Cultural Values and the Crisis of Development: A Critique of African Governance Through Anyiam-Osigwe’s Holistic Philosophy
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2025-12
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Abstract
Africa’s persistent underdevelopment despite its vast human and material resources reflects a deep-seated philosophical and cultural crisis. The background of this study identifies governance failures, corruption, and moral decay as symptoms of a wider disconnection between indigenous African values and imported political systems. The problem lies in the erosion of communal ethics mutuality, reciprocity, and collective responsibility that once sustained pre-colonial societies, replaced by individualism and materialism that fragment governance and hinder progress. This paper examines these challenges through the lens of Emmanuel Onyechere Anyiam-Osigwe’s holistic philosophy, which emphasizes the “group mind,” moral integrity, and spiritual consciousness as the basis of authentic development. Using the method of philosophical analysis and hermuentics, the study analyses primary and secondary sources, including works by other African philosophers to interpret governance crises in relation to cultural dislocation. The findings reveal that Africa’s development stagnation stems not merely from economic or political inefficiencies but from moral and spiritual alienation disrupting communal harmony. The study also finds that gender imbalance and loss of spiritual consciousness further weaken leadership ethics and institutional accountability. It concludes that reclaiming cultural values through Anyiam-Osigwe’s holistic philosophy anchored on introspection, communal ethics, and divine interconnectedness can restore moral vision, strengthen governance, and promote sustainable development. The paper therefore advocates for policy reforms, value-based education, and culturally grounded leadership as essential pathways to Africa’s holistic renewal. Keywords: Cultural values; governance; holistic philosophy; development; Anyiam-Osigwe; African ethics
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Journal Article on Cultural Values and the Crisis of Development: A Critique of African Governance Through Anyiam-Osigwe’s Holistic Philosophy.
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Iliaro, O. E., & Ogonegbu, F. C. (2025). Cultural values and the crisis of development: A critique of African governance through Anyiam-Osigwe’s holistic philosophy. Journal of contemporary dialectical sociology. 13(2) 454-468.