This paper discusses an exposition of W. V. O. Quine’s ethics and the nature of African Moral Value. The paper explores Quine’s naturalized epistemology and rejection of traditional notions of morality. It examines Quine’s ethical methodological infirmity that rest on observation and relate it to African moral values that emphasize community harmony and relational ethics which can be attained through observation. Through critical and analytical methods of philosophical inquiry, the paper argues that Quine’s naturalised ethics can be aligned with African communitarian moral structures that depend on empirical validation. The paper, while acknowledging Quine’s skepticism regarding the scientific grounding of ethics, African traditions, through communal experience and oral transmission, validate moral norms via social processes. The paper concludes that both Quine’s ethics and African moral values suggest that morality is an evolving, context-dependent and social phenomenon, underpinned by cultural and experiential factors rather than abstract rationalism concept. The paper will contribute to the ongoing discussions in African philosophy, ethics, and cultural studies, highlighting the importance of contextualizing moral inquiry within diverse cultural framework.
| Published in | International Journal of Philosophy (Volume 13, Issue 3) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14 |
| Page(s) | 103-107 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Quine, Ethics, African Morality, Cultural Identity and Moral Value
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| [2] | Babatunde Olatunji ONI & Peter Abiodun OJO, “Critique of Roger Gibson’s “Flanagan on Quinean Ethics and the Nature of African Moral Value” in Philosophy and Praxis, Vol. 14, No., 1(2024) p. 3. |
| [3] | Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998) p. 25. |
| [4] | David Hume, “A Treatise of Human Nature” in L. A. Seeby-Bigge (ed.), Hume on Is and Ought, (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1967), p. 240. |
| [5] | R. H. Popkin & Stroll Avro, Philosophy Made Simple, (London: Heineman, 1981), p. 4. |
| [6] | O. J. Flanagan, “Quinean Ethics” in Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political and Legal Philosophy, Vol. 93, No. 1(1982), p. 58. |
| [7] | Moses Akin Makinde, “African Culture and Moral System: A Philosophical Study” in Second Order: An African Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 1, No. 2(1988), p. 3. The theory of summum bonum, was referred to the class of nobler values, which, will, of course, focus primarily on our relations with other people. It can also be construed as part of the resources of nature, most directly affect whether we individually flourish. |
| [8] | Peter Singer, “Neil Cooper’s Concept of Morality” in Mind, New Series, Vol. 86, No. 344(1977), p. 421. |
| [9] | Willard O. Quine, Theories and Things, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981), 55. |
| [10] | The Yorubas are a prominent ethnic group in Nigeria, West Africa. They primarily inhabit southwestern part of Nigeria, Benin and Togo. Their origin was traced back to the ancient city of Ile-Ife, believed to be cradle their civilization history. It is believed that, Oduduwa was the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba who descended from the heavens to establish the first Yoruba Kingdom. Adedotun Ogundeji, Introduction to Yoruba Oral Literature, (Ibadan: University of Ibadan Printing Press, 1991), 1. |
| [11] | John Hospers, An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis, Second Edition, (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967), 569. |
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| [13] | Kola Abimbola, “Spirituality and Applied Ethics: An African Perspective” in T. Ebijuwa (ed.), Philosophy and Social Change: Discourse on Values in African, (Ibadan: Hope Publications, 2007), p. 85-86. |
| [14] | Kwasi Wiredu, “The Moral Foundations of an African Culture” in Coetzee, P. H. and Roux, A. P. J. (ed.), The African philosophy Reader 2nd Edition, (New York: Routledge, 2003) p. 337-338. |
APA Style
Oni, B. O. (2025). An Exposition of W. V. O. Quine’s Ethics and the Nature of African Moral Value. International Journal of Philosophy, 13(3), 103-107. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14
ACS Style
Oni, B. O. An Exposition of W. V. O. Quine’s Ethics and the Nature of African Moral Value. Int. J. Philos. 2025, 13(3), 103-107. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14,
author = {Babatunde Olatunji Oni},
title = {An Exposition of W. V. O. Quine’s Ethics and the Nature of African Moral Value
},
journal = {International Journal of Philosophy},
volume = {13},
number = {3},
pages = {103-107},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijp.20251303.14},
abstract = {This paper discusses an exposition of W. V. O. Quine’s ethics and the nature of African Moral Value. The paper explores Quine’s naturalized epistemology and rejection of traditional notions of morality. It examines Quine’s ethical methodological infirmity that rest on observation and relate it to African moral values that emphasize community harmony and relational ethics which can be attained through observation. Through critical and analytical methods of philosophical inquiry, the paper argues that Quine’s naturalised ethics can be aligned with African communitarian moral structures that depend on empirical validation. The paper, while acknowledging Quine’s skepticism regarding the scientific grounding of ethics, African traditions, through communal experience and oral transmission, validate moral norms via social processes. The paper concludes that both Quine’s ethics and African moral values suggest that morality is an evolving, context-dependent and social phenomenon, underpinned by cultural and experiential factors rather than abstract rationalism concept. The paper will contribute to the ongoing discussions in African philosophy, ethics, and cultural studies, highlighting the importance of contextualizing moral inquiry within diverse cultural framework.},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - An Exposition of W. V. O. Quine’s Ethics and the Nature of African Moral Value AU - Babatunde Olatunji Oni Y1 - 2025/07/28 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14 DO - 10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14 T2 - International Journal of Philosophy JF - International Journal of Philosophy JO - International Journal of Philosophy SP - 103 EP - 107 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2330-7455 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20251303.14 AB - This paper discusses an exposition of W. V. O. Quine’s ethics and the nature of African Moral Value. The paper explores Quine’s naturalized epistemology and rejection of traditional notions of morality. It examines Quine’s ethical methodological infirmity that rest on observation and relate it to African moral values that emphasize community harmony and relational ethics which can be attained through observation. Through critical and analytical methods of philosophical inquiry, the paper argues that Quine’s naturalised ethics can be aligned with African communitarian moral structures that depend on empirical validation. The paper, while acknowledging Quine’s skepticism regarding the scientific grounding of ethics, African traditions, through communal experience and oral transmission, validate moral norms via social processes. The paper concludes that both Quine’s ethics and African moral values suggest that morality is an evolving, context-dependent and social phenomenon, underpinned by cultural and experiential factors rather than abstract rationalism concept. The paper will contribute to the ongoing discussions in African philosophy, ethics, and cultural studies, highlighting the importance of contextualizing moral inquiry within diverse cultural framework. VL - 13 IS - 3 ER -
Department of Philosophy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
