Homo economicus versus reality
There is enormous room for creativity in what the economy should be; how it should work and who it should serve. Consequently, there is a great deal of innovation in the field of economic thought. Despite this development, classical theories, such as the human view homo economicus, are still taught as such. The human view homo economicus states that humans are rational and continually strive for material growth and personal gain. The emphasis is on growth and every man for himself. The result of this is that an economy and a society are created that do not work to the advantage of people, animals and nature. A small club of people have an interest in the profit maximization that is central to our current economic society and the others are at their service.
Homo florens in reality
In reality, people are not rational and purely profit-oriented. With the project Homo Florens, Leren voor Morgen wants to do justice to this. This can be done by ensuring that students are taught knowledge and skills that are in line with a realistic view of humanity, says project manager Bart Mijland. Homo florens is a new image of man, developed by our partner the Institute of Leadership and Social Ethics, which states that man flourishes in relation to other people, the environment and other life forms. This project brings the new human view into higher economic education, alongside the homo economicus. We see that homo florens better fits who we are and that it does not quite fit the current economic systems. The fact that it is not taught now has implications for the way economic fields look.
Next steps of the project
A learning community has been established in recent months. The learning community is now starting to further develop the human view within the context of education. This will be done by means of pilots in subjects and minors. The first courses will soon start with a pilot. Bart states that the exciting part is now to discover together how this concept of humanity can be practically applied in the context of education.
In addition, a knowledge network has been set up to monitor developments at a broader level. We are now moving into the next phase in which we will bring people together by means of knowledge meetings. During these meetings, we will explore how the new view of man can be incorporated into higher economic education by means of approximately seven knowledge meetings in which a great deal of content will be exchanged. The start date of these meetings is March 9. There is still room to participate in the knowledge network. You can also stay informed by mail. The insights we gain together will be shared in a final symposium in January 2023. For more information mail Bart Mijland.
We are doing this project together with the Institute of Leadership and Social Ethics as a partner, and Het Groene Brein and Our New Economy are also involved. Homo Florens is co-sponsored by Goldschmeding. The participating colleges are HHS, BUAS, CHE, HAN, HR, Avans, InHolland and Fontys.
