ETHICS AND VALUES IN H.E.

A REFLECTION FROM THE UNIVERSITY MISSION

OF THE UTPL

1

VALUES AND VIRTUES

Ethical nature of universities: values and virtues.

Virtues belong to the subject’s environment.

Values belong to the object’s environment.

2

VALUES AND VIRTUES

Virtues conjure up an ideal image of human beings.

Values do not involve a theory of man’s perfection.

Virtues imply an anthropological model.Universities must reflect on what a

human being is.

3

ETHICS AND UNIVERSITY MISSION

Values are taught; virtues are practised.

When values are taught while virtues are ignored, the ethical discourse becomes abstract.

4

ETHICS AND UNIVERSITY MISSION

The university mission can be the essential structure of values and virtues: “to seek truth and educate man by means of science, so that he can serve society”

5

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

To seek truth is the core mission of the university.

The search for truth is also a value.

Neither university nor science can possess the truth beforehand.

6

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

“Blind commitment to a theory is not an intellectual virtue; it is an intellectual crime” (Lakatos)

7

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

A University is the place where we need to search for truth and meditate upon the meaning of science.

The quest for truth can be called “knowledge generation”.

The path to truth is the elaboration of knowledge.

8

EDUCATE MAN

Man does not know who he is.Educational institutions often lack an

explicit understanding of man.Young university students are seeking

the truth about themselves and about reality.

The pedagogical model is being replaced by ideological offers.

9

EDUCATE MAN

A human being is usually defined in the university context as a “bio psychological” being.

But where is the transcendental area that characterizes human beings?

10

EDUCATE MAN

Man is a “psychosomatic spirit” (F. Rielo).

Ethics and values belong to the realm of the spirit.

A definition of man that does not take into account the spirit makes ethics impossible.

11

BY MEANS OF SCIENCE

CITTES: Research, Technology Transfer, Extension and Society Centers.

CITTES: areas where students participate in real projects.

CITTES: research incubators.Students carry out “Production

Management” (“gestión productiva”) in CITTES.

12

BY MEANS OF SCIENCE

Students put into practice values at CITTES.

Team work, responsibility, discipline, organization skills, interpersonal skills.

13

SO THAT HE MAY SERVE SOCIETY

An increasing need to create a service mentality in graduates.

There is a prevalent development model: one that is associated with economic growth on the basis of production and material wealth.

Economic growth does not necessarily imply development.

14

SO THAT HE MAY SERVE SOCIETY

Universities must seek alternatives to this mainstream model.

To counter-balance values that are strictly economic with human and social values.

To generate critical thought.

15

CONCLUSION

1. Returning to man.2. Virtues and values.3. Theory and practice: human

experience.4. Virtues and values stemming from the

university mission.

16

17