Digitality and Political Theory : Mapping a Research Agenda in African Political Thought

Title data

Favarato, Claudia:
Digitality and Political Theory : Mapping a Research Agenda in African Political Thought.
In: Theoria : A Journal of Social and Political Theory. Vol. 70 (2023) Issue 176 . - pp. 34-64.
ISSN 1558-5816
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3167/th.2023.7017602

Official URL:

Abstract in another language

Digitality is increasingly central to individuals’ existence, which has political implications. The article maps the political implications of digitalisation, focusing on African political thought. The latter is marked by Afro-communitarianism ideas, which foster solidarity, relationality, and communalism as foundational values of the polity. However, African communitarianism has granted little attention to contemporary phenomena such as digitalisation. Also, political theory discussions on digitality have looked mainly at (neo)liberal contexts. How the digital age is reshaping the tenets of communitarian political theories represents an underdiscussed issue. This article outlines a research agenda on digitality and African political thought. New digitality-enabled relational modes change human and political interactions. The issue at stake is how these new modes challenge or strengthen the Afro-communitarian political outlook. This article recognises digital-humanism, political community, relations of power as central matters of inquiry. The analysis relies on bibliographic sources from African philosophy and comparative political theory.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Keywords:	African communitarianism; digital political relations; digital polity; digitalisation; political theory
Subject classification:	Political theory; African Philosophy
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Languages and Literature > Chair African and Afrophone Philosophies > Chair African and Afrophone Philosophies - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alena Rettová Profile Fields > Advanced Fields > African Studies
Result of work at the UBT:	No
DDC Subjects:	100 Philosophy and psychology > 100 Philosophy 300 Social sciences > 320 Political science
Date Deposited:	08 Feb 2024 06:06
Last Modified:	08 Feb 2024 06:06
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/88506