Self-Reflection as a Primordial Framework of Ethics: The Case of the Grandmother Test Theory of Ethics

Abstract

Ethics is an all-encompassing subject in many African settings. It is this very fact that it is all-encompassing that contributes to little attention being paid to ethical decision-making. Many approaches to the study of ethics frame it from the perspective of existing theoretical approaches, predominantly borrowed from existing literature, much of it drawn from the West. This chapter recognises that in many instances of an ethical conundrum, Africans seldom reflect upon the existing frames but rather draw from a mental construct of the dos and don’ts build from childhood. These have been developed from their day-to-day experiences informed by their interaction with the people most close to them—their mothers and grandmothers. The lessons, beliefs, values, and worldviews passed along by these matriarchs form the framework they draw from to make ethical decisions in the crunch of time. It is based on this that this chapter advances the argument for a grandmother framework for ethical decision-making.