The Philosophy of Communitarianism in the Mission of a Sustainable University

Abstract

Introduction. Modernity is characterized by the framework of the “neoliberal doctrine of world development”, and it defines the main vectors of the development of higher education. The “extinction” of the humanistic meaning of education, the understanding of the mission of the university solely as a contribution to public well-being through technological breakthroughs and business – all this forces us to return to the understanding of the mission of the university. The new study of the university's mission is determined by the influence of the philosophy of communitarianism on the university's activities on the track of sustainable development.Methodology and sources. The study of the problems with which the higher education system is faced, the study of the university's mission in the context of sustainable development of society and the influence of the philosophy of communitarianism and the “capability approach” are based on a systematic approach that allows us to consider the university as an integral, institutionally organized subsystem of society. The sociocultural approach allows us to consider the university corporation as a collective subject of educational, scientific and other activities focused on the values of public and personal welfare.Results and discussion. The concepts of communitarianism try to resist the dominance of neoliberalism. The main idea of these concepts is the moral improvement of society through the revival of traditional values and the education of the individual (A. McIntyre). The philosophy of “capability approach” (A. Sen, M. Nassbaum) has similar ideas on the development of moral qualities of the individual, the denial of the “egocentric essence of person”, the assertion of the priority of the general over the particular. Full-fledged human functioning depends on a set of abilities and opportunities, for example, the ability to get an education, the opportunity to participate in public and political life, to realize their own development trajectory, etc. The greater the set of these opportunities in each person's life, the higher its quality is evaluated. The philosophy of “opportunities” and the philosophy of communitarianism are interfaced with the concept of sustainable development of society. Models of “sustainable universities” that implement practices of interaction with society try to put into practice communitarian ideas, creating a balance of interests of the individual and society, public good and personal freedom.Conclusion. Combining the ideas of communitarianism with the idea of sustainable development could give a new impetus to the development of the university and change the content of its mission, and strengthen its humanitarian orientation.