Data Ethics: The Case for Applying Ubuntu Principles

'Do more than belong; participate.  Do more than care; help.  Do more than believe; practice.  Do more than be fair, be kind.  Do more than forgive; forget.  Do more than dream; work.' 

- W. Ward

The purpose of creating ethical awareness in data practice is to integrate ethical concepts into day-to-day data management activities. To "bake-in" ethical values & to translate identified ethical principles into defined ethical actions & policies. 

The discussion of applicable ethical theories (normative ethics) at every level, whether executive level, business manager or data scientist/engineer level, is to provide context to inform every ethical decision that takes place in the workplace or organisation. 

The competing values & interests between shareholders, internal & external stakeholders, including communities & society at large, must be balanced & reconciled. Values such as commercial benefits, profit versus purpose, social utility versus social justice, inclusivity & the common good. 

Virtue ethics (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle), deontological ethics (Immanuel Kant) & consequentialist/utilitarian ethical (J.S. Mill) are philosophical theories that no doubt provide valuable context to help us understand our ethical thinking, dilemmas & decisions. They are Western schools of thought that focus largely on how the individual ought to act. 

Valid questions are often raised in the global dialogue about: 

1.     How does culture & geography impact ethics?

2.     Does Western culture create biased foundations for developing data ethics principles?

3.     Can data ethics principles be universal?  

Related to the above three questions, how do the principles of Ubuntu bring innovative insights, supplement, or strengthen the principles & debate informing the emerging macro-ethical data framework? 

A case can be made for adding the African philosophy of Ubuntu to the mix. We take the validity of Ubuntu principles as granted & as appropriate & necessary not only in South Africa & Africa but also in parts of the world that value collaboration & co-operation over conflict. 

The principles of Ubuntu can be reconciled with Western culture & are not in conflict with the principles informing the emerging, evolving macro-ethical data framework. 

Related to the above three questions, how do the principles of Ubuntu bring innovative insights, supplement, or strengthen the principles & debate informing the emerging macro-ethical data framework? 

A case can be made for adding the African philosophy of Ubuntu to the mix. We take the validity of Ubuntu principles as granted & as appropriate & necessary not only in South Africa & Africa but also in parts of the world that value collaboration & co-operation over conflict. 

The principles of Ubuntu can be reconciled with Western culture & are not in conflict with the principles informing the emerging, evolving macro-ethical data framework

Any examination of first principles in data ethics always begins with the question, where is the human in the data? 

The other four critical questions to ask include: 

1.     How does applying Ubuntu in data practice preserve or enhance human dignity? 

2.     How does Ubuntu preserve human autonomy? 

3.     How does it uphold the common good? 

4.     How does Ubuntu improve lives? 

Ubuntu is a Zulu word that means "humanness". It's essence is captured in the principle: "a person is a person through other persons."

Ubuntu ties in with the maxim of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Or in a data context, treat other's data as you would have others treat your data in a responsible manner with due concern for privacy, respect, fairness, autonomy, dignity & reputation. 

Ubuntu, however, takes the Golden Rule further by introducing community or societal interests. In Ubuntu, a person's value as a human being depends on acting for the sake of community & promoting community interests before individual interests. Community & group consensus are core Ubuntu values in African thinking about humanity. 

Social harmony is upheld as the greatest or ultimate good. In essence, Ubuntu is based on relationships that focus on mutual respect, human dignity, integrity, harmony & care. People act for the good of each other & the welfare of the group or community. The group is as important if not more important than the individual. 

Ubuntu rests on two pillars to create harmony: 

1. Shared identity: people see themselves as members of a group because they share similar interests, goals & values. They are unified by a common purpose in a joint endeavour. In the case of data ethics, we share a common humanity & most people prefer to do good than intentionally cause harm. 

2. Goodwill: acting to help others or for the sake of others to create harmonious relationships based on mutual respect & trust. 

Ubuntu principles by & large tie in or complement the traditional Western theoretical schools of thought mentioned above. 

Virtue or excellence of character & living the good life in Ubuntu is less about developing individual personality traits & more about promoting harmonious relationships & acting to help others or for the benefit of others in your community or society. 

By respecting other people & recognising their human dignity & the common humanity we share with others, Ubuntu prevents one from treating another person as a means to an end or as an instrument to achieve your will. In that sense, it honours the guiding principle of deontology or the duty-based school of thought. 

Where Ubuntu could get unstuck is if it sacrifices the interests of the individual in favour of the interests of the group. Where it does so, however it would be by reaching consensus in an open or transparent discussion. In this sense, it shares some tenets with consequentialism or utilitarianism that seeks to maximise benefits for the greatest number. It does so however, by seeking to promote or maximise the harmony or happiness of the group, community, or society at large as the ultimate good or benefit. 

How then does Ubuntu promote shared identity & goodwill in the day-to-day business of data management activities? 

One way to achieve this is by striving towards consensus in group activities & decisions. It may slow down the decision-making process as opposed to an individual person making the decision. 

Consensus & collaboration becomes important because it drives buy-in & encourages the right behaviour or action based on shared values. The new standard is accepted, applied, self-governed or enforced by the group. It does not come top-down from managers, although executives can still set the ethical tone at the top. 

The other benefit or advantage of this approach is it gets away from relying on individual decision-making with its inherent blind spots or dangers of bias & subjectivity. 

Ubuntu then is all about placing value on human connections & the importance of putting the human back into data ethics & engaging with both your internal & external community or stakeholders. It also means embracing, accommodating & respecting diversity & minority views. 

Any efforts to promote diversity & promote the inclusion of participants who represent different communities, backgrounds & viewpoints should be welcomed. This may help minimise or mitigate unfair bias. Including the voices of previously marginalised groups becomes increasingly important as it goes to the legitimacy & credibility of the entire data journey & the impact it has on society. 

Seeking & creating harmony & inclusivity with both employees & external stakeholders has the added benefit that it creates more meaning in peoples' lives & serves the common good by creating a more open, transparent & democratic decision-making process. 

Ubuntu places a high value on human connections. This culture of belonging & inclusivity is part of the DNA of Ubuntu as opposed to an adversarial them versus us mentality. When a business or organisation gets belonging right, you see increased employee engagement, innovation & collaboration to serve the needs of its customers or make the business more customer-centric.

Applying Ubuntu principles enhances human dignity & autonomy in that it empowers employees & external stakeholders to be part of the solution.

It upholds or honours the 4 R's of healthy data relationships:

Respect, Responsibility, Reciprocity & Reliability. 

The traditional Western approach to doing business in the past has often been a narrow individualistic, adversarial & competitive focus both inside the organisation & externally. Organisations now increasingly recognise that profit & social purpose are both critical elements of business success. The increasing emphasis on collaboration, consensus, inclusivity & social responsibility aligns with key Ubuntu principles. 

An Ubuntu leadership style empowers the team & shifts from command & control to contribution & collaboration by the team. With greater belonging & involvement comes respect, meaning & purpose. Employee engagement & belonging are not merely idealistic, nice to have concepts. Greater belonging translates directly into better business performance. 

Even in a traditional military culture that relies on command & control, many group discussions & collaboration takes place in the planning stages before operations commence. Where Ubuntu may not be strong is in an emergency or chaotic situation where no data or limited information is available. Here urgency & quick decisions are required. The reliance on group consensus in Ubuntu may slow down the decision-making process. Ubuntu may be better suited in more complex situations requiring group collaboration. 

The group dynamics of Ubuntu may impact taking ownership & accountability. This highlights the importance of an ethics champion. Global experience has shown that in mature organisations, a dedicated owner of data ethics brings greater accountability and a clear and visible commitment to data ethics. 

A CEO can promote meaning & purpose in employees lives via Ubuntu when they are consulted & participate in the decision-making process. This can easily be achieved by using group facilitation tools & visual storyboards that harness or map the power of collective thinking, such as Participlan or MentiMeter. 

Agile leaders respect people & culture & ask what is the greater purpose of the organisation? Applying Ubuntu principles gets people engaged in a common endeavour or purpose. 

How does Ubuntu apply or fit in with the DAMA wheel/DMBOK Data Governance rubber band? 

The key business driver of governance is to achieve operational efficiency & business goals. To enable an organisation to make the right decisions at the right time, in the right way, through ethical means. Governance then is the enabler of ethics. Good governance is consensus orientated, equitable, inclusive, transparent & participatory. So is Ubuntu. Ubuntu values goodwill & harmony as the ultimate social goods, which are achieved through collaboration & consensus. A culture of mutual respect, transparency & trust promotes harmonious relationships. 

What is the value of this conclusion? 

It reassures the rest of the world that South Africa and Africa are not at odds with Western values & global trends. The continent understands that we must conduct digital business in the same way as the rest of the world. This sends a positive message of clarity, certainty & reassurance to investors by saying we are open for business & do not want to be left behind nor excluded. It shows Africans & the world we have a role to play & can remain relevant & engaged in the face of AI & the fast-changing digital economy. 

It also reassures South Africans and Africans that global developments in this regard are not philosophically nor culturally threatening. Ubuntu can be reconciled & applied in both corporate & data culture. It is aligned to the core principles of South Africa's cultural-philosophical tenets. It reinforces and advances South Africa further into multilateralism, which is a cornerstone of the country's foreign policy. 

In essence, the purpose of this argument is to create trust in the evolution of the macro-ethical framework. There is significant alignment between Ubuntu principles and global philosophical trends in pursuit of multilateralism in the development of the data macro-ethical framework. 

Principles such as respect for persons, dignity & autonomy (the Golden Rule), beneficence (do no harm) & justice based on fairness & equality have universal appeal as aspirational values which apply across cultures & geographic location even if they are repressed or violated by some authoritarian regimes. Beneficence includes collaboration & community-mindedness. Social justice, the sharing of benefits & not making existing inequities worse. These universal principles co-exist in harmony with Ubuntu. 

In conclusion, applying Ubuntu principles in data practice offers an open, accessible, welcoming & inclusive approach that embraces diversity in our thinking, which should resonate with people regardless of their geographic location because these principles are human-centric & put the person back into the equation. Ubuntu says: we are all in this together, providing another living example of how the community of data practitioners can practice imaginative ethical empathy with soul.

Bio of Costa Ayiotis 

Data Ethics Specialist 

Costa Ayiotis is a former South African diplomat who worked at the United Nations in New York as an adviser reporting on the resolutions adopted in the Security Council in the first war against Iraq.

He also served as an adviser in the First Committee (Disarmament) dealing with Nuclear Non-Proliferation & the Chemical Weapons Convention.

He has done research on Ubuntu in the Business Environment & in Corporate Social Responsibility. He has worked as a coach & facilitator & more recently consulted in business mediation.

His current focus is on the evolving & emerging field of Ethics in Data Management. He holds a BA LLB & an MA in Applied Ethics from the University of the Witwatersrand.