Mpho Tshivhase facts for kids

Mpho Tshivhase is a South African philosopher. She teaches at the University of Pretoria. In April 2018, Mpho Tshivhase made history. She became the first black woman to earn a PhD in philosophy in all of South Africa.

Her work focuses on applied ethics. This means she looks at how philosophical ideas can help us with real-life problems. She also studies uniqueness and what it means to be an individual.

Her Journey in Philosophy

Mpho Tshivhase started her university studies at the University of Johannesburg. She first studied psychology. Later, she decided to focus on philosophy. For her Master's degree, she researched personal identity. This topic explores what makes each person who they are.

Her PhD research was about the idea of uniqueness. Her special paper was titled “Towards a Normative Theory of Uniqueness of Persons.” A well-known philosopher named Thaddeus Metz guided her work. When she earned her PhD, it was a big moment for South Africa. News outlets, like the Independent Online, called her achievement "pioneering." Her success also started important talks about race and society in South Africa.

What Her Research Explores

A main question in Mpho Tshivhase's research is about uniqueness. She asks if being unique is something important to aim for. She also wonders if it's worth pursuing even if it means giving up other things.

Her work tries to explain what uniqueness truly means. She believes it's a mix of being rare, irreplaceable, and incomparable. It's not something you are just born with. Instead, it's something you build through being independent and true to yourself. She also explores how people think about and relate to this idea of being unique.

See also

• Africana philosophy