A democratic university or university for democracy?

Abstract

University has still been a fundamental institution for the formation of the citizenship and the construction of the public in democratic societies. Focused on the production and reproduction of knowledge, University educates a new generation of citizens, not only on technical-instrumental aspects, but also on ethical-political ones. Although among institutions there is now a current tendency to draw more attention to the first aspect than to the later one. Such ethics-political formation takes place in the particular areas of the academia, where free discussion is encouraged. University, likewise, taking general issues as a subject matter, particularly, the ones related to the organization and development of the society it belongs to. The above provides arguments to enrich citizen discussion on common topics, and even, to propose and carry out actions for the consolidation of the Public in the society.