Digitality and Political Theory Mapping a Research Agenda in African Political Thought

• Published in: Theoria (Pietermaritzburg) Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 34 - 64
• Main Author: Favarato, Claudia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Berghahn Books, Inc 01-09-2023
• Subjects: Communes; Communitarianism; Community power; Community relations; Digital technology; Humanism; Ideology; Internet; Philosophy; Political aspects; Political philosophy; Political power; Political theory; Social networks; Sociopolitical factors; Theory; Virtual reality; United Kingdom; Sub-Saharan Africa
• ISSN: 0040-5817; 1558-5816
• DOI: 10.3167/th.2023.7017602

Digitality is increasingly central to individuals' existence, which has political implications. The article maps the political implications of digitalisation, focusing on African political thought. The latter is marked by Afro-communitarianism ideas, which foster solidarity, relationality, and communalism as foundational values of the polity. However, African communitarianism has granted little attention to contemporary phenomena such as digitalisation. Also, political theory discussions on digitality have looked mainly at (neo)liberal contexts. How the digital age is reshaping the tenets of communitarian political theories represents an underdiscussed issue. This article outlines a research agenda on digitality and African political thought. New digitality-enabled relational modes change human and political interactions. The issue at stake is how these new modes challenge or strengthen the Afro-communitarian political outlook. This article recognises digital-humanism, political community, relations of power as central matters of inquiry. The analysis relies on bibliographic sources from African philosophy and comparative political theory.