Tolle Lege: An Augustinian Journal of Philosophy and Theology

This paper is entitled “Murder: An Igwebuike Perspective.” It is an attempt to have a comprehensive study of murder (igbu ochu) in Igwebuike ethical perspective. The paper examines a kind of killing where the death of the victim is intended, which is where the Igwebuike ethics stand to prove wrong, bad and unacceptable in its daily meeting. From origin, God's law is in man's heart which aids him to discern between right and wrong. Man's conscience has always told him that there are certain things that are incompatible with his existence in order to experience peace. Such things like murder or homicide which are unacceptable or, forbidden and deserve no attention are called taboos. In the course of this study, the work made the ?ndings that Igwebuike philosophystrongly stand against murder or human killing and the question of the justi?ability of murder has been a moral problem even in African traditional society, and this necessitated this research. The study employed the analytic (conceptual) method of research to drive home the point, where Igwebuike philosophy is against capital punishment, a violation of fundamental human rights. The study submits that the value of life is at basis of Igwebuike ethics and that murder is an evil, immoral and unjust action on the inalienable dignity of human person.

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