Why Philosophers need to respond to Xenophobia

[Arthur Gwagwa]

Dear fellow Philosophers,

The resurgence of xenophobia in South Africa is an affront to communitarianism, Ubuntu, in particular, which South Africans champion. I was expecting a statement of solidarity from our philosophy community in the same way Jürgen Habermas interpreted the 2003 Iraq War as a turning point for global politics and the European public sphere.

By applying his long-standing theories of communicative action to international relations, Habermas fiercely criticised the U.S. invasion, arguing that the United States ruined its normative authority and its credibility as a guarantor of international law.

Although xenophobia appears to be targeted at undocumented immigrants, it's being subtly applied to professionals to deny us opportunities in South Africa. Let me rewind to the nineties, when I attended law school in Zimbabwe, where half of my lecturers were South African professors who had sought refuge there. I hope South Africans can rely on reciprocity to return the favour we extended to them. As philosophers, we cannot remain mute at such times as these. I urge our philosophy community to issue a formal statement denouncing xenophobia and affirming our commitment to solidarity and Ubuntu. We've long provided moral guidance on such critical issues.

Arthur Gwagwa