan, from Michigan State University (2005), has been intensively working on spirituality as a decolonizing tool for the global south. we see significant texts associated with healing and Buddhism. However, it is not a scientific claim that no research or books on Buddhist Healing have been published in Bangladesh; consequently, this is relevant to a few areas of this book’s originality, aesthetics, and value. Then finally, this model is an attempt to theorize our Body with the aid of silence, meaning that this JR Model. Berkes’s Sacred Ecology (2017) is another motivation for adopting and sharing this model. Sacred Ecology examines bodies of knowledge held by indigenous and other rural peoples around the world, and asks how we can learn from this knowledge and ways of knowing. This is such a model the Bante taught me and I (jahid) have practised over a few months. It is worth sharing so that we all can repair ourselves for a better and healthier life. This is methodologically a step towards grasping the Cosmic totality, not only within Indigenous people but everywhere. Two observations are here to keep in mind as a side note— One, when we go field, we give ‘informed consent (another Neo-liberal course of action in legalizing and reproducing western Individualistic methods, eventually the methodology), we say the people have to be in full consciousness, health, and well informed (though we often did not disclose the a-z detail of the project or research). However, yet, as a process, we follow the Exclusion and Inclusion Criteria. Did we think, if the respondent asks me, yes mate, you come here for my consent, are you healthy? Did you realize that you are Ms or MR ABC? How do I reckon you that you are the person when you did not even realize that you are in yourself?

Note 1: we all feel that air touched each hair cell, meaning every part of the skin, however, do we feel that that air is in a normal condition? Note 2: Scientifically proved those blood vessels are everywhere except the injuries, do we feel that blood is moving around the body? If not, then how do I claim, I am jahid, Parimal or Prof Haris, or Dr. Rashid? Two, we are part of the cosmos, almost in all religions, Indigenous culture contains this faith. My understanding, if Allah is the Noor (lights) of the Earths and Skies, then why not the lights are inside me, and this assumption took me down to the Buddhist enlightenment process. The whole body is, to be the most

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sophisticated technology in the world, and this technology means to be a wellcrafted geometrical order. In chapter 4, the medicine wheel is an eye opener for me, we saw in the Rakhain village, that the aged villagers’ common and Buddhahood philosophy of people’s welfare is nothing but the Indigenous ways of acting (Udefi, 2015). This Model is the practice ground for Self-repairing. In this breathing or self-repairing method, I do practice, and I share the result. For this, I sought two doctors, and I know this model is the last proof of our Indigenous Standpoint, empirical validity. And one of my fellow Parimal is to take this model into a social experiment, maybe later as Clinical Model. On 31st January, when Parimal came to say Bye’ as he had to leave Malaysia to take care of his Covid-19 infected wife and only son, Professor Haris prayed and said his eagerness to the model implied (however, Mr. Parimal has changed the topic and setting, so for now, I will have to hold to lights, in Appendix I, I have planned some separate studies on this issue). And I agree with scholars (Boehm, 2021; Martin, et al, 2020; Mildon, 2018), who said, this is contact with nature and wellbeing is a pathway to settling inner self. Boehm, for example, said, “within the swirl of all the demands and options of a busy life, it becomes hard to know why we are, and almost impossible to discern what our best choices are” (Boehm, 2021, p. 3)

Why do I use the JR Self-Repairing? This has to be clarified. Simply put, we do Esoteric and Exoteric breathing in two portions, each taking ten to twelve minutes, and we swallow some garlic and black seeds but no solid food before that. However, it is used to ease nasopharyngeal obstruction, improve air circulation, and calm the body and mind and emotion and energy in a cosmic order. Put the esoteric at first to relieve the cause of inconvenience flow and ease the muscles. This also transforms my body’s water into healthier, energetic water balls. Breathing esoterically does more than merely break down blood and water molecules and provides you energy. When we’ve accomplished that, we can go on to exoteric breathing, which gives me a natural sense of air in my outside hair cells, and inner breathing, which means air movement via the nasals. So, following Wang and Tice-Brown (2021), we want to say, it helps, so let me help myself to help others. Further, Bonhoeffer (2000) said, this self-repairing method gives interior and exterior fulfillment. This thesis, in essence, Bante, Sitama, and the people gifted me as teaching where something has changed, not only academically, professionally, and personally, but also on a spiritual level, it is a lifelong lesson.

References Abbott, R. (2014, March). Documenting traditional medical knowledge. Ryan Abbott, Documenting traditional medical knowledge, World Intellectual Property Organization. Arjana, S. R. (2020). Buying Buddha, selling Rumi: Orientalism and the mystical marketplace. Simon and Schuster. Berkes, F. (2017). Sacred ecology. Routledge.

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Blavatsky, H. P. (1895). The secret doctrine: The synthesis of science, religion and philosophy (Vol. 2). Theosophical Publishing Society. Boehm, M. (2021). The wild Woman’s way: Reconnect to your body’s wisdom. Simon and Schuster. Bonhoeffer, D. (2000). Meditating on the Word. Rowman & Littlefield. Campbell, B. F. (1980). Ancient wisdom revived: A history of the theosophical movement. University of Californiarnia Press. Canda, E. R. (2012). Spirituality in social work: New directions. Routledge. Chajes, J. (2019). Recycled Lives: A history of reincarnation in blavatsky’s theosophy. Oxford University Press. French, A. (2021). Disenchanting and re-enchanting German modernity with max weber and rudolf steiner. University of California, Davis. Gardner, F. (2022). Embedding spirituality and religion in social work practice: A socially just approach. Routledge. Geniusz, W. M. (2009). Our knowledge is not primitive: Decolonizing botanical Anishinaabe teachings. Syracuse University Press. Greenwell, B. L. (2018). When spirit leaps: Navigating the process of spiritual awakening. New Harbinger. In E. Oddo (Ed.), Spiritual awakening: 3 books in 1: Your complete guide to healing yourself through Chakras for Beginners, Third Eye for Beginners and Reiki for Beginners. Jacobs, C. (2015). Contemplative spaces in social work practice. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 49(1), 150–154. Kwan, C. K., Yeung, J. W., & Kong, C. Y. (2020). Utjecaj Religioznosti I Duhovnosti Na Svakodnevnu Praksu Socijalnih Radnika. Ljetopis Socijalnog Rada, 27 (3), 543– 561. Martin, L., White, M. P., Hunt, A., Richardson, M., Pahl, S., & Burt, J. (2020). Nature contact, nature connectedness and associations with health, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 68, 101389. Mildon, E. (2018). Evolution of goddess: A modern girl’s guide to activating your feminine superpowers. Simon and Schuster. Padma, J. H. (2021). Field of blessings: Ritual & consciousness in the work of buddhist healers. John Hunt. Parisian, J. (2020). A holistic approach to capacity building: For professionals working with indigenous communities. University of Northern British Columbia. https:// core.ac.uk/download/pdf/343658943.pdf Ranz, R. (2021). Developing social work students’ Awareness of their spiritual/religious identity and integrating it into their professional identity: Evaluation of a pilot course. The British Journal of Social Work, 51(4), 1392–1407. Ravindran, K. (2006). Happy living: A holistic and practical guide to optimise mind and body. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Scheper-Hughes, N., & Lock, M. M. (1987). The mindful body: A prolegomenon to future work in medical anthropology. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 1(1), 6–41. Sebastian, C. D. (2022). Ayurveda and the medical knowledge in ancient India: Shadows and realities. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 8–15. Shahjahan, R. A. (2005). Spirituality in the academy: Reclaiming from the margins and evoking a transformative way of knowing the world. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 18(6), 685–711. Suzuki, Y. (2011). Medicine master Buddha: The iconic worship of Yakushi in Heian Japan (Vol. 3). Brill.

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Turner, D. (2020). On the politics of Indigenous translation: Listening to Indigenous peoples in and on their own terms. In Routledge handbook of critical indigenous studies (pp. 175–188). Routledge. Udefi, A. (2015). Dimensions of epistemology and the case for Africa’s indigenous ways of knowing. Tattva-Journal of Philosophy, 7 (1), 1–16. Wang, D. S., Perlman, A., & Temme, L. J. (2020). Utilizing contemplative practices in social work education. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 39(1), 47–61. Wang, D., & Tice-Brown, D. (2021). “It helped, the mindfulness, so let me help”: High school students developing social work values. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 18(1), 49. Williams, V. R. (2020). Indigenous peoples: An encyclopedia of culture, history, and threats to survival (Vol. 4). ABC-CLIO. Wujastyk, D. (2022). The science of medicine. Wiley Blackwell Companion to Hinduism (pp. 399–413). Zysk, K. G. (1998). Asceticism and healing in ancient India: Medicine in the Buddhist monastery (Vol. 2). Motilal Banarsidass.

Glossaries

Bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamm¯a: “Wings to Awakening”—seven sets of principles that are conducive to Awakening and that, according to the Buddha. Disciple of Discipline: Uncritical social scientists who follow the Eurocentric concepts, and methodologies and those who blindly follow supervisors’ advice without knowing the root of the advised theory or method. Epistemology of the South (SE): SE seeks to reclaim the public and local knowledge engaged in the fight, which has not been acknowledged by scientific or academic knowledge—be it philosophy, art, or human sciences and society—contributing to a more meaningful view of the world. This cognitive exclusion dominates social exclusion. Hhcate winyarin : Often translated as “spirit,” the term refers to an immaterial part of the person that determines an individual and, in a collective sense, group character. One’s sunsum could be light or heavy, and this intangible element could be cultivated. Indigenous Gnoseology: This Indigenous Gnoseological stand is an important aspect of vibrant Indigenous life. Without this, a terrifying application, such as other researchers, can be implied in producing knowledge, ultimately reproducing and legalizing the west that we excoriate. Indigenous Cosmology is a separate setting, a different face, and independent science and thus creates another dimension of subjectivity and reflections when it comes to the question of data validity. JR Self-Repairing Model: The combination of Rakhain Sitama (healers) and Bante (Spiritual leader) shows some eating habits, sleep cycles, and some of our generic breathing techniques. Which helps in Esoteric—balanced blood flow, thinner cells, low blood pressure, low heart rate, and balanced pulse. With Exoteric techniques—one can keep the blood cells open and keeps the right airflow and obstacles. And, above all, it helps to keep our cognition and consciousness sensual, our body-mind-spirit in a balanced manner. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 J. Siraz Chowdhury et al., Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0

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Nyarewa: (Something as Sitama said—disease, sickness; small) refers to “small or minor diseases. Selfosophy: ‘Selfosophy’ is the study of self through the philosophic underpinning of self towards the cosmic totality which is neither ethnosophy, theosophy and anthroposophy, but rather a completely separate approach to seeing and helping the self to help others and community (for details, Chowdhury, JS & Abd Wahab, 2023. Selfosophy and Repairing self: An Introduction, Universiti Malaya Press). Siddh¯a: Conviction, faith, and confidence in the Buddha gives one the willingness to put his teachings into practice. A conviction becomes unshakeable upon the attainment of stream-entry.

Index

A Al-Kindi, 62, 63 Aquinas, Thomas, 46, 79, 165 Arab League, 86 Aristotle, 3, 19, 34, 47, 59, 64, 135, 154, 166 Arrow, K., 107 Asad, Talal, 40, 53, 60, 104 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), 86 B Bante, 48, 122, 199, 201, 202, 205 Belgian Congo, 104, 170 Bhabha, Homi, 42, 123, 145 Bhambra, Gurminder, 31, 32, 44, 122, 135, 162 Bond, 152, 169 BRAC, 24 Brotherhood, 16, 95, 117 Buber, Martin, 36 Buddha, 33, 35, 38, 47, 48, 50, 63, 150, 166, 167, 169, 191, 205, 206 Buddhist Ethics, 46 C Caring, 83, 90, 95, 153, 154 Collective individual, 26 Collectivity, 83 Colonial, 2, 3, 16, 24, 35, 37, 40, 41, 50, 55, 58, 59, 61, 66, 77, 79, 80,

110, 118–121, 134, 135, 137, 145, 147–150, 152, 161, 167, 171–173, 178, 182 Colonialism, 3, 24, 43, 60, 64, 85, 117, 118, 120, 121, 123, 134, 135, 146–149, 154, 167, 178 Commonal, 79, 85, 95, 178 Commoning, 77 Communal, 15, 25, 26, 95, 106, 111, 117, 119, 124, 141, 153, 164, 181 Community, 11, 15, 16, 19, 23, 25, 26, 34, 35, 48, 50–54, 57, 60, 62, 64, 75, 77, 78, 81, 83, 86, 101–103, 105, 109, 111, 115, 117, 122, 125, 136, 142, 145, 151, 152, 162, 163, 169, 172, 179, 181, 184, 189, 200, 201, 206 Compassion, 83, 86, 87, 91, 95, 102, 110, 171 COVID-19, 10, 15, 19, 22, 25, 53, 60, 73, 74, 77, 89, 93, 94, 122, 149, 177, 178, 184 Culture, 23, 39, 40, 54, 85, 88, 89, 91, 102, 106, 111, 137, 142, 144–147, 150–152, 162, 170, 177, 179, 181, 188

D Decolonial, 25, 36, 41, 49, 51, 60, 80, 118, 122, 146 Decolonizing sociology, 44

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 J. Siraz Chowdhury et al., Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7818-0

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INDEX

Deleuze, Gilles, 16, 38, 39, 120, 121, 182 Deloria, Vine, 39, 40, 51, 52, 54, 88 Democracy, 12, 20, 24, 105, 107, 113, 121, 134, 141, 144, 177, 181 Denzin, Norman, 21, 42 Derrida, Jacques, 16, 39, 40, 54 Descartes, René, 19, 45, 48, 50, 64, 66, 79–81, 104, 108, 179 de Sousa Santos, B., 32, 117–119, 121, 137, 146, 148 Dewey, John, 47, 64, 86, 105, 165 Dignity, 83, 87, 91, 106, 111, 116, 125, 163, 164, 168, 181, 189 Diplomacy, 95 Disciple of Discipline, 205

E Education, 15, 34, 36, 62, 74, 78, 101, 106, 115–117, 123, 125, 136, 142, 145, 150–152, 166, 167, 169, 170, 188 Empathy, 14, 90, 110, 171 Epistemology of the South (SE), 118, 119, 121, 123, 124, 135, 146–148, 205 Escobar, Arturo, 146 Esoterism (internal), 34 Esteva, Gustavo, 4, 11, 18, 23, 146 Eurocentric, 83, 93, 117, 120, 135, 141, 147, 148, 161, 205 Exoterism (external), 34

F Family, 23, 84, 85, 102, 111, 136, 142, 163, 164, 169, 173, 201 Family Therapy, 169 Fanon, Frantz, 17, 38–42, 117, 119, 123, 167, 189, 190 Features of Ubuntu, 82 Firmin, Antenor, 41, 117 Forgiveness, 83, 84, 95, 112, 124, 169 Foucault, Michael/Michel, 2, 16–18, 39, 40, 55, 80, 81, 87, 88, 108, 165, 182, 188

G Gandhi, Mahatma, 41, 119, 123 Genocide, 104, 119, 161 Globalization, 41, 104, 124, 151, 169 Grosfoguel, Ramón, 146 Guattari, Félix, 38, 39, 120, 161

H Harmony, 79, 107, 110, 123, 147, 162, 163, 166, 169, 181, 182 Health policies, 4, 16, 125 Hegel, Georg, 2, 11, 19, 33, 35, 37, 38, 47, 48, 63, 64, 66, 79–81, 84, 88, 104, 106, 110, 111, 118, 121, 147, 162, 170, 190 , 48, 205 Hhcate winyarin Hobbes, Thomas, 37, 76, 150 Holism, 64 Hountondji, P.J., 117, 118 Humanity, 2, 20, 78, 79, 82–87, 90, 91, 95, 110, 115, 116, 122, 124, 125, 135, 141, 144, 149, 150, 155, 162, 167, 179, 181 Human sufferings, 167, 191 Husserl, Edmund, 2, 33, 50

I Ibn Khaldun, 148, 154 Illich, Ivan, 146 ILO, 138, 139 Indigenous Gnoseology, 42, 45, 64–66, 104, 122, 154, 205 Indigenous Research Paradigm (IRP), 41, 45, 48, 51, 64, 78, 154 Individualism, 25, 73, 74, 78, 81, 82, 141, 142, 171 Injustice, 23, 31, 36, 64, 82, 86, 117, 118, 120, 163, 171 Intellectual genealogy, 121

K Kant, Immanuel, 2, 3, 11, 16, 19, 35–39, 45, 48, 63, 66, 79–81, 88, 104–106, 108, 111, 121, 122, 163–168, 170, 181, 191 Kenyatta, Jomo, 41, 42, 117, 136

INDEX

Kindness, 86, 91, 95 Knowledge, 10, 15, 19, 21, 23, 31–33, 38, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 51–53, 55, 60, 62–64, 66, 73, 77, 80, 81, 83, 85, 108, 117–120, 123, 135–137, 140, 142, 145–147, 152, 161, 162, 166–168, 171, 172, 201, 205 Knowledge democracy, 117 Kuhn, Thomas, 45, 51, 59, 60

L Licensed lunacy, 11, 134, 137 Locke, John, 45, 46, 79, 81, 105, 108, 181 Love, 26, 33, 75, 81, 83, 95, 115, 116

M Mangena, F., 76, 89, 101, 102, 173, 189 Mariategui, Jose, 42, 119 Marxism, 11, 13, 15, 118, 150 Marx, Karl, 3, 42, 66, 118, 119, 149, 150 Metaphysics, 39, 54, 58, 60, 86, 166, 168 Methodology, 23, 25, 31, 39, 41, 45, 48–50, 52, 55, 124, 134, 140 Mettler, S., 123 Mignolo, Walter, 2, 3, 12, 41, 45, 47, 48, 60, 64, 66, 79, 88, 93, 104, 109, 123, 145, 146, 148, 165 Molefe, M., 75, 76, 85, 86, 89, 171, 173, 178, 179, 189 Murray, Victor, 19, 75, 133, 136

N Nakata, Martin, 23, 33, 41, 43, 135, 142 Neoliberalism, 18, 49, 81 New Normalcy, 12, 16, 48, 124, 133, 178, 192 Nicomachean ethics, 3, 34, 62, 64, 135, 190 Nietzsche, Friedrich, 108, 167, 169, 170, 182, 183, 188

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O Organization of African Unity (OAU), 182

P Pan Africanism, 86 Patanjali, 33, 38, 167, 191 P’Bitek O., 123 Phenomenology, 2, 33, 45, 47, 50, 52, 66, 84, 161 Philosophical, 15, 22, 24–26, 32, 41, 42, 46, 48, 55, 64, 66, 75, 78, 86, 101–104, 107, 118, 123–125, 150, 152, 161, 162, 165, 168, 171, 178, 201 Philosophical anthropology, 110 Philosophy of Knowledge, 46, 66 Philosophy of Social Science, 86, 123 Phronesis, 58, 154 Pluralism, 123, 146, 162 Pogge, Thomas, 106 Policy, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 26, 36, 56, 59, 77, 85, 101, 104, 107, 114, 117, 148, 149, 151, 153–155, 165, 171, 182, 184, 186, 190, 200 Postcolonialism, 44, 120, 121, 134, 135, 145–149 Pragmatism, 18, 37, 86, 104, 166

R Racism, 35, 76, 79, 80, 92, 93, 110, 111, 134, 153–155 Rahnema, Majid, 146 Ramose, 75–77, 79, 80, 83, 86, 87, 89, 90, 105, 117, 118, 141, 171–173, 178, 188 Rawls, John, 105–107, 165, 179–182 Reciprocity, 21, 41, 51, 56, 64, 79, 83, 102, 107, 110, 121–124, 179 Reconciliation, 78, 104, 111–113, 124, 155, 171 Regionality, 74 Rehabilitation, 104 Respect, 16, 56, 81, 83, 87, 90, 95, 101, 102, 111, 113, 140, 146, 162, 168, 171 Ricoeur, Paul, 123

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INDEX

Righting wrongs , 23, 61 Rizal, Jose, 41, 42, 117 Rodríguez, E.G., 122, 123

S SAARC, 8, 86, 174 Said, Edward, 16, 17, 56, 88, 118, 145, 148 Sanguineti, J.J., 45, 46, 154 Santos, Boaventura de Sousa, 149, 151 Science or philosophy, 123 Scientific knowledge, 66, 80, 135 Scott, James, 94, 120 Selfosophy, 26, 35, 88, 198, 206 Self-Repairing, 199, 200, 202 Sharing, 12, 34, 75, 90, 91, 95, 133, 200, 201 Siddh¯a, 206 Smith, Linda, 23, 41, 43, 51, 62, 104, 135 Social science, 21, 23, 25, 32–35, 38, 39, 41, 45, 49, 54, 55, 58, 60, 64, 73, 80, 107, 121–123, 137, 152, 178, 200 Sociology, 10, 33, 39, 53, 55, 60, 103, 118, 119, 122, 135 Sociology of knowledge, 21, 49, 120, 123 Solidarity, 6, 14, 23, 25, 36, 48, 51, 75, 78, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89–91, 102, 110, 111, 148, 154, 165, 166, 169, 172, 177, 189 South Africa, 15, 18, 19, 76, 91, 92, 104, 111–114, 124, 144, 152–154, 171, 172, 176, 178 Subhuman, 10, 19, 121 Subjectivity vs Objectivity, 154

T Theory of Knowledge, 39, 46, 47, 64, 104, 118, 122 U Ubuntu spirit, 23, 117, 123, 125, 142, 165, 168, 176, 177, 183 ‘umuntungumuntungabantu’ , 74 United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), 137–139 United Nations (UN), 4, 6, 10, 51, 89, 115, 116 Utilitarianism, 79, 108 V Vivir, Buen, 104, 108, 177 W Waghid, Y., 15, 20, 22, 75, 90, 102, 115, 176 Wa Thiong’o, Ng˜ ug˜ı, 42, 123 Weing, 18, 64 Western, 2, 3, 5, 11, 13, 16, 18, 21, 23, 35, 37, 39, 54, 60, 64, 66, 78–82, 88, 103–108, 115, 117, 121, 123, 124, 136, 140–142, 146, 148, 153, 161–163, 165, 166, 171–173, 179, 184, 188 Wilson, Shawn, 16, 23, 41, 43, 135 Wings to Awakening, 48, 63, 205 Wolf, Eric Robert, 53, 123 World Health Organizatio (WHO), 5, 9, 24, 93, 94 Z Ziai, Aram, 3, 104, 117, 155