Author: Laleye, Solomon Akinyemi
Corruption is one of the social malaises confronting contemporary human society. The phenomenon has been portrayed to be a two edged sword; it has positive utilitarian value and more importantly, negative consequences on the developmental quest of society particularly, African society. Scholars have argued that the prevalence of the phenomenon in Africa is intricately connected with the cultural world-view of the people: it is argued that African culture provides the foundation, aids and abets corrupt practices. Some other scholars have also argued that greed and avarice associated with corrupt practices are the display of human nature hence, the survival of the self or preservation of one’s identity predisposes Africans to corrupt practices. This paper however argues that traditional African culture epitomizes the virtues of trust, selflessness, care for others and oneness consequently, it abhors corruption in all its ramifications. The foundation of corrupt practices in contemporary African society is essentially the dearth of social morality. The paper, therefore, argues for the deconstruction of ethnic, class, group and other parochial interests in favor of a social community ethos that prioritizes public interests and respect for commonwealth. The paper is strictly philosophical; it employs the analytic and prescriptive methods of the discipline.
Keywords: Corruption, Social Morality, Public and Personal interests.
Solomon Akinyemi Laleye, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Department of Philosophy, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. Ondo State. Nigeria. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
