Osigwe Development Philosophy - Volume 3 Chapter 4

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Ike Odimegwu

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Ike Odimegwu

The Role of the State in Economic Development:

A Study in Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe’s

Development Philosophy

Abstract

Development has been central to human concerns. Anyiam-Osigwe

underlines this centrality by making his holistic philosophy devolve on

development. The African situation calls for concerted development action.

The state is the supreme political society as well the Group Mind in the

political sphere. While economic development is vital for the human person

therefore, the state defines the political life of the human existent in our

world today. It is necessary then to uncover the relationship of the state and

economic development. This paper studies principally Anyiam-Osigwe’s

conception of the state and economic development, the role of the state in

economic development as well as the factors that affect the effective

discharge of this role.

Introduction

Development has occupied humanity from its earliest history. In various

guises and forms, it has generated the various sciences and studies.

Conceptualized as change, motion or becoming, it formed the originating

basis for philosophy in its various traditions. Perceived as evolution, growth,

progress or advancement, it has been the concern of both the biological and

social sciences as well as the motivating slogan of social and revolutionary

movements. For those in the design and construction sector, the attention to

structuring, de-structuring and restructuring, constructing, deconstructing,

and reconstructing is essentially about development.

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The Role Of The State In Economic Development Ike Odimegwu

Viewed from the historical perspective, development has taken the centre

stage of world attention in contemporary times. Crucial to this centre is the

aspect of economic development which, until very recently, was considered

the quintessence of development if not the whole of development as such.1

The central importance of development in human life has therefore meant

the pivotal regard of economic development. It has also meant that the

various organs of society have sought to establish their levels of relevance

in relation and by attachment to development, and specifically economic

development. And so progressively, it seems to be assuming a paradigmatic

posture that to talk relevantly about the human being, his existence and his

society is to talk about development. Also, to classify the worth of a thing or

a people, we assign or withhold the qualification of development to or from

such. Hence there is the classification of the world into developed and

developing, undeveloped and underdeveloped countries. It may not be

irrelevant to think of such further classifications as undeveloping and

underdeveloping countries.

Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe has been variously described as ‘concerned

about issues of our common humanity’2, ‘a man who gave a lot of thought

to his country and also to the future of his fellow human beings’3, a man

who ‘spent his life trying to bring happiness to those in distress… dedicated

himself to bringing happiness to his fellow human beings’4. It is not surprising

that such a man should, in his overwhelming concern for the wellbeing of

the human being, anchor his philosophy on the ground-post of development.

It is to be expected also that the state which has been aptly described as

‘the most powerful cultural-political binding force of modernity’5 and again

as ‘the supreme society or omni-competent association’6 should have a

significant role to play in this vital process. In this paper, I seek to explore

the role of the state in economic development with particular attention to

Anyiam-Osigwe’s thoughts on these issues. The paper proceeds from a

reflection on the involvements, through an understanding of the constitutive

elements, an investigation into the concepts of the state and economic

development to a search for the roles of the state in economic development

with attention on the factors that define and or affect these roles.

Reflections: Opening up the Vistas

Reflecting on the topic throws up a number of analytic concerns. These

concerns are axed on the presuppositions of the title. The title, for instance,

presupposes that the state has a relation with economic development and

that the nature of this relationship is such that the state serves economic

development in some ways. Accepting this presupposition leads to the

question: What is (are) the role(s) of the state in the process of economic

development? If one retraces the steps from this position, the presupposition

is questioned so that the first question of the paper will be: does the state

have a role to play in economic development? Passing over the matter of

presupposition, the reference to economic development also exposes us to

more questions: Whose development? And here, there are at least three

levels or objects of development namely: the individual, the society and the

world. The role of the state in the economic development of each is a

significant moment as the contribution to one may be a hindrance to the

development of the other. And the harmonizing of the roles of the state in the

development of the three is as significant as its particular contribution to each.

From the African Situation to the Human Person

Consistent with his philosophic position that it is the existential situation that

generates the thought and philosophy that lead to development, Osigwe

begins his study of development by an examination of the African situation.

The gravity of this situation has led to ‘the loss of memory in all its

ramifications, the loss of personality, the loss of identity and the submergence

of the creative will of the African people’7. The examination of the African

situation caused Osigwe to wonder on the very notion of human personhood.

It is from this fundamental reflection on the humanity of the human person

that his whole edifice of thought on the various aspects of our existence

evolved. A fruitful reflection on economic development and the role of the

state in it must therefore seek an understanding of this foundation. Who is

the human person and what constitutes development for the person?

Many concepts of personhood have been developed. In the ontological

concept championed by Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, autonomy of being

is the defining principle. In the psychological concept developed by Descartes,

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self-consciousness became the overriding element in the determination of

personhood. The dialogical concept of the person adopted communication

as the defining element in the criticism of the atomization consequent on the

psychological concept.8 The integrative concept, contending that the

resolution of the crisis of personhood must be founded on communalist

metaphysics, posits presencing as the definitive constitutive element of the

human person.9

In his holistic philosophy, Anyiam-Osigwe conceives the person as

basically a spiritual being who draws his being and identity from manifesting

the Divine Intelligence. He is that part of the universal order that manifests

its composite unity in being spiritual, moral and physical. As a chip off the

Divine Intelligence, the human person derives his/her fundamental fulfillment

from attuning himself/herself to the wavelength of the Divine Essence and

as well an orientation away from this wavelength results in the many disasters

of the person in the contemporary world. Morality, which springs from the

spiritual fount, constitutes with this fount, what Osigwe calls the Metaphysical

capital. Development in this context is therefore that harmonious unfolding

of the idea of the person founded on the Divine plan, a development in

which the metaphysical capital is fundamental.

The State

The concept of the modern state dates from the Enlightenment period of

European history even though its roots must be sought more remotely in the

diverse traditions of various peoples. It has been traced for instance to the

ancient Greek polis: the city- state. The Greek city-state was however a

community, a natural grouping bound together by bonds of blood relations

and involving an attitude of natural affiliation and friendships. ‘The modern

state on the other hand is more of an association flowing from the rational

will and involving an attitude of deliberate planning or calculation.’10

Various traditions emphasize different elements in the constitution of

the state. These elements may however be summarized as follows:

Population, Territory, Government, Economy, Recognition. The term ‘state’

is sometimes used interchangeably with nation, country, and also government.

Even though government is actually the organ of the state by which it

dispenses its duties to its citizens, it is often used as a synonym of the state.

Indeed, when we talk of the role of the state in economic development, it

will be more useful to understand ‘state’ as referring to government than to

population, territory, economy, or simply recognition. It will also lead to gross

limitation of meaning to understand the referent as the state as such

considering the further issue of what is the object of development. Since

the population is part of the state, to ask of the role of the state in economic

development, and to mean the population as the object of development, will

imply asking the role of the state in the development of part of the state. If

the ‘state’ refers to government however, cognizant that the government is

also part of the state, we may then understand our work as searching for

the role of government, acting on behalf of the state, in economic development

of the population.

It is important also to observe that, although the state is composed of

these various elements, it possesses a corporate personality and as such, is

a legal entity distinct from its component members. It is the supreme political

person since it possesses sovereignty. An understanding of Osigwe’s concept

of state requires an understanding of one of the most important concepts of

his philosophy: the concept of the Group Mind. According to Osigwe, ‘the

state is the Group Mind existing as a polis.’11 The Group Mind refers to

an expansive resource, a wellspring of ideas and thought

processes that is created when people of a particular group

or society intermingles their ideas, questions, perspectives,

aspirations, knowledge and experience in relation to specific

goals on issues. As the sum total of everyone’s position and

concern, the Group Mind is a synthesis in which the defining

elements of the fundamental interest of the respective

participants are preserved in the resultant commonweal whose

integrity and mutuality are subscribed to by all.12

The modern state is an amalgamation of various associations and

interests. Each of these associations brings in its peculiarity and traditions.

The state must accommodate and integrate these into its unique form of

being. ‘The coalescing of various groups into a larger entity is the

manifestation of the modern nation state. The state is a group of much the

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same characteristics as the community.’13 Osigwe’s concept of the state

evokes feelings of the socialist state and yet echoes of the Hegelian absolute

state which, in the historical sphere, is the perfect manifestation of the

Absolute Mind. Unlike the materialist socialist state, however, the Osigwe

state is founded on the spiritual foundation of the metaphysical capital. And,

unlike the Hegelian absolute state which is a manifestation of the Absolute

Spirit, the Osigwe state is the political manifestation of the Group Mind

which is rather a commonweal that results from the intermingling of ideas,

aspirations, concerns and experience of the people who thereby subscribe

to it as their own.

The various concepts of the state that have been developed in the course

of history have also been governed by differing principles. The form of

state affects what role the state will play in economic development. Let us

discuss some of these and their corresponding roles.

The capitalist state is essentially founded on the principle of private

enterprise. Generally a capitalist state advocates a free market economy

with minimal state intervention in the operations of the market. Capitalism

is usually qualified as liberal because of the concern for the rights of the

individual citizen to self determination. Notwithstanding the division into

classical and modern liberals, liberalism aims at providing ‘that form of

government that best allows people to work towards their goals and adopt

the form of life that they choose’14 What is the ‘best’ however remains a

problem. Even so is the search for the parameters for refereeing the choices

and securing the balance between the abilities and choices of all involved.

Tom Gorman categorized the roles of the government in a capitalist economy

into three: to provide the public goods that society requires; to issue currency,

levy taxes and borrow money; and to maintain economic order, stability and

growth. He distinguishes that while government in a socialist or communist

state controls the economy centrally, by gauging demands and making

production decisions, government in capitalist or market economies acts as

referee to ensure that the market works properly to achieve equitable

distribution of goods and resources.15

The socialist state is generally regarded as that form of political

organization in which the ownership of the means of production and

distribution of goods are in the hands of the state. Again here, the reference

to the state is actually a reference to the government control of the means

of production. And socialism raises the problem of determination of criterion

of distribution for the end of fairness as well as the control of the government

which is the agency of state for this distribution but which, in this context,

has also become the sole sovereign where the individual as an individual

has been lost in the morass of the masses. If socialism is conceived in the

classic Marxian formula of from each according to his ability, to each

according to his need, there is the problem of distinguishing between need

and want, and between genuine need and affected need. There is also the

problem of gauging the sincerity of citizens regarding their abilities as well

as their devotion to the social pool.

The unsatisfactory performance of both capitalism and socialism gave

rise to the welfare state. From this context of its origin, welfarism has found

itself in the tension of capitalism and socialism with each seeking to claim it,

to convert or covert it, or otherwise to destroy it. Strictly speaking, the

welfare state refers to the political system in which a government ‘provides

for the welfare, or the well-being, of its citizens completely. Such a

government is involved in citizens’ lives at every level.’16 It includes all the

measures of ‘state intervention in demand management to maintain full

employment (or near full employment), social security, free or near-free

healthcare and education, and the use of taxation to restrict inequalities in

income and wealth’17 However the dream of the welfare state must not be

mistaken for the reality of such a state for many will advocate the welfare

state, none is known to have established an efficient and satisfactory system.

And the welfare state, even if it could be efficiently operated, poses a

number of social problems. First, it has been criticized as having the potential

of discouraging honest commitment to labour as some citizens who would

have been gainfully employed will opt for the ‘safety net’ once they are

assured of its availability. And further, this has the ripple effect of creating

‘class warfare and preventing equality instead of obtaining it.’18

Patnaik sees a number of merits in the welfare state. In the first place,

it militates against the basic ethics of the bourgeois system. Secondly,

precisely for this reason, the acceptance of welfarism amounts to “no

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confidence” in the bourgeois system. And third, the welfare state measures

improve the bargaining strength of the proletariat and other segments of the

working people.19 It is obvious that Patnaik views welfarism from the socialist

perspective as representing a stage in the progressive victory of socialism

over capitalism. Many socialist scholars have tried, in the same tradition, to

present welfarism as the midway in the inevitable journey from capitalism

to socialism which they thus interpret as indicative of the failure and rejection

of capitalism. Incidentally, welfarism may also be viewed as the progressive

refinement of capitalism as a socio-economic theory. I have argued in the

previous passage, however, that the adoption of welfarism is an indication

of the unsatisfactory performance of both capitalism and socialism. In doing

this however, it can also be perceived as portraying the positive aspect

which each of them contributes to socio-economic life of the people: that

while capitalism reminds us of the irreducibility of individuality in the

constitution of the state, socialism emphasizes that the state is after all a

community and cannot be otherwise. It further establishes that none of

these aspects may be easily sacrificed for the sake of ideological leanings.

From the foregoing submissions, it can be deduced that the provision of

goods and resources as well as their allocation is a central concern of all

governments. The sword of divergence seems to be drawn by the question

of how to achieve this provision or allocation. While capitalism advocates

individual enterprise and socialism stipulates public ownership and control,

welfarism is a search for the golden mean between the excesses of individual

ambition and greed and the tyranny of state monopoly that runs the risk of

promoting indolence or riding roughshod over the rights, feelings and

aspirations of the individual.

Economic Development

The economy refers to ‘the wealth and resources of a community or a

country with special focus on the production and use of goods and services.

It refers to the whole of the business and economic activities in a country.’20

The notion of economy that evolves from the framework of Osigwe’s thought

may be described as a moderate socialist economy or better still, a

communalist economy that recognizes and encourages individual efforts

but advocates the integration of these into the commonweal of the Group

Mind. The concept seems more communalist than socialist because, even

though it is concerned with the material wellbeing of the people, the

foundation of this economy is spiritual deriving from the concept of the

person as a manifestation of the Divine Intelligence. While the human factor

is the fundamental element in economic development and indeed in all

developmental initiatives,21 the metaphysical capital is the fundamental aspect

of the human factor in the productive process. In this context, human labour

is no longer seen as mere material productivity or means of economic

advancement but as an expression of cosmic identification with the Divine

Essence. If ‘the precinct of virtue is a defining element of the human

person”22, development as human growth, will necessarily be a growth of

the precincts of virtue. And considering that this is an inherent part of the

human being, ‘the cultivation and strengthening of the moral element in the

individual should precede the formulation and implementation of

developmental initiatives. Similarly, institutional reforms should be preceded

by a reform of the mind-set of the people.23 Education for economic

development should, therefore, be founded on moral education for the

inculcation of these absolute values and ethical principles that realign us to

the Divine Intelligence whose manifestations we are. This way, the

development of society will mean a consistent and integral development of

the individuals, institutions and structures of society.

Significantly, in searching for what sets the human being apart from all

other creatures, Osigwe discovers this in ‘man’s capacity to generate, re-

engineer and regulate his environment.’24 Observing that these are also

significant elements in the conceptualization of development, the inference

may be seen that, in the thoughts of Osigwe, the fundamental elements of

development are also the differentiating characteristics of our humanity. It

would seem to follow then that to be human is to be a developing being.

Development defines humanity and it is based on the metaphysical

component. Arguing further for the foundational role of the metaphysical

component, Osigwe maintains that ‘primary human development is the

assurance that our activities would not only improve upon the world in which

we live, or indeed the universal order, but would sustain it.25

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The validity of this position is demonstrated by the destructive tendencies

of the current trends of development where self-centeredness, greed,

corruption on the one side and apathy and despondency on the part of the

populace, invention of weapons of mass destruction, as well as negative

environmental impacts of unfettered technological development endanger

our world in one form or the other.

Any meaningful consideration of economic development will, therefore,

not be a speculative engagement with abstract concepts. The thoughts that

engage the mind in consideration of economic development are concerns

about the situation of the human person in the current globalized world, and

especially in the case of the African person where the phrase ‘the African

situation’ has become a euphemism for an underdeveloped existential

circumstance. Anyiam-Osigwe states that the evils of slavery, colonialism

and neocolonialism as well as the persisting inept leadership and economic

crisis have resulted in the depreciation of the vital development capital among

Africans. This has led to a loss of identity, a debilitating victim mentality, a

loss of sense of patriotism and other ills that militate against the development

energy. This statement echoes the frustration of many African scholars

who have veered into the miry terrain of the African situation.

Economic development, as an aspect of human development, is perceived

by Anyiam-Osigwe as the manifestation of the moral element in the socio-

economic sphere. Such manifestation generates the ‘ability to moderate the

propensity to pursue self-serving goals at the expense of the common good.’26

It is obvious, therefore, that the concept of economic development under

consideration is a communalist one where the basic distracting factor will

be the egoistic pursuit of self-serving goals. This concept derives consistently

from the concept of human personhood whose communality springs from

the dual foundations of African belongingness and concept of the person as

a manifestation of the Divine Intelligence.

The necessity of economic development is underscored by the fact that

Marx considered the economic element as the substructure upon which

arises the superstructure of thought and spirit. Even while contesting the

validity of the Marxian position; it seems obvious that a healthy mind requires

a healthy body for proper functionality. In economic development, however,

Osigwe considers more fundamental the metaphysical capital which consists

of the moral element that springs from the spiritual fountain. This moral

element, he says, manifests in the socio-economic context as the ability to

moderate the propensity to pursue self-serving goals at the expense of the

common good. Seeing that the end of the state is the common good, it

should follow that the state has a primary role in undertaking this moderation

exercise as it is more qualified and better equipped than any other body to

do so within the polity. In relation to global development, the state also has

the locus to contribute and to bargain for the common good.

Considering the prerequisites for economic development, Osigwe holds

that genuine development ‘must be people driven and thrives on qualitatively

capacitated human beings’27 The people is, therefore, a vital factor in

economic development, but the quality of this people may be both a facilitator

or a hindrance to economic development. While a well developed and highly

motivated workforce is an effective engine room for any development

programme, an untrained and de-motivated people will surely weigh as liability

on the economy.

The development of the workforce for economic development begins

from the spiritual aspect as spirituality is a prerequisite for human development

and is conceived by Osigwe as ‘value guided conduct.’ He argues that

proper human development is founded on the willingness of the person to

‘subscribe to those basic values that are universal and absolute.’ Human

development or even specifically economic development is conceived

holistically as deriving from the being and nature of the human being and

comprehending his universal community with humanity as well as his ultimate

source from God. The chain links the metaphysical realm and ultimately to

the nexus between the human being and God. From this position, it will

follow that ‘with the appropriate spiritual and moral values, man will see his

labour not just as a means to his economic advancement but as an expression

of his cosmic identity as a manifestation of divine intelligence.’

Anyiam-Osigwe’s view on development may be schematized as follows:

Crisis leads to reflection. Reflection grows and is universalized to all existence

and conceptions of human personhood. The culture and existential situation

drive and determine thought and philosophy. These, in turn, drive development.

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Thinking together provides a pool of thought that justifies and sustains

community. Thought must be free and not constrained by society or religion.

Thus, thinking freely and in community, we are able to achieve self-discipline

and the means to control our environment. By this thought, we are also able

to create our identities and achieve development.

The African situation therefore, bad as it may be, should not lead to

despondency but to development through reflective thought and critical

engagement. This proposition, argues Osigwe, is consistent with development

in history where environmental challenges have aroused nations to waves

of development. The expected development is not something that will be

imported from foreign lands because authentic development occurs when

socio-existential situations compel a people to look inwards in search of

solutions. In such circumstance, there are three imperatives for development

namely: enthusiasm, environment and enforcement. While the enthusiasm

of the individual and the provisions of the environment are necessary starters

for development, there is the need for the coordination of enforcement for

an enduring and sustained growth. This provision of enforcement belongs

to the state as a major role in economic development.

The Role of the State in Economic Development

As noted earlier, the nature and extent of the role a state plays in the economic

development of its people is determined by the prevailing economic and

political theory or ideology in the state. While the socialist state will be

involved in the production and distribution of goods, the capitalist state will

refrain from such involvement. And yet every state is concerned with the

provision and promotion of the good life for its citizens. Generally, the roles

of the state in economic development include the following: Policy

Formulation, Provision of Infrastructure, Education; intellectual; vocational;

moral and political/civic, Creation of Enabling Environment for Investment

and Economic Growth, Provision of Employment Opportunities, Motivation

or Mobilization of Patriotic Spirit and Direct Involvement in Enterprise. The

specific roles a state plays and how it plays the roles is determined by

prevailing economic and political ideologies.

Again, it is important to consider the many factors that affect the capacity

of the state to play its expected role in economic development. Like political

philosophy which thrives in periods of crisis, the role of the State usually

expands during periods of crisis. Yusuf would say that ‘(t)he war (WW II)

effort elaborated and entrenched planning and control everywhere, vastly

expanding the role of the state…. The hand of the state plucked most of the

economic strings, and state entities were responsible for half or more of

total production in mixed economies and up to 90 percent in communist

countries.’28

It would also seem that in such periods of crisis, state control of economic

development fares better as private investment is deterred by the

unfavourable environment. As investors withdraw capital and businesses

close down, the state is compelled to take over the burden of risk bearing to

provide for its citizens. Thus, it was observed that the Soviet Union, which

was able to draw much of Eastern Europe into its orbit and the emergence

of a communist regime in China in 1949 lent additional support to the case

for detailed planning undergirded by state ownership of substantial segments

of the economy. And ‘the rebound in economic activity was remarkably

swift, with communist countries showing production gains as significant if

not greater than those of the predominantly capitalist economies’29

The origin of the state also has consequences for economic development.

The way a state comes into being and the intentions of the powers that

bring the state to being affect the development potentials of the state. The

great power of the Soviet state to control and influence development during

its early years has so much to do with the revolutionary mode of its birth or

at least in the belief of its citizens in this revolutionary message and vision.

The constant reference to the American dream and the desire of the average

citizen of the U S to be able to lay claim – no matter how tenuous - to the

lineage of the Founding Fathers refer attention to motivation which these

foundational sources constitute and give to national life and economic

development. So it is that the mode of origin could make or mar the economic

fortunes of a state. Considering the states that came into existence through

decolonization, Yusuf states that the ‘colonial powers had not the resources,

nor the patience, nor the foresight to carve out viable states with due attention

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given to history, ethnic composition and economic potential.’30 However,

the truth may lie closer to the intention of the colonial powers than to their

resources or the lack of it. Taking bearing from the origin and philosophy of

colonialism as the exploitation of the colonized territory for the interest of

the colonial country, it is arguable if the colonial powers ever planned or

would even have desired to leave viable states in their wake. The notorious

Berlin Conference with its infamous agenda of scramble for and the partition

of Africa comes readily to mind as the mode of border creation and festering

border conflicts continue to hinder economic development in both intra and

inter-state relations in Africa. Indeed, Alesina, Easterly and Matuszeski

state that ‘(e)ighty percent of African borders follow latitudinal or longitudinal

lines, and many scholars believe that such artificial borders … are at the

roots of Africa’s economic tragedy.’31 Judt (1996, 56) has observed as

much in his study of countries of Eastern Europe32 while Hironaka (2005)

again notes that the ways new states came into being in Africa also shaped

the governance of these states and caused the flaring of wars that have

smoldered for years.33

In this connection, Osigwe outlines such factors as colonialist foundations,

neocolonialist structures, subsisting ethnic nationalities, growth of personality

cults, autocratic governance, conflicting conceptions of democracy, the

contending elements of capitalism, socialism and primordial African

disposition and loss of community as impairing the capacity of African states

to mobilize their citizens for development.34

On the positive dimension, he discusses the importance of patriotism in

shoring up the capacity of the state to contribute to economic development.

And yet in this vital area, he regrets that ‘as a nation, Nigeria is yet to find

a place in the consciousness of her citizens’ This ‘constitutes a major

impediment to national development and the overall welfare of the people.’35

Incidentally, patriotism which is a strong asset of the state for national

development could constitute a negative role of state in global development

‘when it is applied with prejudicial and subjective particularity on issues that

ought to have objective ethical comprehension’36 Even at the national and

individual levels, this important instrument can be abused to mislead people

into blind pursuit of pernicious doctrines whose intentions are neither noble

nor people oriented.

Conclusion: The State as the Group Mind

The “state is the Group Mind existing as a polis. The welfare of all is

the fundamental interest of every individual within the polis. Individual

attributes are harnessed by the state and sowed in a common farmland

from which every person harvests for their welfare.37 Thus, Osigwe

conceives the state as the Group Mind in the political sphere and seeks an

understanding of the state and its functions through the principle of the

Group Mind. The primary concern of the state is to generate the Group Mind or

rather to become more effectively the Group Mind in the political sphere.

“The Group Mind refers to an expansive resource, a

wellspring of ideas and thought processes that is created

when people of a particular group or society intermingles

their ideas, questions, perspectives, aspirations, knowledge

and experience in relation to specific goals on issues. As the

sum total of everyone’s position and concern, the Group

Mind is a synthesis in which the defining elements of the

fundamental interest of the respective participants are

preserved in the resultant commonweal whose integrity and

mutuality are subscribed to by all.38

The Group Mind is a natural phenomenon that sprouts naturally whenever

two ‘thinking beings’ come together, share some thought or embark on a

common project. This can be observed among such social animals as the

ants, birds, fish and monkeys.39 Among human beings, the Group Mind is

even more prominent as it can develop among people who share a common

purpose, distance notwithstanding.

Factors that strengthen or weaken group feeling affect the Group Mind.

If the state is the Group Mind existing as a polis, then the determinations of

the Group Mind would become determinations of the state as well in the

sphere of politics. The mobilization of the individual feelings of members for

the group becomes vital for the life and thriving of the Group Mind or the

state.

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The role of the state as Group Mind in the mobilization of communal

resources for development is grossly impeded by individualism. Osigwe

decries the phenomenon of individualism as the prevailing attitude in the

world today. It is a negation of the Group Mind principle. It also militates

against the realization of the overwhelming benefits of the Group Mind

principle. Anyiam-Osigwe insists that ‘the prevalence of poverty and social

conflicts all over the world can only be eradicated when all humans have a

binding appreciation of their mutuality.’40

The state as Group Mind is therefore as effective in fulfilling its role for

the economic development as its political mandate, the nationalist spirit or

patriotic zest of its citizens. Interestingly, while pre-independence nationalism

may depend on such factors as the existence of a common enemy and the

charisma of revolutionary leaders, post independence nationalist spirit depends

largely on the efficiency of the state in the service it renders its citizens.

The resulting scenario is of a cyclic motion which may either become a

vicious circle in which all is lost and the spirit of development wanes, or a

mutually re-enforcing wheel that revolves the mobilizing role of the state as

Group Mind, the patriotism of the citizens that generates and is enhanced

by the political mandate of the state, and the tonic of development which

lubricates the relations of state and citizens.

References1. Stiglitz, J.E. (2001 “Keynote Address” in Pleskovic & Stern (eds.) Annual

World Bank Conference on Development Economics. Washington D.C. The

World Bank p.2

2. Blair, C. B. in Anyiam-Osigwe, P. Anyiam-Fiberesima, A. Adesina & R. Olayemi

(Eds).(2005). Introspection and Integration as Effective Strategies for

Development: Harnessing Internal Values Towards Building Effective

Partnerships for Development. Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation. p. 31

3. Khol, H. in Anyiam-Osigwe, P. Anyiam-Fiberesima, A. Adesina & R. Olayemi

(Eds).(2005). Introspection and Integration as Effective Strategies for

Development: Harnessing Internal Values Towards Building Effective

Partnerships for Development. Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation.

pp. 52-3

4. Adeyemi, L. in Anyiam-Osigwe C.O, Anyiam-Fiberesima, P, & Rotimi, O.

Genuine Women Empowerment: An Imperative for Achieving Concrete Human

Development Objectives. (Eds). (2002) Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe

Foundation. p 62

5. Tomlinson, J. (2003) p. 274

6. Odimegwu, I. (2008) Philosophic Foundations of Politics, Amawbia. Lumos. p 55

7. Anyiam-Osigwe, P. Anyiam-Fiberesima, A. Adesina & R. Olayemi (Eds)(2007).

Harnessing Africa’s Capital that the People may have Life and have it more

Abundantly. Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation. p 19

8. Mondin, B. Philosophical Anthropology Rome

9. Odimegwu, I. (2008) Integrative Personhood: A Communalist Metaphysical

Anthropology Berlin. Lit-Verlag p 124

10. Odimegwu, I. (2008) Philosophic Foundations of Politics, Amawbia. Lumos. p 55

11. Excerpts and Quotes of Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe:

Philosophic Fragments. Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation 10th Anniversary

(1999-2008). p 8

12. Ibid.

13. Anyiam-Fiberesima, P. & Ilesanmi, G. (eds)(2002). The Cosmopolitan

Expression of the Group Mind Principle: Patrotism and the Group Mind;

Spirit of the Team, Spur of the Nation. Lagos:Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe

Foundation. p 31

14. Newall, P. (2005). Political Philosophy p 7

15. Gorman, T. ‘Role of Government in a Capitalist Economy.’ Retrieved from

http://www.infoplease.com/cig/economics/role-government-capitalist-

economy on 4th January, 2010

16. Da Silva, E. & Heller, M. “What is a Welfare State?” Retrieved from http://

www.wisrgeek.com/what-is-the-welfare-state.htm on 4th January, 2010 p 2

17. Patnaik, P. (n.d). Socialism and Welfarism. Retrieved from http://

www.workideas.org on 21st January, 2010. p 3

18. Da Silva, E. & Heller, M. “What is a Welfare State?” Retrieved from http://

www.wisrgeek.com/what-is-the-welfare-state.htm on 4th January, 2010 p 3

19. Patnaik, P. (n.d). Socialism and Welfarism. Retrieved from http://

www.workideas.org on 21st January, 2010. p 3

20. Anyiam-Osigwe, M.; Bester, C. & Claasen, R. (2002). Definitions of Concepts

for the African Institute for Leadership Research and Development.Sinoville:

Groep7Drukkers en Uitgewers p. 54


Harnessing Africa’s Capital that the People may have Life and have it more

Abundantly. Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation. p 23

22. Ibid. p 29

23. Ibid. p 28

66

The Role Of The State In Economic Development

24. Ibid. p 23

25. Ibid. p 25

26. Ibid. p 27

27. Ibid. p 24

28. Yusuf, S.; Deaton, Dervis, K.; Easterly, W.; Ito T. & Stiglitz, J.E. (2009).

Development Economics Through the Decades: A critical look at 30 years of

the World Development Report. Washington DC: The World Bank. p 3

29. Ibid.

30. Ibid. p 4

31. Alesina, Easterly & Matuszeski (2006) in Yusuf, S.; Deaton, Dervis, K.; Easterly,

W.; Ito T. & Stiglitz, J.E. (2009). Development Economics Through the Decades:

A critical look at 30 years of the World Development Report. Washington

DC: The World Bank. p 4

32. Judt (1996) in Yusuf, S.; Deaton, Dervis, K.; Easterly, W.; Ito T. & Stiglitz, J.E.

(2009). Development Economics Through the Decades: A critical look at 30

years of the World Development Report. Washington DC: The World Bank. p. 4

33. Hironoka (2005) in Yusuf, S.; Deaton, Dervis, K.; Easterly, W.; Ito T. & Stiglitz,

J.E. (2009). Development Economics Through the Decades: A critical look at

30 years of the World Development Report. Washington DC: The World

Bank. p 4


As It Was In the Beginning: Synthesis for Africa’s Socio-Political and

Economic Transformation Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation. p 6



Spirit of the Team, Spur of the Nation. Lagos:Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe

Foundation. p 10

36. Ibid p 40

37. Excerpts and Quotes of Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe:

Philosophic Fragments. Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation 10th Anniversary

(1999-2008). pp 8-9

38. Ibid. p 8



Spirit of the Team, Spur of the Nation. Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe

Foundation. p 15

40. Ibid. p 10

Osigwe Development Philosophy - Volume 3 Chapter 4

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