IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL POLICY (JHSP )

E-ISSN 2545-5729
P-ISSN 2695 2416
VOL. 10 NO. 6 2024
DOI: 10.56201/jhsp.v10.no6.2024.pg176.194

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The 'End Justifies the Means' Principle as A Negation of the Concept of Ezigbo Mmadu in Igbo Land

Dr Ratzinger E. E. Nwobodo PhD

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Abstract

Niccolo Machiavelli’s political philosophy, as articulated in his widely referenced magnus corpus, ‘The Prince’, fundamentally transformed modern political thought during its era. Machiavelli's famous assertion that "the end justifies the means" encapsulated his arguments on political ethics, marking a significant departure from the prevailing moral frameworks of his time. This statement, which challenges conventional ethical standards, was met with considerable resistance in an era predominantly shaped by Christian values, which found such a perspective troubling due to its inherently negative implications. In contrast, the moral framework of the Igbo people aligns more closely with traditional ethical values, positing that both the end and the means must be ethically sound. This principle is foundational to their understanding of ‘Ezigbo Mmadu’(a good person) or authentic person-hood. An ‘Ezigbo Mmadu’ embodies honesty and sincerity in all interactions and dealings within the community, rejecting any semblance of duplicity. This paper aims to explore the Igbo conception of ‘Ezigbo Mmadu’ and juxtapose it with Machiavellian political philosophy. In this context, it seeks to address the following critical questions: What constitutes the Igbo understanding of ‘Ezigbo Mmadu? How does the Machiavellian principle serve as a negation of this conception of authentic personhood? To answer these questions, the paper employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, relying extensively on secondary sources, including books, online journals, and internet resources, to elucidate how Machiavelli's principle fundamentally contradicts the Igbo notion of ‘Ezigbo Mmadu’.

keywords:

Ezigbo mmadu, Authentic personhood, Conventional morality, Machiavellian

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