Character Development in Higher Education Using Classical Archetypes

Abstract Since classical times, character development has played a key role in the proper functioning of democracies. This article outlines a modern reimagining of a classical archetypal character construction as a novel method for character development. The author presents examples of its operation in higher educational settings and in professional education, together with examples that show students using the method to frame ethical and professional issues in a character context. The novel method is shown to have potential to play a role in overcoming factors, some often unspoken, hindering greater establishment of character development in modern education.