Concern for Others' Needs a Supreme Moral Value - Gyekye

Accra (Greater Accra), 25 Feb. '99 -

Professor Kwame Gyekye, Head of the Philosophy Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, Wednesday asserted that concern for the needs of others should be seen as the supreme moral value in a world of shared values, desires and aspirations. "Our common or shared humanity" is the basis for a morality that stresses responsibilities and obligations towards others and sensitivity to their needs and well-being. Prof. Gyekye was delivering the last of a three-day lecture to mark this year's J. B. Danquah Memorial Lectures in Accra. It is under the theme of "Beyond cultures: perceiving a common humanity". Prof. Gyekye, who spoke on "The morality of a shared humanity", said "a shared humanity requires a kind of moral outlook that is animated by the awareness of the needs and interests of others and the demonstration of sensitivity to those needs". He warned that people should not be obsessed with rights as such "a blinkered obsession" may lead to selfishness and concern for individual welfare to the disregard of the needs and interests of others. Prof. Gyekye, who is also the Dean of Graduate Studies, said it is high time the world came up with a "Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities" to complement the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and make humanity richer. Professor Emeritus K. A. Dickson, President of the All Africa Conference of Churches, chairman for the occasion, cautioned against egoism, saying: "it blunts our sensibilities to the needs and concerns of others". He said in today's global village, it is important for people to know their culture well before venturing onto the global scene.