Daniel Ritchie

20 April 2007

The future of ethics [60 kb, PDF]

Abstract

This lecture discusses a decline in ethical behaviour, and a rise in corruption and dishonesty, not just in Dr Ritchie’s home country of the United States of America, but around the world. Dr Ritchie relates this to cheating in schools and talks about the rise in technology that makes it easier to cheat. He gives examples of different theories about the causes of unethical behaviour, and suggests that education has a role to play in addressing the problem.

Dr Ritchie stresses the importance of making students understand the significance of ethics - the role ethics play in building a brighter future for society. He refers to the IB mission statement and points out the potential contribution the IB can make in teaching ethical behaviour to a large number of young people.

Daniel L Ritchie became chairman and chief executive officer of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, one of the largest cultural complexes in the United States of America, in January 2007. From 2005 to 2007 he was chairman of the board of the University of Denver, where he had served as the 16th chancellor for 16 years from 1989 to 2005. During his tenure, the university pioneered the teaching of ethics at both graduate and undergraduate levels. In June 1994, Ritchie announced a personal gift to the university of US$15 million, to be achieved through sale of some 19,600 acres of his ranch. Since then he has given the university the remainder of the ranch, and its sale has netted more than US$50 million for various projects.

Ritchie holds both undergraduate and MBA degrees from Harvard. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Westinghouse Broadcasting for eight years before moving to Colorado in 1987. He currently chairs the education committee of the National Park System Advisory Board and is president of the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation, whose focus is early childhood education and development. In 1998, the National Western Stock Show Association named Ritchie its “Citizen of the West”. The award, one of his many honours, exemplifies the spirit and determination of the western pioneer.