College and Character: What Did Confucius Teach Us About The Importance of Integrating Ethics, Character, Learning, and Education?

Recent news reports of personal greed, corporate failures, and government bailouts are evidence of a nation’s moral character in peril. Wall Street has been blamed for much of the financial crisis as a consequence of the impudent business decisions that were made and moral considerations that were ignored. Business executives seemed to be looking out only for themselves, and, in doing so, they put aside moral accountability and social responsibility. What happened to the conscience of these decision-makers? It appears that the present economic meltdown is not only financial in nature, but represents also moral and ethical failures. For America to have a sustainable future, those of us working in higher education must do more to promote and support the development of ethical values in our students.