Call for Papers: African Philosophy of Interconnectedness [to be edited by Björn Freter and to be published with Springer in the series Studies in African Philosophy]

African philosophies of interconnectedness seem to share the axiomatic idea of a relational ontology. I am not a being in and of myself. When I understand myself as myself, I do not identify a distinct and independent “I,” but rather an entity that manifests within a web of interconnectedness in which all is bound up with all. This has significant philosophical consequences. The extraordinary importance of, for instance, autonomy, individuality, and the thinking self, as it is known from major Western traditions, is lost—or substantially transformed—when viewed from the perspective of a philosophy of interconnectedness. The best-known philosophy of interconnectedness today is surely the philosophy of ubuntu, which (since the 1990s) has been associated with the formula umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (a human being is a human being through human beings). Similarly, the Shona notion of Ukama, which expresses kinship and relationality as the foundation of existence, goes far beyond immediate family relations to encompass society, ancestors, land, and future generations. And there are so many more philosophies of connectedness – just think of Harambee, Ujamaa, Sankofa, Ukama, Maʽat, Omoluabi, and many more. Although significant research has been conducted, to this day, no comprehensive volume has been dedicated to these African philosophies of interconnectedness. This book intends to change that and to provide reconstructions, comparisons, and critical assessments of these philosophical approaches to answer, for instance, questions: \

- What are the connections or differences, and what are the conflicts and tensions between all these ideas of interconnectedness?

- Is there indeed a comprehensive relational axiom, or do the philosophies of interconnectedness differ in essential respects, even on an axiomatic level? - In what ways has the notion of connectedness spread?

- How have the various approaches influenced each other philosophically and historically?

- What comparative and global philosophical connections exist?

Please find in the attached document a preliminary Table of Contents which presents an overview of the structure of the book and many other possible chapters. Authors are being sought for all chapters below. Of course, dear colleagues, all your ideas beyond this tentative outline will be highly welcome!

Best,

Bjorn Freter

FRETER CALL FOR PAPERS.pdf

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