Bantu philosophy is the religious and ethical thought of the Bantu peoples.

Evidence

This philosophy is ontology of vital forces. In the history of Western philosophy, starting from the Pre-Socratic philosophers, the nature of reality has been described in terms of a static conception of being, by the use of set phrases such as “the reality that is,” “anything that exists,” or “what is.” This may be largely so in Western philosophy, but it is not universally so. Tempels does not accept this static conception of being. Instead, he attributes to the Bantu a dynamic conception of being, an ontology in which being is conceived as “vital force” The universe can be described as an interrelation of forces within the whole of existence. — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 526 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Bantu vital forces form a hierarchy from God down through ancestors to animals; Bantu Philosophy still serves as a convergence point between African and other philosophical traditions.; Bantu personhood divides genuine humans (Muntu) from dehumanized ones (Kintu) (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Bantu ontology is grounded in vital force rather than Being #expands (0.60) — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 526
• African thought defines the human person as a relation to others, world, and God. #expands (0.50)
• Palmares’ political authority derived from Central African Bantu political conceptions. #exemplifies (0.40)