In contemporary education, understanding the philosophical underpinnings that shape our views on individual and collective roles is crucial. Here, Iteso’s Francisco Javier Vázquez Junior aims to provide valuable insights for faculty interested in fostering an ethical culture by analysing how personalism intersects with pedagogy Beyond the sense of self
P ersonalism is a philosophical stance that prioritises human dignity and the community, offering a distinctive perspective that challenges traditional economic and organisational theories. The concept is deemed crucial for holistic education due to its trust in the individual’s capacity for self-determination. As a philosophical current, personalism starkly contrasts with individualism since it places the person and their dignity at the centre of its reflection, according to Professor Jaime Elizondo Zuckermann at the University of Anahuac. Unlike individualism, which often focuses solely on personal freedom and self-expression, personalism empowers individuals by emphasising their sense of community over collectivism. Spanish personalist philosopher Juan Manuel Burgos Velasco explains that in collectivism individuals often sacrifice their dignity and become tools or objects used by the collective. Therefore, personalism is not just a thought current but a philosophy that empowers individuals to transcend individualism and collectivism. This approach leads to two significant conclusions. The first is that personalism can serve as a philosophy that enables economic structures such as capitalist, socialist and communist systems and their inherent characteristics – ie financial freedom, innovation, individual merit, the overcoming of inequalities, social justice and complete equity – to transcend their individualistic and collectivist approaches. This is crucial for the sake of human beings, viewing individuals as ends in themselves rather than as a means to achieving the aspirations of an increasingly polarised society. The second conclusion is that personalism has the potential to reshape the focus of various economic systems – be these capitalism, socialism or communism – that often manipulate individuals for their own ends. Individualists emphasise consumerism, while socialists can neglect fundamental human
26 | Ambition | DECEMBER 2024
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