Scholars and commentators have suggested that South Africa has suffered from a dearth in good, moral, and virtuous leadership at the highest levels of government. This assignment asks you to consider what defines a “good leader” by looking at the ways in which prominent political theorists from across the world have approached the topic to help you answer the broad research question, “what makes a good leader, according to political theorists?”

Question

You are required to write a normative political theory paper that answers the research question stated here before by comparing and contrasting the ways in which political theorists from at least TWO different geographic regions (the West, Africa, or Asia) have approached the notions of good, moral, and virtuous leadership. Questions that will help you respond to the research question include the following:
- What is a “good” leader according to Western, Africa, and/or Asian political theorists?
- Who gets to rule, how, and why?
- What is considered moral, ethical, and/or just behaviour by a political leader, and should leaders always embody all of these characteristics?
- In which ways do African, Asian, and Western political theories on the concepts of morality, ethics, justice, and virtuous leadership overlap or differ?
Your paper should conclude with a response to the view that South Africa has suffered from a dearth of good, moral and virtuous leadership at the highest level of government (we don’t care if you agree or disagree with this statement, but we do want to see that you can come to a conclusion about whether the statement is true or false based on your reading of prominent political theoretical approaches to the notion of what makes a good leader). please write the power conclusion based question above and also include the information that talks about South Africa and remember that the regions that i chose is African and werstern. please make conclusion to 200 words but cover all the aspects. please utilize the simplest simplest english. lastly remember on the question About South Africa i agreed that is suffering

Answer 1

In examining what makes a good leader, we find that both African and Western political theorists offer valuable insights. In Western thought, philosophers like Plato and Aristotle emphasize the importance of virtue and moral character. A good leader in this context is someone who embodies ethical qualities, pursues justice, and seeks the common good. For instance, Aristotle believed that leaders should cultivate personal virtues and act morally to inspire citizens.

Conversely, African political theorists often highlight communal values and the role of leadership within the social fabric. For example, the Ubuntu philosophy underscores the interconnectedness of people and stresses that a good leader is one who fosters community, harmony, and mutual respect. Leadership is seen not just as a position of power but as a responsibility to serve and uplift the society.

Despite differing perspectives, both traditions acknowledge that ethical behavior is central to effective leadership. However, the Western focus on individual morality contrasts with the African emphasis on community well-being.

Regarding South Africa, it is evident that the country has struggled with leadership that embodies these moral and virtuous ideals. Corruption, self-interest, and ethical failures among some leaders have indeed resulted in a lack of good leadership, which supports the view that South Africa has suffered from a dearth of good, moral, and virtuous leadership at the highest levels of government.