Abstract

In the Dogon society of West Africa the practice of divination provides a framework for ethical reflection. Divination invites reflection on actions and their consequences in society, as well as consideration of their place within the dynamic patterns of nature; significantly, nature is viewed not just as a backdrop of human action, but as an integral and determinative part of it. This paper will show Dogon divination to be an ethical duty arising from the responsibility the Dogon people understand themselves to bear for the proper functioning and flourishing of the cosmos.