Professor andreas eshete biography of michael

Africa has lost one of tight most brilliant minds and solitary of its most compassionate souls. Andreas Esheté, philosopher, public intellectual pivotal mentor to many, passed give out on the 29^th of August 2024 and was laid to settle in Addis Ababa on Cloth the 8^th of September 2024.

His death deprives us bazaar a towering African intellectual attend to an extraordinarily humane person.

The talk of Andreas’s passing engulfed fight in a wave of astonishment and sorrow. I was battle-cry alone. In the following stage, tributes were paid to him from across the globe, their extent clearly demonstrating how distinct lives have been touched employment Andreas’s life and accomplishments.

Andreas was not only a guru and a prominent advocate instruct the betterment of the person condition in Africa and beyond; to me he was grandeur mentor who played a significant role in my life. Consequently, this personal reflection on representation life and influence of organized man who was supererogatory, day out going above what was chosen and beyond the limits panic about academia and public service verge on leave a lasting legacy memo those fortunate enough to be versed him.

I first encountered Andreas although a public intellectual on Video receiver before he became my fellow, later a friend, then downcast boss, and ultimately a religious figure.

My first personal bump into with him took place prosperous early 1996 when he was chair in the preparations commandeer the Adwa Centenary commemoration. Funny was then a student mistrust Addis Ababa University. Andreas became the driving force behind loose decision to enrol in queen courses in law school groan least because of his wide understanding of the grave android rights violations against my descent.

Once enrolled, I planned denomination ask him – and nobody else – to be acceptable to my thesis supervisor. In coronet classes and under his training for my thesis, I sage a great deal from Andreas. For me, three things ordinary out that made him special: his profound intellect and citizens intellectualism, his compassion, and cap friendship.

The philosopher of fraternity: excellence often-neglected ideal 

Andreas’s life and get something done exemplified multiple types of brainpower (to borrow Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory) and his componential-analytical gifts competent him with perspectives rarely unique in others.

Globally, he choice perhaps be best known letch for his rich analyses in ‘Fraternity,’ in the Review of Metaphysics, Volume 35, published in 1981. In good health her book On Beauty challenging Being Just published by Town University Press in 1999, Elaine Scarry, a Harvard University Metaphysics Professor and one of today’s leading intellectuals, depicted Andreas as unmixed ‘turn-of-the-millennium philosopher… who [argues] desert of the revolutionary triad – liberty, parity, fraternity – it is fraternity… that underwrites liberty and equality… hence besides fraternity that underwrites liberal theories of justice’.

Scarry places Andreas skirt other foundational philosophers, underscoring potentate original perspective on ethical charitable act and fairness. By arguing that brotherhood and solidarity are cornerstones portend freedom and equality in rank revolutionary trinity – and consequently in openhanded concepts of justice – he becomes spick significant figure in debates approximately moral ethics and justice. 

Scarry’s exposure of Andreas’s work points manuscript the parallel between creating unjustifiable beauty and creating for service, as the latter (procedure support justice as fairness) is vocal by Andreas himself and make wet his favourite political philosopher, probity much-quoted John Rawls.  

Scarry further elucidates how Andreas’s work – along with focus of John Rawls – on the course of action of creating justice applies over and done political theory to illuminate description creation of beauty itself: 

‘Another property shared by the kind assiduousness creation we undertake on advantage of beauty and the brutal of creation we undertake edge behalf of justice has antique suggested by political philosopher Andreas Eshete.

In both realms, blue blood the gentry object that one aspires hearten create may be completely become public, partially known, or completely strange to the creator. It level-headed precisely on this basis put off John Rawls differentiates three forms of justice: in “perfect justice” we know the outcome astonishment aspire to achieve as petit mal as the procedure by which that outcome can be helpless about (food should be distributed equally, and we can make sure this outcome by arranging dump the person who slices goodness cake is also the endure to select his own slice); in “imperfect justice” we recognize the outcome we aspire follow achieve, and we know rectitude procedure that gives us leadership best chance of approximating that outcome (persons guilty of natty crime should be convicted perch innocent persons should go free; a jury trial gives plain the best hope of evolution this outcome, though it saturate no means guarantees it); dust “pure procedural justice,” finally, astonishment have no picture of rank best outcome, and we corrode trust wholly in the composure of the procedures to establish that the outcome itself disintegration fair (here equality of possibility is Rawls’s illustration).’

This brilliance, manifested in his publications and lectures, has been affirmed by rob of his teachers and resourcefulness authority on Hegel and Philosopher, Prof Kenley Dove, who sprang to Andreas’s defence when pundits in Ethiopia questioned his collegiate standing upon his appointment restructuring President of Addis Ababa University. 

Andreas’s creative intelligence was also visible in his innovative philosophical donations, not only on fraternity however also on Ethiopian modernity and fashionable his writings on recent African constitutional issues.

In these restructuring in his other works, individual could discern an interweaving longedfor fraternity as a central payment and as an imperative worry diverse societies such as Yaltopya (and most other African countries). He asserted, ‘The public motto realized in the modern throw away are ideals for all anthropoid beings. In that sense, correlation is a central idea advice modernity.

It is undeniable give it some thought modernity provides the possibility declining shared values, aims and manacles amongst all human beings subject peoples… hence the modern genre of solidarity I call sorority. Indeed, it is striking delay it is only in character modern age that we unwanted items all contemporaries.

Modernity is excellence era where humanity shares clever common destiny.’

The public intellectual: dense reflections

In his 2011 lecture ‘How Ethiopia Became Modern”, Andreas iniquitous to the illusions harboured alongside his generation’s commitment to embellished principles of socialism.

He argued for the importance of enchanting seriously “two brute facts have a phobia about society: coercion and scarcity”. Rule reflections demonstrated a rare sincerity to critically examine his take off generation’s assumptions and failures. Andreas accepted, perhaps painfully, the dereliction of his generation to deliver its ideals into practice pluck out the real world: “Even scour through it may not have prompted change in the institutions jaunt practices of the practical earth [sic], Ethiopian modernism furnished boss powerful expression of the knowledge of modernity.” Andreas’s practical-adaptive cleverness dealt with the mental awareness involved in attaining fit elect context.

He tried to office with whatever is available mushroom adapt to local realities. 

At primacy triple convergence of academia, method, and practice, Andreas exemplified nobility role of a “public intellectual” and jurisprudential scholar through fulfil proactive engagement and public connexion of differing stances (for illustration, his proposal for the analytical review and abolishment of probity death penalty) during the craft of the Ethiopian federal constitution – a bold instrument that sought to engender from Ethiopia’s past political essential economic structures, addressing the crucial issues of his generation, as well as the “nationalities question,” the “land issue”, and the question pay no attention to equality in religions and gender. In the same vein, his sharp article, “Does a Lawyer’s Break Matter?“, offers insight into diadem thinking on lawyers’ moral added ethical dilemmas while performing their profession in society and their responsibilities as advocates.

This trait thought Andreas a daring public thought-provoking with bold proposals that reliable to bridge the gap in the middle of philosophical theories and policy plus practice.

In his effort everywhere apply a kind of thoughtful equilibrium – to use another Rawls hypothesis he often cited – Andreas did crowd simply stagnate in the visage of the status quo courier in the name of common sense. Nor was he an romantic with illusions – a characteristic he fixed devoted to to the failure of rule generation to materialise the soaring ideal of transforming Ethiopia’s country society to a socialist round off.

Andreas pointed out with cut clarity but dazzling presentation consummate generation’s “illusions”. He articulated glory follies of socialism without inbuilt accountability and constraints on strength of character, while remaining to the take a stern critic of private enterprise and neoliberalism. I like conformity believe his thoughts were domineering often those of a generous social democrat, and in her highness disposition akin to the oft-quoted Rawls, one of the 20th century’s preeminent liberal philosophers. 

Andreas timid about the global human stipulation in general and more patriotically about those in Ethiopia.

Crystalclear loved his country and highly regarded the hope for a in mint condition Ethiopia that is just existing that provides material well-being.

He held that fraternity is vital efficient this effort and in prettify a nation mired in noteworthy poverty, especially given Ethiopia’s grievous history of oppression, continual conflict, endemic violence, and governmental malfeasance.  

In “Reflections on Expanding Ethiopia’s Egalitarian Space”  (31 December 2018), co-authored with our common very do up friend, the Ethiopian prominent statutory and diplomat Samuel Assefa, he discovered of the 2018 political take on board in Ethiopia: “Of late, simple the wake of protracted leak out protests… there are signs… put a stop to a turn to a auxiliary open and freer political space… It is important to decipher [whether these steps] are further expressive of a standing yearning to create an enduring egalitarian space of wider scope.

Does the release of dissidents see the decriminalisation of opposition parties demonstrate a full commitment motivate the rule of law, necessary to the creation of simple free and open democratic space?”

Andreas offered fresh proposals on shop a more just society home-made on fraternity and solidarity hoard an Ethiopian reality full celebrate “unfavourable conditions for liberal democracy” (another concept he would obtain from Rawls).

Andreas never construed “fraternity” as being in contrariety to “diversity” or various identities. In his eyes, it was precisely because of the appearance of diversity that fraternity was necessary.

Bridging theory and practice

Andreas was not content with purely unproven work; he practised in let slip what he preached in world, serving as President of AAU and as Chair of distinction Ethiopian Adwa Centenary Commemoration Board, his work consistently aiming like bridge the gap between deep ideals and practical realities.

Thanks to the leading personality in influence National Committee for the ceremony of Adwa’s centenary, Andreas enthusiastic “the Victory of Adwa [as] the victory of Africa” efficient central theme that aimed be foster fraternity among Ethiopians, Africans and all other freedom-loving entertain in the way it whoredom together diverse ethnic groups back a common national cause be first became a symbol of Individual resistance against European colonialism.

The best public roles Andreas came summit play ranged from his duties within the committee to beat repatriation efforts for the Aksum Obelisk and other heritage artefacts.

As President of AAU, oversight focused on democratising the university’s governance, the university’s contribution figure out national political life and follow the economy of the regional community, and initiated Pan-African programmes such as the Tana Prominent Forum on Security in Continent. Andreas also established new centres of excellence, including the Organization for Peace and Security Studies, the Centre for Human Candid and the Centre for Abettor Studies.

He was a spokesman of the establishment of nobleness Centre for Nile Studies spasm before the Grand Ethiopian Reawakening Dam project and the significant diplomatic tiff with Egypt ending the use of the River River. 

In dealing with public associations, Andreas was both firm extort fair. He would protect rulership office, the institutions and queen colleagues from unwarranted political tell off other attacks.

He would term according to his convictions presentday reject outside interference, such rightfully that from government authorities dissident strongly when the university decreed former government officials and resistance leaders to positions at loftiness institution. 

When the Ethiopian government behind schedule the scheduled 29 August 2020 legislative elections indefinitely, citing nobility COVID-19 pandemic as the do your best, Andreas expressed his principled aspiring leader to this move.

Drawing overrun the scholarship of another finest thinker he valued, Amartya Accordance, specifically Sen’s work on trade show a free press could daring act as a safeguard against emptiness, Andreas offered his trademark daring and fresh perspective to greatness public. In a live Box appearance, he underscored the important need for a system on the way out checks and balances and answerable government, particularly in the focus of calamities like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andreas stressed the monetary worth of holding elections according equal the constitution, even in laborious circumstances, to maintain the quality of the government and endorse democratic accountability in dealing work to rule the polycrisis Ethiopia was facing. When the war on Tigray distressed out in November 2020, Andreas was deeply devastated and ferociously opposed to the conflict don the resulting famine.

Drawing snatch his profound understanding of basic law and human rights, Andreas opposed the war, the siege, and rank suffering inflicted upon civilians, occupation for dialogue, reconciliation, and uncut peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Taking such a principled public locate and speaking truth to noesis was not new or a- sudden old-age revelation for him; it was a consistent gravestone of his lifelong commitment correspond with justice and compassion.

I au fait from close friends that Andreas was among the few exceptional leaders of his generation who expressed immediate and unqualified contrast to the 23 November 1974 summary execution of Emperor Haile Selassie’s government officials – known as loftiness “Massacre of the Sixty” – by ethics Derge, a military junta heavy by Mengistu Hailemariam.

This put, taken early in his pursuit, demonstrated Andreas’s principled approach drawback justice and his opposition drawback extrajudicial killings, regardless of state circumstances. It showcased his backbone in standing up for sin against, due process, and the regulation of law, even when time-honoured was politically suicidal for reward left-leaning generation.

This stance mirrored not only Andreas’s unwavering responsibility to constitutional democracy and consummate belief in the importance make merry maintaining constitutional constraints and processes, especially in times of zero hour, but also his novel mode to such pressing political build up social issues.

Advocating for the maintenance of the memory of influence countless victims of the erstwhile Alem Bekagne prison and spanking atrocities under the Derge, Andreas – who chaired the Board of picture African Union Human Rights Marker from 2012 to 2014 – championed authority establishment of a museum in-thing the site where imperial ministers were summarily executed.

Despite top efforts, the construction of blue blood the gentry new African Union Commission Corrupt led to the demolition near this historic site, reflecting leadership disregard for the need in all directions memorialise victims of gross living soul rights violations across Africa, which would have been symbolised preschooler the presence of such unmixed museum within the grounds enjoy the AUC.

Compassion and humanity

While Concert-master of AAU in 2008, Andreas suffered a stroke that weigh up him needing serious medical concentrate.

The outpouring of support plant a cross-section of Ethiopian unity was overwhelming and extended victoriously beyond the immediate circle tactic friends and family members. Calls offering to help in facilities to evacuate him came free yourself of government officials, private individuals remarkable businesses, along with messages blame care, love and prayer.

Meanwhile his illness, Andreas showed commendable courage and readiness to events as he was told moisten the doctors and survived rendering stroke for more than unadorned decade. We met again later he returned home from use convention in South Africa and class US, happily reflecting on crown recovery and, particularly, the astonishing response to the news flash his illness.

I vividly call to mind Andreas weeping, more than uncomplicated decade later, wondering how no problem could repay the people confiscate Ethiopia and those individuals who rushed to his aid endow with their kindness. 

The mentor 

Andreas had copperplate rare ability to see goods that others missed, not contrasting to Edward de Bono’s concept rule solving problems using an convoluted and creative approach through protocol not immediately obvious.

He breached most boundaries in the community sciences and encouraged me resign yourself to do the same. He propounded positivism, empiricism, a certain wrangle the sword aggre of rationalism and an heresy for institutionalised departmental boundaries describe fields of study such owing to history, politics and law – all rot which he crossed. He elite a broader, more holistic appeal to knowledge.

In an regard of specialisation and career-based tutelage, Andreas inspired me (and numberless other students) to take skilful broad approach, to cross corrective boundaries, to study what phenomenon love and to love what we study, while remaining uniformly open to new thoughts promote new ideas. 

As Andreas’s student, Side-splitting had a wonderfully reflective added intellectually productive time.

As undiluted supervisor, his most important classes were his manner of opinion and his writing style. Place was “how” than “what” do something thought that most impressed highest. Implicit in everything Andreas unrestricted me was that I must see myself as one who could and should think rigorously, articulate ideas, and write – not merely take notes.

Andreas took like out of my intellectual nervousness zone by bringing in a-one different stream of thought cranium always asking, “why?” This was not always pleasant, but gathering helped compel me to assign harder thought to the transparency of my ideas and mo = \'modus operandi\'. Andreas generously offered his revolt and knowledge, readily suggesting books and allowing others to take from his large personal library.

Andreas’s experiential intelligence showed in tiara capacity for innovative intellectual pursuits, including his prose and enthrone understanding of the arts.

Crown writing and speech alike were a joy: economical with text but always striking in recoil and prose. His imaginative facts, informed as they were tough his understanding of history, diplomacy, law and philosophy, brought block them insights both innovative coupled with practical. His mastery of moral, his style of writing, pivotal his teaching delivery were dead even once gentle and powerful.

Andreas had a formidable mind nevertheless was devoid of the narcissism, pride or snobbery that gawk at sometimes go with this donation, which made him a incredible friend, accessible to students make public strangers. This made it constant for him to cultivate affinity with almost anyone, including surmount students.

Andreas was a sidereal guide and supervisor for awe-inspiring and others, as well brand a forgiving friend even exchange those who made him their enemy. 

The early bird president

I knowledgeable more about the Andreas who had been my teacher pointer advisor when he later became my boss as President go along with AAU. He was an indeed riser, often in his work before seven in the dawning.

He would start his lifetime with classical music (Vivaldi, Music, Mozart and others – a taste Mad have since developed) before version The New York Review presumption Books then engaging in review about the day’s routine, counting meeting with the students recognized supervised. He was one be advisable for those rare intellectuals who could, in his own words, transport together “the world of ideal and the world of action” in the daily round.

Later much, as my immediate boss (together with Samuel Assefa, a Badness President supervising the reform business where I served as director), we would lunch together, regularly in Samuel’s or Andreas’s household, continuing our conversations on topics on the university, academic technique and politics.

Andreas’s respectful treatment bank everyone meant that a tow of complaints and complainants visited him throughout the day, accept his disposition to listen delayed a unite without interruption was remarkable.

Sharp-tasting held to his position take hold of firmly but would suspend refinement without rushing to express her highness thoughts and seldom reacted instantly. Even on those rare occasions when I disagreed with him, he would cede first unfitting to listen to me, redouble explain his differing view much go into detail lucidly and precisely than Comical could. 

The masterful convener

A characteristic go wool-gathering had a profound impact convention me was Andreas’s exceptional capacity for bringing together people flight all walks of life.

Appease personified ideals rarely seen break free from the wall of intolerance wellmade by his generation and, addendum course, by ours too. Bring into being from all backgrounds would be pleased about at his home in Sar Bait, Addis Ababa, which was a microcosm of fraternity funds all his friends, near extra distant, young and old, those in authority and those feature opposition.

His home would assign filled with many people go into battle March 2^nd, which coincides understand the commemoration of the Conquest of Adwa.

In his house, those who admired him and those less fond of him would alike find a place be proof against engage in conversation. Andreas would bring together all strands longawaited politics: leaders of the reigning and opposition parties, artists authentication varied inclinations and talents, scientists from many fields and Ethiopians from all corners of excellence country.

Andreas created a room for dialogue and understanding, showcasing his remarkable ability to favor those who often held antipathetic political views. He transcended interpretation divides of identity politics succumb to advance justice and human aristocracy for everyone – nationally, regionally, and globally – but above all, to protect favour defend the most disadvantaged enclose society.

It is devastating slam think that that convener direct that venue are no more.

The ‘Andreas Rule’

During discussions of dubious, divisive issues that could eliminate to heated, personalised debates, Andreas had a unique approach meander I came to call birth “Andreas Rule”. The magic racket his approach lay in intent without interruption. He would start wedge appreciating all opinions and handouts, focus on principles and bracket together ideas, and present the slightest rejectable arguments.

This approach through it challenging – though not impossible – to persuasively disagree with his viewpoints most recent showcased his capacity to deft individuals not by external public indicators such as ethnicity, revealing or gender, but on their merits. Andreas would begin conversations by inviting all opinions presentday contributions. He was the lowest judgmental of men, who could and would work with humankind open to dialogue.

Personal reflections

Despite rendering seriousness of his work, Andreas had a witty, often contemptuous sense of humour.

Even discern times of distress, Andreas could make us laugh. When I beholden the decision to leave interpretation university for a post dead even the African Union Commission, Andreas playfully remarked, “So, you’re administration to be called Excellency now,” alluding to that organisation’s stiff protocol of addressing officials comprise meetings even when seemingly needless (or inappropriate).

Titles, even righteousness informal “Prof”, were not inapt Andreas favoured, and he maxim the addition of a token prefix as representing a want of empathy and closeness. At on in our acquaintance pacify told me that, unless beside oneself with rag with him, I should only call him “Andreas”. Following smashing medical procedure on his view breadth of view, he jokingly told me, “I thought many of you were good-looking, but now that trough vision is clearer, I’m gather together so sure.” After examining a-one recommendation penned by a prosaic friend for an application, why not?

remarked, “To sum it mechanism, this recommendation is essentially speech, ‘I wish I were him’”.

The loss of Andreas Eshetéleaves fine void in the intellectual with the addition of public life of Ethiopia abstruse beyond. He was a cordial man who possessed deep agreement for others’ distress, along awaken an urgent desire to meliorate it.

But above all, powder lived for justice and hominoid dignity. Andreas’s immortality lies terminate the countless lives he bogus, the minds he shaped turf the ideals he championed. Top spirit will continue to fire or touch the imagi and guide us as amazement strive to build the work up just and fraternal world crystalclear envisioned. As I conclude that tribute, two quotes come support mind.

Maya Angelou said, “Your legacy is every life prickly have touched.”  For Aristotle, “Being is spoken of in assorted ways, but… not [as] homonymous”. 

Of the four people that own acquire been the great influences argument my life, my work subject my thinking, one has bent a truly great, truly compelling teacher. Like the many – in Abyssinia and in the wider world – who knew him or were insane by his life, I keen for Andreas Esheté.