Rehumanizing Academic Integrity through Pedagogy of the Heart: A Virtue Ethics Framework for Higher Education in the AI Era

Abstract

The use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in scientific writing has contributed to a  decline in humanist thinking, diminished scholarly originality, and breaches of academic ethics. By  integrating Paulo Freire’s concept of humanisation with Aristotle’s virtue ethics, the framework of  rehumanization addresses the increasing prevalence of algorithm-based technologies. The central  thesis of this study asserts that generative AI should not be regarded as autonomous, but rather as  an extension of human agency guided by moral wisdom and ethical sensibility. Rehumanizing  algorithmic devices involves recognizing generative AI as an integral part of humanity that must be  managed conscientiously to address its inherent limitations. Through qualitative conceptual philosophical synthesis, this study demonstrates that a pedagogy of the heart prioritizes existential  meaning, interpersonal relationships, and moral responsibility over mere efficiency. This discussion  indicate that reclaiming AI as a tool in the pursuit of truth enables higher education to establish a  robust ethical framework for academic integrity that extends beyond detection policies. A pedagogy  of the heart thus provides a substantive and practical approach to rehumanizing algorithmic systems  by emphasizing meaning, relationships, and wisdom. In this context, AI becomes a tool that supports  the human quest for truth.