Overview

Social Ethics and Governance in Contemporary African Writing is the first book to bring rigorous literary, philosophical, and artistic discourse together to interrogate the ethics of governance and development in postcolonial Africa. It takes literature seriously as a context for philosophical reflection, vividly engaging the human agency, creativity, and resourcefulness of local Nigerians as political and social actors and shedding new light on the dynamics of human flourishing. Drawing on important secondary scholarship across several humanities disciplines, especially literature, philosophy, and the performing arts, Nimi Wariboko provides compelling and innovative analysis of the challenges and opportunities on governance and development in postcolonial Nigerian state and society. With a detailed introductory chapter and an authoritative analysis contained in six cohesive chapters, all anchored in political and social ethics and close readings of fascinating literary and artistic works—such as A. Igoni Barrett’s Blackass and the comedy skits of MC Edo Pikin—this is a landmark contribution to Nigerian cultural studies. Wariboko’s practical engagement between literature and philosophy also opens up new ways of seeing literary analysis as ethical methodology, beyond the specific contexts of Nigeria or Africa.

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9781501398070

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Reviews

In this highly original work, social ethicist Nimi Wariboko steps off Aristotle's insight that literature can be an excellent tool for teaching ethics and developing moral imagination to interrogate the works of four Nigerian writers and one comedian, instructing how the intersection of philosophy and literature can teach invaluable lessons on imagining an ethical, pluralistic, and democratic society in Nigeria. Incisively brilliant and beautifully written, this is a must read. * Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong, Ellen Gurney Professor of History and of African and African American Studies, Harvard University, USA * In this influential book, Nimi Wariboko brilliantly and thoughtfully reflects on the ethics of governance and development in a post-colonial space. By employing secondary data and critical analysis, he adopts his diverse disciplinary perspectives and mastery to deeply interrogate ethical and governance issues that post-colonial states in Africa continue to grapple with. This book also deeply speaks to ethical, moral, and historical dilemmas facing governance and democracy, and it is a must read for anyone interested in social ethics and governance in post-colonial Africa. * Damaris Parsitau, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Religion and Gender Studies, Egerton University, Kenya, and Country Director of the British Institute in Eastern Africa *

Author Information

Nimi Wariboko is Walter G. Muelder Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, USA. His recent books include Ethics and Society in Nigeria: Identity, History, Political Theory (2019) and Methods of Ethical Analysis: Between Theology, History and Literature (2013).

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