Death and meaning(lessness): re-examining the African view

Abstract

In much of the emerging literature in African philosophy on the question of life's meaning, little, if anything, has been said about the relationship between African conceptions of death and the question of life's meaning. Drawing from clues in the literature on African metaphysics/philosophy of religion, this article will argue that within the context of an African conception of death, life is ultimately meaningless. To do this, I will begin by curating an African conception of death that sees death as primarily the disembodiment of subjective consciousness. Through this disembodiment, the individual can approach death with meaning in life and pivot into meaning after life. However, I will show this view to be mistaken on several grounds – the implausibility of the metaphysics grounding the possibility of disembodiment; and the idea of a second death inherent in the African conception of death. Thus, I will conclude that the finality of death provides good reason to acknowledge that life is ultimately meaningless.

The post-death question in African metaphysics: Engaging Attoe on death and life’s meaning

“…According to him, "death is actually a fulcrum that allows the individual to pivot successfully from meaning in life to meaning after life" (Attoe 2022b, 7). However, since the universe is mainly material, Attoe contrasts the African idea of death with a materialist idea that sees human consciousness as reducible to the physical human body (Attoe 2022b). He grounds this idea of death on a principle of causality known as predeterministic historicity.…”

“…This implies that such an event ultimately denies the unconscious being further interactions with things in the world, making it lose its immortality. Specifically, he referenced the threat of super volcanoes and diseases as well as problems associated with climate and environmental change, among others, to affirm that humanity is at risk of extinction (Attoe 2022b).…”

“…The aim is to conceive of a post-death that does not lose the meaning of human existence, thereby making the hope of immortality the succour to life's struggles. Attoe (2022a;2022b) thinks the African view of death contradicts the metaphysical order that sees the universe as a material one which rejects the transcendence of consciousness. Attoe proposes a materialistic idea of death that accepts only an afterlife of unconsciousness, noting that what remains after human death is a lifeless body continuing its existence through relationships and interaction with other beings, such as bacteria, worms, plants, etc.…”

“…I argue that Attoe's refutation of life's meaning can easily be faulted on two grounds. First, if we consider an existential world view without the idea of an afterlife or immortality, the claim of life's meaninglessness in Attoe (2022a;2022b) will disappear. Implied in Attoe's view is that meaninglessness hinges on the absence of immortality, that is, the absence of the indefinite continuation of conscious existence occasioned by the finality of death.…”

“…Life's meaninglessness for him should have been limited to the facts of human existence in the world, not the human inability to continue meaning after death. Second, Attoe's conception of death as finality questions his principle of causality, which ought to affirm the eternal existence of beings (Attoe 2022a;2022b).…”