The Lifeboat Ethics and Traditional Akan Ethics: A Critical Comparative Study

Abstract

The “Lifeboat ethics” as propounded by Garrett Hardin has gained currency in contemporary world. This is in view of some form of pragmatic truth and how Hardin theorises to explain the relationships that exist between the rich and the poor in society. One may probe to comprehend whether the principles of the lifeboat ethics have any bearing on Traditional Akan cultural values. This paper sets out to critique the theory. By so doing, some of its principles would be pointed out and explained and further compared with Traditional Akan ethical values. The paper asserts that the principles of the theory share some common grounds with Traditional Akan ethics. However, the paper concludes that the principles of the theory are not entirely the case as far as the latter is concerned.

Keywords: Traditional Akan, ethics, lifeboat.