Flourishing as an aim of higher education: exploring the aspirations and challenges of the educational philosophy of the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH)

Abstract

In the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH) research and education are inspired by an inclusive humanistic worldview. As a worldview-based university, the UvH has both an entitlement to promote humanism as the prime source of inspiration and a responsibility to live up to its worldview-based mission. It strives not only for the academic formation of students, but also promotes humanistic moral and ethical values and assists students in developing skills and dispositions that enable them to live a good life, more specifically a good working, civic, and personal life. In my own words, it aims for students' flourishing. This aim leads to various challenges in a university, and I discuss two of them. First, the university has to combine the promotion of humanistic values and the cultivation of students' disposition to put these into practice with respect for the autonomy of students. Second, it has to combine aiming for students' flourishing with looking after the mental well-being of students while ensuring that caring for, and preventing, students' psychological problems does not overrule, or even jeopardize, education for flourishing.