Envisioning an Ethically Engaged University Based on Value-Pluralism

Document Type

Contribution to Book

Publication Date

10-13-2023

Keywords

Community engagement, Critical moral consciousness, Democracy, Environmental sustainability, Ethics, Reflective dialogue, Social transformation, Ubuntu, Value-pluralism

Abstract

This chapter advances a proposal for an ethically engaged university based on value-pluralism. Value pluralism refers to the existence of many types of ethical values and knowledge that are equally important for students’ ethical development: awareness, reflective dialogue, carefulness, and wisdom among others. The value-pluralistic ethically engaged university should prioritize providing educators, learners and policy-makers with fresh knowledge, ethical principles, and alternative future visions that are not tied down by the ‘dry technicality of skills.’ Hence, we posit that the core mission of an ethically engaged university based on value-pluralism should be to contribute significantly to developing planetary sustainability, social justice, critical consciousness, caring ethics, ecology, and humanity empowerment. By working to realize such goals, the ethically engaged university can powerfully help higher education return to its core mission—effectively educating students to be responsible, emancipated, creative, caring, and constructive citizens of a democratic society.

First Page

237

Last Page

250

Book Title

The Emergence of the Ethically-Engaged University

Editor

Emiliano Bosio & Gustavo Gregorutti

Publisher

Palgrave Macmillan

City

Cham, Switzerland

Series

International and Development Education

ISBN

978-3-031-40312-5

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40312-5_12

First Department

Leadership

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