Assertiveness in Higher Education: A Proposal from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Autonomous University of Queretaro

The purpose of moral philosophy is not to make people happy but to define a stage in which they can be happy. Based on this statement, with which we fully agree, we propose that one of these scenarios, mainly referring to university life, includes assertiveness. The hypostasis of assertiveness is the person who displays confidence and defends their rights directly and honestly. From the perspective of moral philosophy, this is about character building. Character is defined as the combination of qualities that make an individual the ethically admirable type of person that they are. Moral character, in connection with assertiveness, consists in the legitimate and honest expression of the rights, opinions, feelings, beliefs, and personal interests that any human being has, but without violating or denying the rights of others. In this case, a student who builds their character will likely achieve a life of happiness for themselves and other living beings, both within the university and outside of it.