The Malaise of the modern university: Authenticity for universities in an age of instrumentalism

Universities since their inception have responded to and been guided by the societies in which they were situated. A key question that arises is as follows: are the goals and purposes of Canadian universities in today's more market driven and globalized environments being fundamentally changed in a manner that represents a radical break with past ideas about liberal education and the role of the university in society? Charles Taylor's method of conceptual retrieval is used in conjunction with an historical survey of the ideals of the university throughout history to present the issue. Based on these historical ideals and the current context, a set of ideals for university education today is proposed. Further use is made of Taylor's and Jurgen Habermas' critiques of modernity in combination with Paul Ricoeur's ethical theories to provide a comprehensive analysis of the present situation in contemporary universities. Taylor's notions of authenticity and the modern social imaginary are applied to the situation of the university, as are the concepts of lifeworld and system in Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action and Ricoeur's 'just institutions'. Using the ideals for university education for today as a foundation, these aspects of the work of Taylor, Habermas and Ricoeur are utilized to suggest the framework of a covenantal organisational model for universities for the future. Covenantal models rather than those based on social contracts are shown to provide a foundation for public institutions in Canadian society which can counteract the current market driven trend in society. In the case of universities in particular, a covenantal model based on higher ideals contributes to the development of 'good citizens' and the continuation of democratic ideals for our larger society.