Integrative Humanism: Extensions and Clarifications

When we talk of African philosophy as a different philosophical tradition we do not wish to suggest that it studies different range of realities from those that concern the other philosophical traditions. What we demonstrate is the difference that arises in approach or method naturally informed by the resident logic. Thus in African philosophy we study ultimate reality of which being is at the center. What being and even nothingness mean for us is not the same with what they mean in other traditions. Unity: we sometimes say that being is one single whole without wishing to say that this view is monistic. In this light we hold that being is complete with both physical and spiritual aspects. Duality: we also share the view on the duality in nature without insisting that this is strict and permanent. Duality for Africans is essentially a point of inferential departure not a terminal point. The dual arrangement of things in nature is to necessarily lead to a tripartite conception. Triadic conception: this is the terminal point of all inferences in African thought. Yes, there is duality in nature but they exist as fragments and contraries i.e. incomplete in themselves but capable of coming together to form a whole. Obtaining this fusion of contrary fragments represents an inference from duality to triadic conception of reality. What this African conception is all about is not that being is tripartite or dual but that the coming together of two aspects of being is necessary for the formation of being

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Terminator Technology: Appraising Biotechnologists’ Claim to Feed the World

This paper has shown that the feed the world argument as the main justification for the application of biotechnology/genetic engineering to the mainstream of agriculture has collapsed vis-à-vis the “terminator” or the “traitor” technology. Financial gain has also been established as the main motive for the promoters of this technology. In doing this, we have raised health and ethical concerns because it has been shown among others that applying GM on food crop production could have unforeseen health consequences. This we argued out-weighs financial benefits and called for caution and censorship in the application of biotechnology to food crop production

Genetic Engineering and the False Claim to Feed the World

In this work, we argued that the “feed the world” argument as the main justification for the application of genetic engineering to the mainstream of agriculture has collapsed vis-à-vis the “terminator” or the “traitor” technology. Financial gain has also been established as the main motive for the promoters of this technology. In doing this, we have raised health and ethical concerns because it has been shown among others that applying GM on food crop production could have unforeseen health consequences. This we argued out-weighs financial benefits and called for caution and censorship in the application of biotechnology to food crop production. Keywords: genetic engineering, terminator technology, biotechnology, feed the world argument, GM foods, ethics, health, agribusiness

The Covid-19 pandemic and meaning in life

In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, where death, sickness and suffering persist, there is some hint that there is nothing so special about the human race that particularly makes it immune to decimation. This is at odds with the general feeling that there is something significant, purposeful and/or meaningful about human life. Thus, the question that immediately comes to mind is whether the present pandemic and the negative situations it presents, destroy any hope of attaining meaning in life. In this article, we critically examine how the Covid-19 pandemic affects meaning in life. While it is not far-fetched to assume that the pandemic, suffering, isolation, economic hardship, and so forth disrupt humanity’s abilities at creating moments of meaning in life, it is our claim that it does not destroy it altogether, as many persons have found new ways of creating such moments, albeit small, through self-sacrifice/care, solidarity, and more. Finally, we conclude that in the face of this tragedy, what humanity can best hope for is the continuous creation of moments of meaning in life in order to reduce despair and sustain hope, however small. We expect that this article will foster future discussions about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the question of meaningfulness.https://upjournals.co.za/index.php/Phronimonhj2021Philosoph

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Protecting the rights of victims in transitional justice : an interrogation of amnesty

The authors argue in this article that some categories of amnesty programmes, such as ‘blanket’ and ‘self-granted amnesties’ that bar the prosecution of perpetrators, have not been very helpful in the protection of the rights of victims in transitional justice. They contend, before embarking on widespread abuses of human rights since the post-ICJ era, that most perpetrators, especially dictators, often are aware of the legal odds but feel confident that if their regimes collapse, they would press for amnesty at least in return for a transitional process involving cooperation, surrender, confession, reparation and reconciliation. The Chilean, Peruvian and Sri Lankan cases have become citeable precedents. This reliance presents these categories of amnesty as unjust instruments of transitional justice. The article proposes a rule of law-based transitional justice that will involve an adjustment in the international law as a viable alternative to some amnesty programmes that appear to shield perpetrators from justice.http://www.ahrlj.up.ac.zaam2020Philosoph

Science and Ethics: An Assessment of Some Genetic Therapies

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