Domesticating Representative Democracy: Re-Inventing the People

World politics has taken a dimension toward global democratization. An undemocratic state is viewed as not having an objective existence among comity of nations. Thus, there is a global attestation and fraternity with the idea of democracy whether in theory or in reality. This deference for democracy has led to the pretentious display by many nations to be democratic. Obviously, given the nature of the modern societies, Representative democracy becomes the most appropriate form of democracy that nations could embrace in their quest for democratization. However, the peculiar weakness of this form of democracy empowers men of weak moral rectitude to exploit it to the detriment of the people whose consent is germane to the enthronement and practice of democracy. Therefore, this paper proposes Naturalized Democracy which the author considers as the most appropriate form of democracy, beyond Representative democracy. The weakness of Representative democracy is that it venerates and pays attention more to the Representatives while Naturalized democracy focuses on the people and holds the Representatives as stewards of the people

Revolution and Development in Amilcar Cabral's Political Thought

Early studies on Amilcar Cabral construe him more as a revolutionary theorist. His political ideas have been discussed, cutting across his ideas of cultural identity, revolutionary thought, imperialism, citizenship among others. An understanding of Cabral’s pragmatic approach to theories revealed that Cabral was not interested in theory for the sake of mere pontifications but rather to enhance the purpose of the revolution he pioneered in Guinea (Guinea-Bissau) against Portuguese colonialism. Incidentally, this underlying objective of the revolution, (that is, development) has not been properly discussed by scholars. Thus, this thesis has as its general objective, an examination of Cabral’s idea of development. This study is significant for two reasons: first, the perennial status of underdevelopment and poverty in Africa; second, the absence of sufficient literature on Cabral’s theory of development. This study employed qualitative method of research. It utilized secondary sources of data as a way of effectively locating Cabral’s philosophy of development. The secondary data were analyzed through textual analysis and explanatory (interpretative) method. In other words, the concepts that formed the body of work on development in Cabral’s Political Thought were identified and interpreted with the intention of drawing both the direct and the indirect inferences on development. Thus, this study identified and classified Cabral’s idea of development as ‘Humanistic conception of Development’ which is primarily people-centered development ideology. Cabral conceived development as progress in the living condition of the people. His theory of development could also be referred to as participatory theory of development. This brings his development thought in line with those of Amartya Sen, Arturo Escobar, Claude Ake, among others. Cabral conceived the people as the creative force of development (Creative View of Development) – the people as the means and the ends of development. In view of this, he emphasized ‘bottom-top’ approach to governance and development as against the current ‘top-bottom’ approach which is said to be the undoing of the African continent. He argued that development should be a partnership between the leaders and the led and that the people must feel the positive effect of the economic growth in their country. In other words, economic growth must trickle-down to the people. Thus, it is concluded that Cabral’s Political Thought (Ideas of Development) has great relevance and applicability to contemporary African States. From the aforementioned, the study’s recommendations are as follows: Africa should pursue ‘bottom-top’ instead of ‘top-bottom’ approach to development; endogenous entrepreneurship should be encouraged and supported; the economy should be diversified in order to avoid the danger of running a mono-economy that is liable to produce underdevelopment; there is a need to promote self-reliance among the citizens and the government must also embrace self-reliance in its interaction with other countries; the agricultural sector must be developed because a country’s greatness starts with its ability to feed itself; democratic governance in Africa should begin to incorporate the fundamental features of good governance such as accountability, transparency, efficient and effective service delivery mechanism among others. This is because democracy without good governance could be antithetical to development. Also, there must be conscious policies geared towards human capital developmen

The hegelian State and The Risk of The Tyranny of the Minority: The African Political Experiment

Most post-colonial African states have evolved a uniform pattern of behavior that is injurious to the people. The state and its institutions of governance have outgrown the people such that the concept of ‘state’ carries an unquestionable patrimonial outlook without recourse to the ideals of sustainable development. The most obvious pattern of the African post-colonial states revolves around Hegel’s theory of state as the ultimate objectification, or self-projection of the Absolute Spirit in which the drivers of government policies are superior to the people. We shall investigate and outline the consequences and the remedy to this Hegelian foundation of African states and emphasize the necessity for sustainable development to become the goal of those in the position of power in Africa. The remedy is located in the reconstruction of the concept of state in Africa with the purpose of producing a state that integrates the people into its policies and pursues development ideology that is people-oriented. We shall place the responsibility of service and respect for the voices of the demos (the people) on the political leaders and their bureaucratic counterparts and recommends the provision of a viable socio-eco-political platform for the realization of the holistic development in Afric

African Politics and Hegel's Concept of the State

Abstract The most obvious pattern of African post-colonial States revolves around Hegel’s theory of State as the ultimate objectification or self-projection of the Absolute Spirit in which the drivers of government policies are superior to the people. This paper investigated and outlined the consequences and the remedy to this Hegel’s foundation of African States and emphasized the necessity for sustainable development to become the goal of those in the position of power in Africa. The remedy is located in the reconstruction of the concept of State in Africa with the purpose of producing a State that integrates the people into its policies and pursues development ideology that is people-oriented. This paper placed the responsibility of service and respect for the voices of the demos (the people) on the political leaders and their bureaucratic counterparts and recommended the provision of a viable socio-eco-political platform for the realization of the holistic development in Afric

Ethics of Development: Kant and Cabral’s Pragmatic Contributions

Development has always been a fanciful word in the political lexicon of policy-makers and politicians at both local and international political affairs. Political leaders and policy-makers seek to authenticate their relevance in the public ambiance by making several speeches that are coded around the concept of development. This paper therefore interrogates the concept not just by providing additional definitions to the concept but rather to reinvent the proper institutional framework under which development should be pursued. Cabral was a revolutionary and development theorist whose relevance in the whole discourse of development in colonial Africa cannot be overlooked. Immanuel Kant stands tall amidst western scholars with his ethical framework, expounded in the categorical imperatives having perennial relevance in several disciplines. This paper, therefore, provokes their theoretical ethical frameworks in addressing the issues of development. The paper gives us the formula for judging the moral ‘temperature’ of development ideologies and policies

Corporate Machiavellianism and Macintyrian Capitalism: The Battle for the Soul of Business

The pursuit of profit and business success has always been the goal of CEOs and many business practitioners. This has further led to the devaluation of the human person in many business practices. This global economic system can best be described as the reinvention of the ―Hobbessian Jungle‖ that is described as the state of ‗war of all against all‘ (bellum omnium contra omnes), and a state of ‗man becoming wolf to man‘ (homo lupus homini). The present economic arrangement bequeaths on us a state where man is involved in constant economic war of self-survival to the detriment of other peoples‘ happiness and wellbeing. That the business world embodies its own morality different from other practices is the final conclusion of some ethicists. Therefore, this paper, with the use of appropriate secondary data, critically examines the fundamental strategy of the corporate world with particular attention placed on the recurrent battle between ―Corporate Machiavellianists‖ and ―MacIntyrian Capitalists‖. Alasdair MacIntyre‘s intellectual-moral intervention is worthy of critical assessment in any interpersonal relationship, the corporate world inclusive. Alasdair MacIntyre‘s theory of virtue forms the basis of interrogating unethical business practices generated from the loopholes in the capitalist economic system. This paper concludes by recommending the emergence of virtuous corporations or MacIntyrian capitalis

The Humanistic Imperative in African Politics

A thorough observation of the African continent reveals a continent bedeviled with several vices covering its socio-eco political ambiance. The continent is bedeviled with unemployment, poor infrastructural development, poor work ethics, corporate organizational irresponsibility, nepotism, factionalism, political ‘godfatherism’, tribalism, ethnicity, social injustice, lack of respect for both procedural and legal justice, religious squabbles, poverty, hunger, poor maintenance culture, insecurity of life and property and etc. The Machiavellian style of leadership has further deepened the African states into retrogression and epileptic development. However, African problems can adequately be solved with the interjection of morality in the term of Humanistic Ethical Paradigm and its two interrelated proposals which are: respect for human dignity as a basis for individual and social action and focus on character as the highest value in the assessment of human personality

Political Culture And The FUTURE Of Democracy In Nigeria

Amidst perverted political culture that is injurious to any polity, Nigeria is building political ideology. {f democracy must endure in Nigeria, there is the necessity of an ideal form of political culture into which the .fi1ture generation of her ever-increasing citizens must be initiated. The termination of the former Republics by the military is traceable to porous political culture in the country. This paper engages the right kind of political culture for enduring democratic governance in any nation. Democracy is on a dangerous terrain if it lacks the resurgence of the ideal kind of political culture. The decapitation of corruption, irresponsible governance and all forms of political vices is only possible with the enthronement of a proper political culture

Leadership, Social Identity and the Politics of Underdevelopment in Africa

Several researches have been conducted on the nature, character and causes of underdevelopment in Africa. Some scholars have alluded to the imperativeness of leadership in fostering development in Africa while some pointed a robust accusing finger to the structures of the international political system. While this paper does not join issues with these scholars, it however focuses on locating the dilemma of social identity as the missing factor in all inter personal relationships in Africa with special bias for the relationship between the led and the leaders. This paper briefly engages the arguments and counterarguments of the paradox of development in Africa and then goes on to show how the absence of social identity or group identity has been the bane of development in Africa. While dwelling on available secondary data, this paper theorizes the interplay among politics of underdevelopment, leadership and social identity in Africa. It concludes by arguing for the necessity of class suicide of the political class and also cognitive re-orientation of the led through education

The Psychological Imperative in Political Processes in Nigeria

The nature of politics involves the coordination of peaceful human co-existence. Given its central place in human existence, politics has a great importance in fostering a better living condition of people. But when wrongly pursued and exercised, political power becomes a destructive tool in the hands of political leaders. In view of this importance, it becomes an imperative to subject those vying for political positions to psychological (personality) test in order to validate their fitness and usefulness in ensuring the purpose of politics which among others includes the coordination of human society. This paper employs observatory, dialogical and discursive methods in examining the interlock between politics and psychology. It highlights some abnormal behaviours displayed by our political leaders and argues that the withdrawer of psychology and psychologists to the background in political matters in Nigeria spells doom for the country at large. Thus, it recommends that there must be a deliberate fusion of politics (political science) and psychology, beyond mere referencing them as belonging to the social sciences. In other words, there must be a deliberate intellectual merger of politics and psychology within the university system and the public sphere. It also recommends that psychologists should get involved in national discourse not just as citizens but also as professionals who can provide answers to national issues especially in regards to analyzing the behaviours of political leaders and determining whom are fit to lead. Finally, it holds that the civil society and psychologists have a viable role to play in redressing the socio-political “madness” in the corridor of power in Nigeria. Importantly, this paper does not discuss the wide variety of personality tests and does not pretend to have conducted any personality test on any public office holder, but suggests that personality tests are necessary in order to ensure sanity in our polity by recruiting the “right people”—people without personality disorde