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Ubuntu framework reinterprets Descartes’ cogito as relational

A diverse group of people arranged in a tight circle viewed from above, with their hands and arms meeting together in the center, creating a unified circular formation on green grass.
Research area:EpistemologyAfrican cultural and philosophical studiesMetaphysics

What the study found

The authors argue that Descartes’ cogito can be read differently when examined through an Ubuntu relational framework. They present the view that relationality precedes thought and makes existence concrete.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors suggest that the cogito loses its promise within this framework and that Ubuntu offers what they describe as a more comprehensive foundational truth from an African perspective. They also state that this conversation reveals the idea that “all things are, through other things.”

What the researchers tested

The article re-examines Descartes’ cogito, especially as presented in the Meditations and the Discourse on Method, and places it in conversation with a metaphysical account of the Ubuntu relational framework. The essay first outlines Descartes’ path to the cogito and then explains Ubuntu before comparing the two.

What worked and what didn't

The abstract says the Ubuntu framework exposes inadequacies in the assumptions that support Descartes’ method of doubt and the conclusions about being that follow. It also says the cogito loses its promise in light of this comparison, while Ubuntu supports the thesis that relationality comes before thought.

What to keep in mind

This is an argumentative essay, and the abstract does not describe empirical data or experimental testing. The available summary does not include detailed limitations beyond the scope of the comparison itself.

Key points

  • The authors argue that Descartes’ cogito looks different when read through Ubuntu.
  • The paper presents relationality as preceding thought and concretizing existence.
  • The authors say Ubuntu reveals inadequacies in Descartes’ method of doubt and related conclusions about being.
  • The essay compares Descartes’ Meditations and Discourse on Method with a metaphysical account of Ubuntu.
  • The abstract states the conversation yields the claim that “all things are, through other things.”

Disclosure

Research title:
Ubuntu framework reinterprets Descartes’ cogito as relational
Authors:
Aribiah David Attoe, Sharon Nonkululeko Mntambo
Publication date:
2026-03-11
DOI:
10.1017/s0031819125101204
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by OpenAI. The original authors did not write or review this post.

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