The meaning of Ubuntu all too often gets lost in vague translations such as "bond of sharing", "unity", and "collective humanity". This is a bit unfortunate, be

The meaning of Ubuntu all too often gets lost in vague translations such as "bond of sharing", "unity", and "collective humanity". This is a bit unfortunate, because Ubuntu expresses an interesting and specific concept. Ubuntu can literally be translated as "I am what I am because of what we all are", ie., that individual meaning is bound up with collective meaning. To give some simple examples, a king is so because a kingdom with subjects exists. Were he to diminish his subjects, he diminishes himself. An elected politician draws power from the socially constructed collective rule of law and norms. We he/she to attack these collective norms, his source of legitimate power can crumble. As software engineers, our (admittedly advantageous) socio-cultural position derives from unique place the tech industry has carved out in society. If we act in ways inimical to the sharing and openness that underpins the industry, we are attacking our own position in the long-term. These examples illustrate the spirit of Ubuntu, and it is not hard to see why it implies values such as sharing, attention to collective interests, and the like. But at its core, the philosophy is something quite specific.