Rethinking philosophical virtues in light of ethnophilosophy: A perspective from the epistemologies of the South

Abstract A surge of contemporary rethinking in practising philosophy has helped diversify and pluralize the field, radically paving other ways of being, knowing, and conceiving aside from those of the dominant Eurocentric and other Western‐centric philosophical orientations. One concern that has recently been elevated is the issue of philosophical virtues. What constitutes virtues is a contentious matter, as philosophers from different schools of thought are often at odds. Two strands of thinkers stand out in this regard: those who view the pursuit of virtues as highly formulaic, akin to doing algorithms, and those who depart from this vantage point and instead adopt an emancipatory or liberatory approach. This article takes up the liberatory viewpoint and expands the conversation by proposing an ethnophilosophy framed under the concept of what are called epistemologies of the South (de Sousa Santos 2018). In doing so, it contributes to the existing debates about the notion of philosophical virtues.