Igwebuike is the intricate web of African philosophy. It has remained constant in the midst 
of the changes in the history of African philosophy, and has continued to persist through 
changes. Its sense of harmony, community, complementarity and solidarity has been 
expressed right from the philosophy of Tempels (1959). He argues that in Bantu Ontology:

'Beings forces' of the universe are not a multiple of independent forces placed in 
juxtaposition from being to being. All creatures are found in relationship according 
to the law of hierarchy... Nothing moves in this universe of forces without 
influencing other forces by its movement (p. 29).

Kagame (1951) and Jahn (1958) did establish the harmonious character of reality. They 
agree with Tempels that reality is force. It is not a force independent of other forces. 
 The nationalistic movements of the 20th century in Africa were linked by their 
emphasis on belongingness, familyhood, which was the basis for their socialisms. Thus, 
the Social negritude of Senghor (1959, 1964 & 1975) places the family at the centre of the 
social structure. Nyerere (1968) bases his principle of Ujamaa on familyhood. The choice 
of socialism over capitalism by Awolowo (1969&1979), the welfarism of Azkiwe and the 
promotion of Pan-Africanism by Nkrumah (1963) were based on the distinctive 
complementary character of African ontology. 
 Edeh (1983) in his work on Igbo Metaphysics continues with the perspective of Mbiti: 

Accordingly the Igbo way of life emphasizes 'closeness' but not closed-ness'. There 
is a closeness in living because each person 'belongs to' others and in turn, 'is 
belonged to' by others. By adopting this life of 'closeness' or 'belongingness', an 
Igbo becomes immersed in the culture's spiritual substance, love; and by love, he 
acquires a fulfillment as a person beyond mere individuality. (p. 105).  

Gyekye (1987), writing on Akan philosophy avers that the individual depends on the 
community:

The individual's life depends on identifying oneself with the group. This 
identification is the basis of the reciprocal relationship between the individual and 
the group. It is also the ground of the overriding emphasis on the individual's 
obligation to the members of the group. (p. 156). 

Iroegbu (1995) describes being in African ontology as belongingness. In response to the 
questions, 'what makes being, being?' Iroegbu argues that it is belongingness, thus Being is 
Belongingness. What then is belongingness? He defines it as 'the synthesis of the reality 

6.  “IGWEBUIKE”: The Underlying Principle of 
        African Philosophy 

30

Professor Ikechukwu Anthony KANU, O.S.A.



and experience of belongingness' (p. 374). 
 In the contention of Okonkwo (2020), reality is understood within the context of Uwa-
ndu, the true and valid universum along the possibilities of thinkables, experientials, 
perceivables and their commonness to all human beings. That is, the worldhood or 
universal datum that provides the “hood” for the perceivers and experiencing thinkers of 
this inescapable phenomenon)?'
 Nkemnkia (1999) writes that in African ontology, the self is the other:

The meaning of an individual's life is found in and through his relationship with the 
Other or Others. In fact it is meaningless to ask oneself “who am I” without having 
a complete knowledge of the Other, from whom, in the final analysis, one expects 
the answer. (pp. 111-112).

Wiredu (1995), focusing on the political dimension of the African life, sees 
complementarity and belongingness as characterizing political decision-making in Africa. 
 Asouzu (2004, 2007) and Njoku (2018) developed the notion of being within the new 
ontological horizon of Ibuanyidanda. Thus, Asouzu (2007) defines being as “that on 
account of which anything that exists serves a missing link of reality” (p. 103). Being is, 
therefore, located within the context of mutual complementarity of all possible relations in 
the sense of an existent reality (Kanu 2016a&b). 
 From Tempels to Asouzu, the Igwebuike principle of harmony, community, solidarity 
and complementarity have never been lacking, therefore, positioning Igwebuike as the 
underlying principle of African philosophy. 

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Maiden Inaugural Lecture, Tansian University, Umunya