Bioethics and Its Development on the African Continent

Abstract

What makes a good person good? Can a wrong action be a good action and consequently can a right action be a bad action? These are questions which have plagued philosophers and wise persons of antiquity and is still relevant all over the world, including Africa. The aim of this chapter is to position African ethics within the framework of Global Bioethics and initiate the conversation that although ethics in Africa is often still practiced from a Western paradigm, African ethics have developed significantly in the post-colonial era to inform healthcare delivery on the continent. Whilst the chapter will not focus on the development of historical ethical theories, it will take a critical look at Western contributions to the modern-day discipline and how this has influenced ethics on the continent of Africa. This chapter will attempt to sketch the development and influence of ethics in Africa and what the future looks like for the discipline in Africa.