Educación y ejemplaridad: cultivando un corazón educado

Abstract

The text addresses various themes related to education, human dignity, deliberative democracy, and art from a philosophical and critical perspective. Firstly, it discusses whether people considered vulgar can create quality artistic works. It mentions that Romanticism promoted the idea that sincerity and spontaneous expressiveness replace virtue in art, leading to the conquest of the vulgar and pathological at the expense of human dignity. The history of culture is described as a modulation of dignity, arguing that great works of art should not only be formally perfect but also invite to a dignified life and reconcile the viewer with the nobility and beauty of humanity. In contemporary art. There is a common critique: that many current manifestations are mere imitations of Romanticism without their own vital force. It is noted that art should present the constitutive limits of the individual and coexistence in a favorable light, rather than perpetuating the expressiveness of Romanticism. Exemplarity in art is seen as a reflection of human dignity, mentioning authors like Tolstoy, Goethe, and Dostoevsky as examples of those who, through their works, invite a dignified life. Regarding liberal democracy, it is described as a deliberative system where ethical truths evolve over time and are susceptible to criticism and reform. A distinction is made between eschatological (ultimate) and mundane (penultimate) truths, advocating for healthy relativism in political practice. Liberal democracy is presented as the least imperfect system, based on the deliberation of potentially relative truths. The text also addresses the importance of educating the heart, following Plato and Aristotle, highlighting the need to instill correct feelings such as modesty and shame. Education is seen as a process of civilization that must go beyond obedience to authority and be based on respect earned through the exemplary exercise of parenthood and teaching. Exemplarity is described as a creative and innovative force, with the case of Rosa Parks as an example of how an exemplary action can change the social context. Exemplarity, however, is conflictive because it challenges existing customs and opens judgments in individuals’ consciences. Finally, the importance of philosophy in forming concepts such as dignity is emphasized, although it is acknowledged that there is a gap between abstract philosophical enunciations and concrete cases of reality, entrusted to prudence and the educated heart. Philosophy can illuminate and guide, but it cannot relieve people from feeling, thinking, and making decisions in each particular situation.