RE-EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTION OF BEING, HIERARCHY OF FORCES IN BANTU ONTOLOGY

Abstract

The scholarly work of Placide Tempels on Bantu ontology has sparked enduring debate, particularly among African philosophers. The arguments and counterarguments center on questions of interpretation, Being, and the hierarchy of forces. This study undertakes a re-examination of the concept of Being within Bantu ontology, with particular focus on the hierarchical ordering of forces. It draws on the philosophical framework of Placide Tempels and challenges static interpretations of Bantu thought by foregrounding the dynamic, relational, and force-based characterization of Being. This study critically analyzes the hierarchical ordering of these forces, which proceeds from God (the Supreme Being), through ancestral spirits and living humans, to animals, plants, and inanimate objects, with each level possessing a distinct degree of vital influence. Revisiting this hierarchy reveals tensions between its descriptive cultural roots and its prescriptive use in justifying traditional authority or social stratification. It is the contention of this paper that the hierarchical structure is neither rigid nor purely ontological; rather, it is interwoven with relational ethics, ritual efficacy, and communal well-being. Furthermore, by interpreting Being as force, this re-examination challenges lingering colonial interpretations that depict Bantu ontology as primitive or irrational. In essence, this study proposes that the hierarchy of forces is best understood as an open, participatory field of becoming—where the task of human existence is not merely to contemplate static Being, but to intensify, channel, and preserve life-force through proper relational conduct.