Philosophy and Human Development.

Sabina Alkire (2002:182) defines human development as simply, “human flourishing in its fullest sense, in matters public and private, economic and social, political and spiritual”. According to DoughlassSoccio (1992:3), “Philosophers are specialists in life, philosophers specialise in the sustained, rational analysis and interpretation of life in general i.e. they search for universal patterns and principles that affect human happiness”. Philosophy is self-reflective; it looks deeply into the human condition as a separate being and as a part of a whole. Philosophy is naturally in touch with humanity, it is not far away from the human person as philosophy itself  begins with the human person or proceeds with the human person,  thus in some quarters, some have argued that all men are philosophers.

Philosophy is generally believed to be an abstract and speculative discipline, but the relationship between philosophy and human development reveals the relevance of philosophy to practical life. It is philosophy’s contribution to human development. Contrary to the view that philosophy is merely a dormant speculative discipline, according to Omoregbe (1990:192), “the history of western philosophy shows that this view is false for philosophy has been one of the forces that have shaped the structures of western society….. Philosophy has had much to do with influencing men’s attitude to life and bringing about changes in societies”. The influence of philosophy in human lives is as early as philosophy itself.  It has had much to do with shaping human lives and moreover improving human lives, therefore one of the fundamental aims of philosophy is the transformation of human lives.

With his philosophy of self-reflection and the dictum ‘man know thyself’ which pioneered a human centred focus, Socrates kick-started this thought,  therefore the human centred focus or perspective has its roots in philosophy. “Through the influence of Plato’s philosophy the things of this world came to be seen in a new light. They were seen as unreal and as shadows of the real things in another world” Omoregbe(1990:193). This pertains a lot to development as it redirects our focus to the essence of things which are the real things. This is exemplified in the human centred perspective of development which points to the form, essence or substance of development which is human development.  “The philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the forces behind the French revolution” Omoregbe (1990:193), with its key assertion that ‘man is born free and everywhere in chains’. This philosophy of Rousseau resulted in the French declaration on the rights of man and citizen of 1789.

Just as development is broad and multidimensional with its multidimensional aspects closely connected, so is human development which is another aspect or dimension of development. According to Joseph Omoregbe(1990:195), this human development dimension is of primary importance as “all other aspects of development are subordinate and instrumental to the development of human personality”. Human development is very crucial and significant to the development discourse because development in the real sense of the word cannot take effect without human beings, and cannot be felt without human beings. Hence human development is a means of attaining development as a whole. “Philosophy has a vital contribution to make to the development of the human person for the main object of the philosophical inquiry is the human person” Omoregbe (1990:195).

It is a fact that philosophy in ancient Greece initially started with wonder and curiosity over the physical world, but Socrates was able to turn the eyes of philosophy inwardly to man himself through his injunction ‘man know thyself’. This philosophy prescribes the means or key to attaining all other things. Knowledge begins with man first attaining knowledge of himself as through this he can then attain knowledge of other things. Likewise deriving from this philosophy, the human centred perspective pioneered in the human development approach seeks to address the human beings first as a means to acquiring or attaining development as a whole. Only a philosophical perspective of development views development with the spectacles of humanity or in relation to the human person and consequently human rights.

 Questions like, why does man exist? What is the ultimate value of his life? What is he living for? Has his life any ultimate meaning? Is human life worth living for? If it is worth living, how ought it to be lived? Are the fundamental questions of philosophy which according to Omoregbe (1990:196), “touch on the very heart of human existence”. A philosophical inquiry that results in this fundamental questions aims at improving, changing and transforming the conditions of human existence. It tries to give human life meaning. It is a philosophical process that will bring about the much needed human development. Human development is actualised or brought to the forefront when the challenges and shortcomings of the human existence are philosophically addressed, inquired and reflected upon. All philosophizing must start from the human person and be centred on the human person. In the words of Albert Camus, “…judging whether life is or not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy…” Omoregbe (1990:196).

The human development approach or human centred perspective to development is a re-echoing of Socrates’ call to make the human person the focal point of philosophy, and a re-enactment of philosophy’s role in the development of the conditions of human existence. High classified  philosophers protest against the tendencies in modern societies to depreciate the absolute value of the human person. It protests against all the personalising forces in modern societies and maintains that man is the key to the understanding of the whole of reality. The philosophy of personalism which has ties to existentialism has been able to bind tools, principles and values that does more in changing, transforming and improving on the human condition. They are of the view that “the human person possesses an inbuilt dignity, an inalienable liberty and an inescapable moral responsibility” Omoregbe (1990:196). It is an offence against human dignity to treat the human person as an object hence personalism decries the exploitation, instrumentalization and depersonalisation of the human person. The French personalist philosopher Emmanuel Mounier asserts, “I sin against the human person if I treat my workers as tools; I sin against the human person each time I drive a living person to identify himself with his functions and behave towards him as if he were reduced to these functions” Omoregbe(1990:197). The contribution of philosophy to the development of the human person can be seen in the philosophical nature of training the mind to see things critically and to seek their meaning and intelligibility.