The African understanding of a human person, particularly her demise, is often that of continuity. For an African, one does not really die (at least the soul). Suicide has been seen as a taboo in many African cultures, and traditions even have laws against it. However, if one has the right to live, does not one also have the right to die? Please assist me in developing this topic further. Any assistance will be highly appreciated. I fully understand that I am going to attempt a comparative study of two worldviews that have different points of departure. African death ethics view, germinates from the muntu intellectual framework and her cognitive structure with underpinnings such as communitarianism, while human rights view, is founded on western constructs with individualism underpinnings. I am not claiming that there is one which is superior to the other, but rather there could be one which is more plausible and persuasive than the other.
Any answer to such a very heavy query Lemohang Tebeli implies the involvement of a religious value system; this begins with the assumption (belief) of a human soul, which eventually does not die.
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Dying is a process that usually begins well before death actually occurs. This process is a journey from the known life of this world, to the unknown of what lies ahead. As this process begins, a person starts on a mental path of discovery, comprehending that death will indeed occur and believing in their own mortality. The journey ultimately leads to the physical departure from the body.
Citation from: https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/23837/
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Psalms 23:4
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to comment Stephen I. Ternyik . It is a very interesting comment you made, including the different avenues from which one can approach this question. I appreciate it.
If a suicide does not "really die" and yet there are laws and taboos against suicide, something else must be at issue besides merely dying. In a religious context, it may be that you are the property of the deity and subject to its often seemingly arbitrary determination of what you may or may not do. That could include not only the proscription of suicide, but also sexual relations, food choices, alcohol (even coffee and tea in the case of Mormons, although strangely they do allow soft drinks with caffeine). In a nonreligious context, you may be the property of a sovereign, who has dibs on you for labor, military service, etc.
Thank you so much Karl Pfeifer this is another avenue I will explore further.
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