A Re-Reading of Gyekye’s Moderate Communitarianism

Abstract

Recent African political philosophers do not imagine that traditional African societies were highly individualistic. Basing themselves on the oral tradition regarding traditional societies they maintain that private property was not concentrated in the hands of a few privileged people. As opposed to radical communitarianism, Gyekye characterizes traditional African societies as having been moderately communitarian. Reflecting on my own traditional Basotho society, I contend that it was socialist by character. I further argue that socialism entails the use of markets. I also make a case for incorporating market socialism in Lesotho, depending on whether Lesotho can successfully retain social values lost because of the imposition of capitalism by colonizers.