Vital forces form a descending hierarchy from God through ancestors to inanimate world

Evidence

The interrelationship of forces is seen in a hierarchy of beings running down from God (the origin of the vital force), through man (including the dead ancestors and the living community of humans), to the animal and inanimate world. The dynamic relationship of the vital force in every being can be permanently sustained, decreased, or simply brought to an end. — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 526

Categorization

• DEFINE: Lays out the hierarchical chain of being central to Bantu ontology.
• XREF: The descending hierarchy echoes the Great Chain of Being of Western Neoplatonism — a useful cross-cultural contrast. — connects to: The Great Chain of Being framed all beings in a fixed value hierarchy. — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1123; Natural theology legitimated visible class hierarchy as part of God’s design — Carolyn Merchant, The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology,…, 924