The Ubuntu Botho philosophy
What exactly is Ubuntu and Botho? What does it mean? And what can humanity learn from this concept?
The word Ubuntu is nothing new, with references to it being found as far back as 1846. While the concept has many different definitions and translations, the most popular definition comes from a Zulu phrase. This phrase, “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” translates roughly to “humanity” or “humanity towards others” or “I am because we are”. It embodies the concept of community and the belief in a universal bond that connects all people, highlighting the idea that an individual’s humanity is deeply tied to the humanity of others.
While it has been around for centuries, it was largely popularized in South Africa by Nelson Mandela, who gave the concept the international reach it has achieved today. Ubuntu is deeply rooted in the African view of the world which emphasizes community and human interconnectedness.
Botho, like Ubuntu, emphasizes the importance of community, mutual care, and the interconnectedness of all people. It is a guiding principle in many African cultures, underscoring the belief that a person’s humanity is deeply connected to the well-being of others and the community at large.
African philosophy is rooted in a deep tradition of morals and ethics. And, like all philosophy, it can help us look at our lives, and learn lessons about the truths of ourselves.
Ubuntu Botho is about community
Botho comes from the Sotho-Tswana languages spoken in South Africa, commonly translated as "humanity" or "humanness," and it encapsulates the idea of treating others with respect, dignity, and compassion.
Exploring the Meaning of Ubuntu and Botho in African Philosophy
The most widely accepted definition teaches us that we are human beings because of our relationships with other human beings. That we are a community.
In essence, this ethic tells us that we find identity through our relationships with one another. That we live as a shared humanity, and our human-ness comes not from individual experiences, but our community.
Living according to Ubuntu Botho principles involves recognizing the contributions of previous generations and the environment.
It shifts the focus away from the individual, and towards the community.
Ubuntu Botho is asking you to view yourself not as an individual, but part of a group. It says that your humanity is formed through relationships, making how we relate to, and treat one another, vital to our essence. The thing humanity needs to prioritize are the ways we treat each other.
Who Popularized Ubuntu and Botho in Southern Africa?
The concept of Ubuntu Botho has an interesting history, having been adopted by many thinkers and philosophers in its lifetime. It focuses on the idea that community is the basis of society, and the idea of collective humanity defining us as human beings.
The contributions of South Africans have been pivotal in developing and interpreting Ubuntu Botho, particularly in its moral and ethical dimensions.
Recently, Desmond Tutu popularized this philosophy in his book “No future without forgiveness”. In this book, he describes someone with Ubuntu as a person who is “open and available to others”. This provides another angle on the philosophy of Ubuntu Botho. When you live with Ubuntu Botho, you live in a way where you are open to others and know that by helping others you become a richer human as well.
Nelson Mandela also famously spoke about this concept. As a part of his leadership, he often relied on the concept as he helped post-apartheid South Africa unify. He ruled with the principle that leadership comes from a place of peace for humanity, and a focus on working to help heal a greater whole through cooperation, connection, and community.
Using Ubuntu Botho Principles in Daily Life
What would it mean to apply this concept to our daily life?
Below are some of the many ways you can apply the Ubuntu Botho philosophy to your day-to-day thinking.
No Person Is An Island.
If we can take one thing away from the concept of Ubuntu Botho and apply it to daily lives let it be this: No person is an island. A meaningful and well-lived life is enjoyed by supporting and being supported by others. Ubuntu Botho speaks to the idea of collective humanity. When we live with Ubuntu Botho we acknowledge that a key part of the human experience is our relationships with, and reliance on, other people. On our relationship with our community.
Western and American cultures often have us look the other way – self reliance, independence, be the first and best. They are often told to hustle hard, and not burden others with their problems. This is a quick way to get burnt out and lose our connection with others.
In reality, no person can do it all alone. We’ll always come to a point where we need help, whether it’s an extra set of hands to carry some plates to a table, or a coworker to take on parts of a project we can’t do.
As human beings we need each other, and that’s okay. In fact, it’s wonderful to ask for and receive the help you need. Too often we assume other people aren’t willing and able to help. With Ubuntu Botho, we are reminded that there is joy in helping and being helped by others and that doing so helps us grow into better people, and enjoy better community.
This comes up a lot when people think about community. People resist asking others for help when in fact those others would love to provide help and support.
Work For Community Good in African Moral Theory
When we approach our lives with the community in mind, it makes it easier to make choices for the greater good. Ubuntu Botho invites us to unlearn the individualistic, self-centered attitudes that the more materialistic philosophies have introduced. With Ubuntu Botho our mindset shifts from thinking of self to thinking of community, and we can re-orient ourselves to the needs of the community, the needs of others.
We might recycle more because we want the world to be cleaner for our kids in the future, or donating to disaster relief during a global crisis to help others in the way we can.
Ubuntu Botho can help to remind us that there is much we can do to help those around us, and a joy to be found in doing so.
Celebrating Our Differences
Ubuntu Botho philosophy can also be a great mindset shift and help us better recognize and celebrate the things that make us different.
Again, the philosophy asks us to increase our awareness of others. To look at our community, recognize everyone’s humanity, not see people as individuals, and cherish the relationships we have with one another.
In doing so, we often experience mindset shifts that increase our awareness of others. We can more fully see each other’s humanity despite our differences, and recognize the different needs of other people. In this way, separation in light of difference can diminish, as we focus more on the things that connect us as a community rather than our differences as individuals.
Enriching Our Relationships
Ubuntu Botho can encourage us to prioritize our relationships with others. We are saying that our humanity exists in the way we connect to one another. In this mindset, our relationships with others become the important point of focus in our lives, which in many instances can be a good thing. This encourages us to think about how we can be of service to one another, how we can support one another, and the things we can do to help the community.
From a relationship perspective, this can look a lot like changing your mindset from “How can this benefit me?” to “How can this benefit us?” In this way, putting more time into fostering healthy relationships is a good thing for the community.
Shift Your Mindset, Change Your Life
Changing our mindset from me to us changes our lives. Moving our mindset from me to community changes our lives. Let’s think of our community. Let’s think of Ubuntu Botho.