Page 171 - 2020新世代·新需求：臺灣教育發展的挑戰研討會

2
0
2 新世代·新需求：台灣教育發展的挑戰
0
研討會論文集

Cultivating citizens in a democratic society? Reflection on
the crisis of higher education and the disappearance of public

intellectuals

Eric Feng-Jihu Lee

Abstract

Since the establishment of the university, its own philosophy has
undergone many changes, whether it is the university’s political role, social

status or cultural responsibilities. However, after experiencing the impact
of neoliberal economic rationality and market logic, the inherent idea of
university and the purpose of cultivating mature citizens in a democratic
society have been directly or indirectly challenged. The purposes of higher
education institutes have shifted to emphasizing the benefits of various

occupation or training of practical competences, focusing on technology,
achievement indicators, and concretely measurable outcomes. This kind
of benefit or practical orientation threatens the idea of cultivating broad-

minded citizens in higher education. In terms of this evolutionary trend, the
university is in crisis. This article will first briefly explain the changes in
the idea of the university, so as to focus on the dangers and opportunities
of higher education facing the impact of neoliberalism, and focus on the
disappearance of the image of university teachers as public intellectuals, so

as to reflect on how universities can re-take the important responsibility of
nurturing mature citizens in a democratic society in the future. This article
finally points out that universities must be reconceptualized as a democratic

public sphere, and teachers should play the role of intellectuals; universities
reflect on and implement general education with liberal education concepts,

170