What Is an Advocate?

A Reflection Across Traditions

An advocate is more than a legal representative. An advocate is a voice for the unheard, a presence in places of absence, and a force for justice when systems fail. Across civilizations and centuries, thinkers have wrestled with what it means to stand on behalf of others — to intervene, to speak truth, to defend dignity. Whether in the courtroom, the classroom, or the streets, advocacy is both a moral act and a public responsibility.

The West

In the West, the roots of advocacy trace back to Aristotle, who believed that the ability to speak persuasively in pursuit of justice was essential to public life. In his Rhetoric, he writes:

“It is absurd to hold that a man should be ashamed of being unable to defend himself with his limbs, but not of being unable to defend himself with speech and reason.”
(Aristotle, Rhetoric, Book I)

The Roman philosopher Cicero carried this idea further. In De Oratore, he described the advocate not simply as a skilled speaker but as a moral citizen:

“The whole glory of an advocate is to be able to help the oppressed and the innocent.” (Cicero, De Oratore)

John Stuart Mill argued that advocacy is essential in the “marketplace of ideas,” where free speech enables truth to emerge (Mill, On Liberty, 1859). Without dissenting voices, liberty itself becomes hollow.

Hannah Arendt, in The Human Condition (1958), viewed advocacy as a form of political life — an act of entering the public sphere to make one’s voice and presence known. Advocacy, for Arendt, is the antithesis of silence in the face of injustice.

Paulo Freire deepened this view by insisting that advocacy must be a dialogue, not speaking for the oppressed, but with them:

“Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful.” (Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 1970)

Finally, Cornel West captures the spirit of advocacy in a single powerful phrase:

“Justice is what love looks like in public.” (West, public lecture, 2011)

Asian Traditions

In Asian philosophy, advocacy often emerges not through legal procedure but through ethical duty, right speech, and compassionate action.

Confucius taught that moral individuals — the junzi — are obligated to speak truth and correct injustice:

“To see what is right and not do it is cowardice.” (Analects, 2:24)

The Buddha emphasized “Right Speech” and karuṇā (compassion) as guiding principles. The advocate in Buddhism is one who acts with intention, truthfulness, and care for others’ suffering:

“Speak only that which is true, beneficial, and timely.” (Dhammapada, Verse 223)

Mahatma Gandhi framed advocacy as satyagraha — the disciplined pursuit of truth through nonviolence. For Gandhi, an advocate was not just a speaker of truth, but a living witness to it (Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, 1909).

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, India's great jurist and social reformer, saw advocacy as the bridge between exclusion and equality. Through law, education, and civic engagement, he redefined the advocate as an architect of justice for the marginalized (Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste, 1936).

African Thought

In African philosophy, the concept of advocacy is deeply woven into ideas of communal responsibility, moral leadership, and restorative justice. At the heart of this worldview is the principle of Ubuntu, a Nguni Bantu term meaning “I am because we are.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained:

“Ubuntu is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours.” (Tutu, 1999)

This communal ethic creates a moral imperative: when one member of the community is harmed, all are diminished. In this view, the advocate is not merely an individual actor, but a custodian of collective dignity.

Legal philosopher Thaddeus Metz has argued that Ubuntu provides a moral foundation for human rights — placing relationship, solidarity, and reconciliation at the center of justice (Metz, "Ubuntu as a Moral Theory and Human Rights in South Africa," African Human Rights Law Journal, 2011).

Middle Eastern Insights

In Middle Eastern traditions, advocacy is often understood as an ethical imperative grounded in justice (adl), mercy (rahma), and the defense of human dignity (karamah).

The 12th-century Islamic philosopher Averroes (Ibn Rushd) emphasized reasoned justice and public responsibility. In his Commentaries on Plato and Aristotle, Averroes argued that a just society depends on leaders and scholars who speak up for equity and the common good.

“Justice is a virtue that makes people equal and protects them from tyranny.” (Ibn Rushd, Commentaries)

Al-Farabi, another major philosopher, proposed in The Virtuous City that leadership must prioritize the well-being of the collective and that those who possess knowledge and moral insight must advocate for truth within society.

The Islamic concept of amr bil ma'ruf wa nahi 'an al-munkar (commanding good and forbidding evil) reflects a profound advocacy ethic: that individuals are morally responsible to intervene when injustice occurs. This principle is rooted in the Qur'an (3:104), which encourages communities to promote justice actively.

“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong: they are the ones who will prosper.” (Qur'an 3:104)

A Universal Calling

Across all these traditions, Western, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern, the advocate emerges as a truth-teller, a protector, and a bridge. Whether in the role of lawyer, teacher, spiritual guide, or activist, the advocate’s duty is the same: to intervene where injustice thrives, and to ensure that dignity is not a privilege, but a right.

Advocacy is not a profession alone; it is a calling, grounded in both ancient wisdom and urgent necessity. It is what drives us to show up every day for displaced individuals, for communities on the margins, and for a future where justice is not deferred.

Until that day comes, we remain —
Advocates in Perpetuity.