Critique of Ifeanyi Menkiti’s Idea of Person and Community

Abstract

We are in a society where its system permits an individual to take precedence over a group community the reason why we often put wealth above good character In Africa some scholars text and philosophers have attributed this social woe on imperial influx that took over African traditional institution around 19th century In his quest to search for socio-cultural metaphysical epistemic and moral constituents of a person Ifeanyi Menkiti a prolific African philosopher gave a turgid articulation on the Person and Community in African Traditional Thought with a sharp position that a community group takes precedence over a person individual Put difference it is a community that defines an individual This paper therefore is committed to review and critically examine contents in this Menkiti s radical communitarian position Doing this we shall examine the essence of a person individual with a special focus on metaphysical epistemic and moral constituents of a person the process of incorporation in traditional African society and the idea of depersonalization This paper assumes that Menkiti s failed to acknowledge the roles of an infant and the dead ancestors in the organization and development of a community