Dewey’s Pragmatist Ethics and Healthcare Allocation in Sub-Saharan Africa

: In this chapter, Taye explores Dewey’s pragmatist ethics in Human Nature and Conduct (1922) showing how it assists in addressing daunting challenges of healthcare allocation in sub-Saharan Africa. Given resource scarcity, economic dependency, and externally imposed policies in sub-Saharan nations, Dewey’s approach provides a context-sensitive, deliberative, and participatory model for decision-making. Traditional bioethical models, such as principlism, are often criticized for their Western-centric assumptions and rigid deductive logic. Pragmatism, by contrast, emphasizes empirical inquiry, interdisciplinarity, and social engagement. Dewey’s ethics reject fixed principles, favoring adaptive problem-solving that responds to local contexts. Sub-Saharan Africa’s healthcare systems struggle under colonial legacies and international interventions, with policies imposed top-down. Global allocation models, including cost-effectiveness metrics and donor-driven frameworks, often fail to align with local needs. A more suitable approach must incorporate community participation and indigenous health perspectives. Dewey’s alternative emphasizes public deliberation, ensuring stakeholder engagement at all levels. Education plays a foundational role in fostering collective problem-solving and rebuilding institutions. Rather than relying on externally imposed ethical frameworks, African healthcare systems must develop their own allocation models through participatory governance. Taye concludes that a Deweyan pragmatist approach offers a promising path toward ethical and effective healthcare distribution in the region.