Education in Ethics: Standards or Virtues? What Approach Should the Teaching of Ethics Take to Instill University Students with a Sense of Solidarity?

Abstract

The reality of life in many Latin American countries, which is marked by inequality, poverty and unsatisfied basic needs, suggests the need for a change in the way ethics are taught to university students, so as to make them morecaring and prepared to shoulder greater social responsibility. Up to now, ethics has been an academic discipline weighed down by a legalistic and regulatory ap- proach, where rules take precedence, along with consideration of the licit or illicit nature of actions, detached from the acting sub- ject. This article proposes rehabilitating the Aristotelian approach to ethics, now called “first person” or “virtue” ethics. According to this approach, the relationship between freedom and virtues is intrinsic and plays a key role in education. Virtues are principles that liberate and lay the basis for cheerful and spontaneous striving, in a positive and hopeful way, and are obtained when all of life is oriented towards the truth. The dimensions of virtues and choice as the core of the moral process are analyzed as well.