Q0642
“To be a human being is to affirm one's humanity by recognising…” — Mogobe B. Ramose (African Philosophy Through Ubuntu (on umuntu…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: African Philosophy Through Ubuntu (on umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu). Theme: humanity.
English
To be a human being is to affirm one's humanity by recognising the humanity of others and, on that basis, establish humane relations with them.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to African Philosophy Through Ubuntu (on umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu) and files it under Africana Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Mogobe B. Ramose
Mogobe B. Ramose (b.
How to read this passage
Philosophers ask what makes humans distinctive, what we owe one another as humans, and how “humanity” can include or exclude. This passage enters that discussion through humanity, community, ethics.
Concepts in this quote
- Humanity
- Humanity names both the species and the moral quality of being humane—bridging anthropology and ethics.
- Community
- Community appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat community as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Ethics
- Ethics appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat ethics as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Mogobe B. Ramose. (n.d.). To be a human being is to affirm one's humanity by recognising the humanity of others and, on that basis, establish humane relations with them. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0642
MLA: Mogobe B. Ramose. “To be a human being is to affirm….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0642.
Chicago: Mogobe B. Ramose. “To be a human being is to affirm….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0642.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “To be a human being is to affirm…”?
The passage is attributed to Mogobe B. Ramose, African Philosophy Through Ubuntu (on umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu). The archive attributes this English wording to African Philosophy Through Ubuntu (on umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu) and files it under Africana Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Mogobe B. Ramose mean by humanity?
Philosophers ask what makes humans distinctive, what we owe one another as humans, and how “humanity” can include or exclude. This passage enters that discussion through humanity, community, ethics.