The Development of the Concept of Belongingness in African Philosophy: Contributions of the Conversational School of Philosophy

The concept of belongingness is fast generating interest among scholars of African philosophy. Several scholars articulate and promote various concepts that relate to belongingness. Some of these concepts include communality, solidarity, relationality, integration, harmony, and complementarity. A common thread among these concepts is that they represent an agglutination of parts for mutual identity, enrichment, and survival. This article focuses on the contributions that members of the Conversational School of Philosophy have made toward the development of the concept of belongingness in African philosophy. Specifically, it briefly highlights the ideas of certain scholars, showing how each animates the concept of belongingness. Though their conceptual framings might vary, each speaks, this article argues, to the idea of belongingness.