Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
Cited by SciELO
Access statistics
Related links
Cited by Google
Similars in SciELO
Similars in Google
Share
Persona y Bioética
Print version ISSN 0123-3122
Abstract
ECHEVERRIA-FALLA, Cecilia. EDUCATION IN ETHICS: STANDARDS OR VIRTUES? WHAT APPROACH SHOULD THE TEACHING OF ETHICS TAKE TO INSTILL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH A SENSE OF SOLIDARITY?. pers.bioét. [online]. 2013, vol.17, n.2, pp.151-167. ISSN 0123-3122.
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 approach, where rules take precedence, along with consideration of the licit or illicit nature of actions, detached from the acting subject. 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.
Keywords : Ethics; virtues; freedom; habits; choice behavior; bioethics.