Accra, Ghana – 29 April 2025
An international symposium held at the University of Ghana brought together leading scholars from Africa and the West to explore one of philosophy’s most profound questions: What makes us persons in the moral sense?
Although this may sound like a straightforward question, it is one that philosophers and thinkers have debated for centuries. At this event, participants explored a fresh approach to the issue, inspired by a newly published book titled What is a Person? Untapped Insights from Africa, authored by Professors Caesar Atuire (University of Ghana, University of Oxford and lead of the Global Health Solidarity Project) and Nancy Jecker (University of Washington). The book introduces the concept of Emergent Personhood—the idea that we become persons through our relationships with others.
The symposium opened with a welcome note from Dr. Ben-Willie K. Golo, representing the Dean of the University of Ghana School of Arts. Dr. Golo emphasised that understanding how we become "persons" is essential in helping us treat one another with dignity, even when we disagree. He stressed that our capacity to act morally and responsibly should not be limited by differences in opinion or background.
So, What is Emergent Personhood?
The authors provided an overview of their book, guiding participants through each chapter and elaborating on key philosophical questions: What makes a person? What is personhood? What does emergence mean? They explained that a person is not merely a biological being.
Being a person means being recognised as someone with value, dignity, and rights, and this recognition does not occur automatically. Rather, it emerges, or develops, through our interactions with others.
In other words, we do not become persons simply by being born, but through participating in relationships with family, friends, communities, and society at large. These relationships shape who we are and give us moral standing in the world.
During her presentation, Prof. Jecker emphasised that every human being has value simply by virtue of being human. She stated, “When I value a human being as a person, what I value is all humanity.” This statement captures the heart of emergent personhood: that our value arises from the relationships we form, but ultimately is bigger than just those relationships. This value applies equally to all human beings and, potentially, to certain animals and elements of nature as well.
Questions and Challenges
A key moment in the symposium came during the presentation by Dr Richmond Kwesi (University of Ghana), who posed a critical question: What is it in relationality itself that causes the emergence of personhood?
This line of critique was echoed in a thoughtful response by Miss Modesta Mensah, who questioned whether relational personhood might lead to inequality, given that people experience relationships differently. If some individuals have stronger or more numerous relationships than others, could this imply that they are somehow "more of a person"?
In response, Prof. Jecker reaffirmed the depth of the concept. She noted that personhood is not just about how we relate to others, but also about how others relate to us. This mutual dynamic is what gives rise to our moral value. As she put it, “Personhood is not only the capacity to relate, but to be related to.”
The Link to Solidarity
Prof. Atuire spoke about how the concept of personhood is closely tied to solidarity, which is the idea that we stand with and support one another. He remarked, “Solidarity is rooted in the recognition that we emerge in and through one another,” meaning that we become who we are through our relationships with others.
Prof. Atuire explained that when we truly understand our interconnectedness, we can create more just societies that respect and include everyone, especially those who are often excluded or marginalised. He added, “When we act in solidarity, we are affirming the moral worth that binds us,” highlighting that supporting each other reflects the shared value we all possess.
What’s Next?
The two-day event, held both online and in-person, continued with further presentations and discussions. The aim was to deepen the conversation around personhood, with a particular focus on incorporating insights from African philosophy and traditions.
Ultimately, the hope is that this growing understanding of emergent personhood will help us build more respectful, fair, and compassionate societies around the world.
- Log in to post comments