Thaddeus Metz

Thaddeus Metz (born 1968) is an American philosopher based in South Africa. He is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pretoria and is internationally known for his work on African ethics, Ubuntu philosophy, the meaning of life and moral philosophy. His books include Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study, A Relational Moral Theory: African Ethics in and beyond the Continent, and numerous influential articles on Ubuntu ethics. Quotes "Ubuntu literally means 'humanness' in the Nguni languages of Southern Africa, and is often used to summarise the moral core of how we ought to live and treat one another." University of Pretoria, Ubuntu's Implications for Philosophical Ethics (2021). Thaddeus Metz explaining the meaning of Ubuntu in African moral philosophy. "What the 'ubuntu tradition' refers to is the conception of how one ought to live that was prominent among pre-colonial societies below the Sahara desert." "Dignity in the Ubuntu Tradition", in The Cambridge Handbook of Human Dignity (Cambridge University Press, 2014). Thaddeus Metz discussing the historical foundations of Ubuntu. "Ubuntu is often used to concisely sum up a particular view of what is morally fundamental." The Cambridge Handbook of Human Dignity (2014). Thaddeus Metz discussing Ubuntu as a moral theory. "The aim of my interpretation of ubuntu is not to represent thoughts previously shared by other scholars, but to draw interesting ideas from it and show how they can be used." University of Pretoria Expert Lecture (2021). Thaddeus Metz discussing his philosophical approach to Ubuntu. "There are three major reasons why ideas associated with ubuntu are often deemed to be an inappropriate basis for a public morality in today's South Africa." Ubuntu as a Moral Theory and Human Rights in South Africa, African Human Rights Law Journal (2011). Thaddeus Metz introducing the philosophical debate on Ubuntu and public morality. External links