That ethics is not so much learned in books as in living testimonies of existentially embodied virtues and values has been teaching commonly accepted by all classical thought, particularly in the example of Socrates and the philosophical reflection of Aristotle.

The great principles of morality are convincing when their universal formulations materialize in everyday life.

 Robert Spaemann considered the importance of concrete gestures in favor of justice and other virtues, those good behaviors capable of arousing astonishment, often because of their unusual frequency, or the generous magnanimity of their protagonists. All these daily good actions are extremely important, they are good without restriction and encourage us to behave well. The German philosopher affirms that "each of these behaviors justifies the existence of the world". One then experiences that "life is worth living".

We discover in these small daily gestures that there are good people ("there are still good people", it is said in colloquial language) and not only "good deeds". In this way, we see real ethics in the "first person".

Undoubtedly, good deeds, especially those inspired by the Gospel, are sources of hope, as Benedict XVI recalled in Spe Salvi: "(...) hope in the Christian sense is always hope for others. And it is active hope, with which we struggle so that things do not end in a "perverse end". It is also active hope in the sense that we keep the world open to God. Only in this way does it remain a truly human hope" (Spe Salvi, 34).

The Pope Emeritus also recognized the value of these good actions, not only in Christians, but in anyone who acts uprightly on behalf of others: "Every serious and upright action of man is hope in action. It is so above all in the sense that in this way we try to carry out our hopes, however great or small, to solve this or that important task for the future of our life: to collaborate with our efforts so that the world may become a little brighter and more humane, and so that the doors to the future may be opened" (Spe salvi, 35). Of course, with his encyclical he warned that these "small hopes" generated by kind actions need "the great hope" so as not to lose heart in their efforts or become impatient and degenerate into fanatical attitudes (idem).

Undoubtedly, the streets of Seville witnessed a lesson in ethics, in my opinion a masterful one, given by the Nigerian immigrant Peter Angelina, a seller of handkerchiefs who is struggling to validate qualification his programs of study of medicine in Spain. Finding an abandoned briefcase with 3,150 euros in cash, together with six checks for 13,000 euros and immediately handing it over to the police is a heroic gesture for someone in need.

Peter's arguments, when asked why he returned the money, leave no room for doubt or complicated interpretation: "The money was not mine, I could not keep it, and God would not have liked me to have done so. The virtue of justice cannot be formulated more clearly. But Peter also explained the deeper and more definitive root: "For a Christian it is the normal thing to do. The love of God is above all money. As long as I have enough to eat, I don't need any more. I live on what my father, who is a police chief in Nigeria, sends me.

I was discussing this news with the students at the last class of ethics and during the dialogue the agreement was general, although there are always some who sincerely recognize if they would have had the courage of Peter to resist not to appropriate what belongs to others.

Perhaps a few paragraphs from Evangelii Gaudium will serve to conclude these lines in favor of Peter's example and argument in the face of those who called him a fool for his honesty. Pope Francis is clear in his diagnosis of today's status : "To all this [the global economic imbalance] must be added widespread corruption and selfish tax evasion, which have taken on global dimensions" (Evangelii Gaudium 54). The coincidence of Peter's arguments against those who called him foolish with the Pope's words is undeniable: "Behind this attitude lies the rejection of ethics and the rejection of God. Ethics is often looked upon with a certain derisive contempt. It is considered counterproductive, too human, because it relativizes money and power. It is felt as a threat, because it condemns manipulation and degradation of the person. On final, ethics leads to a God who expects a committed response that is outside the categories of the market. For these, if they are absolutized, God is uncontrollable, unmanageable, even dangerous, for calling the human being to his full realization and independence from any subject of slavery. Ethics - a non-ideologized ethics - makes it possible to create a balance and a more humane social order (Evangelii Gaudium 55).

Recovering moral coherence is undoubtedly one of the most difficult and urgent challenges of our time. It is the task of Christians and non-Christians alike, but for us, in the words of the Nigerian salesman, it should be "the norm".

In all areas of Education, including and especially in universities, we have daily opportunities to accompany the new generations in their efforts to ensure that good ethical behavior is not only "the norm" but also "the norm".