ABSTRACT
While it is widely acknowledged that ‘development’ is an inherently Eurocentric concept, wellbeing concepts from perspectives of the Global South, are less well known, let alone embraced. We explore to what extent ‘inclusive development’ can accommodate philosophies from the Global South and how the definition of inclusive development needs to be adjusted. We focus on the epistemological dimension of inclusive development by presenting perspectives from the Global South through two indigenous philosophies: Ubuntu and Buen Vivir. In Ubuntu and Buen Vivir philosophies, the economy is not central in development. For Ubuntu, it is developing human relations and moral responsibility; for Buen Vivir it is developing harmony with Nature and Earth. Thus, Ubuntu and Buen Vivir may lead to an altogether different ‘development’ or, rather, wellbeing paradigm in which the ‘harmony of all life’ may become more central; based on reciprocity and relationality between human and non-humans, including Mother Earth, and the present, past, and future generations. In an attempt to move towards epistemic diversity in ‘development,’ we propose to engage in mutually transformative dialogues between development scholars and philosophers in the Global South and North.
