Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

The problem of personal identity is a perennial problem in the thought system of Philosophy. The question of identity is the first principle of being. Hence the question, what is personal identity? Can a person stand or exist distinct from the community? These questions are relevant because of the fact that scholars, writers and even lay men on the street placed much emphasis on communalism as the basic nature and structure of our African society. To this end, there is increasing need of intellectual discourse on how to achieve identity in the community. Thus, this paper argues that the philosophical foundation of individual identity lies partly within the community. Thus, I argue that man is an intersubjective being. That community-individual relationship or integration brings about a full flourishing of human person. It is within this framework that we investigate the place of personal identity in the communal whole.

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