What African philosophy says about our duties to oneself | Aeon Essays
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African philosophical values of harmony and vitality have much to offer our thinking about what we owe to ourselves
Usually when we think about how to act, we consider what we owe to others. May I break this promise that I made? How much should I donate to charity? Would I do wrong not to pay for the expensive operation my cat needs? However, we can, it seems, also owe ourselves certain treatment. We owe it to ourselves not to get addicted to opioids and (if we are not terrible people) not to hate ourselves. Some might owe it to themselves to finish that higher degree they started or to cultivate their budding talent at being a gymnast. But some thinkers are sceptical that there are any genuine duties to…
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