Black Consciousness, African Metaphysics, African Logic and Moral Relativism in Africa

The endemic nature of moral decadence in post-Apartheid South Africa and the rest of the African nations appears a rape of the vision of Biko’s dream of a “glittering prize” and “a more human face”. The moral situation is appalling manifesting in various ramifications: - corruption, embezzlement, child abuse, avarice, distrust, rape, kidnapping, politically motivated assassinations, abuse of public office, and so on. What is even more worrisome and of concern to any reflective mind is their persistence and pervasive nature despite all efforts at minimizing not to talk of eradicating it. Is it that enough has not been done? Is it that immorality is co-natural with the Africans? This paper is of the view that though moral decadence is not restricted to Africa and that though immorality is not co-natural with Africans, however, African ontology and African logic of harmonious monism and integrativeness have somehow contributed to the seeming apathy to public and private moral rectitude in Africa which makes it appears as if the African society is permissive. African logic, for instance, sometimes permits “manipulation” and “understanding” based on status to maintain existential ontological harmony. This explains why different strokes are sometimes applied to different folks provided the harmony is not unsettled. Remedy then requires a complementary ontology in the spirit of African ontology of complementarity.