176 Ethics in Higher Education: Values-driven Leaders for the Future
10.5.2 Developing Holistic Knowledge Frameworks
It means going beyond the appraisals of the work of individual
scientists, beyond the output of particular research teams, and the
competitive acumen of individual research institutions and towards
creating an integrated and holistic^ knowledge framework for societal
progress and development that seeks to make whole that which was
partial, incomplete, in large measure stunted, and thereby also stunting
(Hountondji 1997).
10.5.3 Generating New Paradigms of Development
It helps generate a vision of development other than the one that is
pre-occupied with what the people do not have. This thinking has been
trapped in a negative dependency orientation that it generates rather than
motivating society to become constructively engaged in moving
forward. If development is endogenous however, then the people are the
subject. They are not trapped in the cold condescending gaze of the rich
upon the poor, because endogenous development begins at the point
when people start to pride themselves as worthy human beings inferior
to none; and where such pride is lost, development begins at the point at
which this pride is restored, and history recovered. (Odora Hoppers
2002)
10.5.4 Questioning Theoretical Habits of Thought
Clearly, a tremendous challenge is posited to academic disciplines
across the board to revisit their core perceptions of African society, to
question their theoretical habits and images of thought, and especially
the normative and conceptual backgrounds that shape the rules and
define parameters for what is considered “real” knowledge in academic
work.