The Moral Dimension Of Philosophy Of Education

THE MORAL DIMENSION OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION Bob Corbett Spring 2000 In many areas of human existence people generally do not hold that they may behave in just any way they want toward other people. (This same limit may well be argued for other groups than people as well. It may be held about our relationships to animals, to nature in general, even to gods or other transcendental beings. But, here I limit my remarks to our relationships with other people.) At the political level every government makes certain acts illegal and punishes those who transgress. At the social level we often show disapproval of people when they act in certain ways and by that disapproval we try to shape behavior away from the offending behaviors. At the religious level certain acts are often held by the religion to be unacceptable, or sinful or some sort of disapproval. Even at the personal level (perhaps influenced by religion, society and government) we often will feel that certain acts toward other people are just not something we should do. This entire realm is the area of moral concern. Moral philosophy is a discipline of philosophy which uses the tools of human reason to inquire into these questions of what should and shouldn't be done with and to other persons. (Government uses reason as a tool, but also uses the machinations of politics and interests as tools. Society uses reason as a tool, but also the power and value of tradition and social values as tools. Religion uses reason as a tool, but also uses divine revelation, and faith as tools.) When I talk of moral dimensions of education I am thinking of moral obligations in a philosophical perspective, where reason is the dominant tool. Within the formal educational establishment at the elementary and secondary level one category of relationships are those of adults to those we call "children." Mainly these are humans who are under the age of 19, and who, in most cultures, are legally regarded as minors. Within these relationships when we as adults are in relation with children as students, we are in relation with them in various roles. The key roles (but not the only ones) that interest me are: •

as teachers

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as administrators

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as parents

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as citizens

Given that in almost every nation on earth school attendance is mandatory by law and required to at least the age of 16, we as citizens participate in this force applied to the young. As parents we often use the power and force of our roles to be sure children are in school and more or less fulfill the wishes of the school. And so on with the more stringent powers of teachers and administrators.

Within recent decades there has been some minor attention paid to the "rights" of students in the face of all this power. It has been held (and behavior enforced) in at least some nations such as the United States, that there are limits on how adults may relate with minor students in school. Some limits are: •

students may not be beaten at will and in all manners.

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students may often have certain freedoms of dress and personal grooming previously unknown in the schools

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students may have certain rights to privacy of their lockers and personal belongings in the school.

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and so on.

I maintain that there is a significant moral dimension to philosophy of education. As adults, whether in the roles of teachers, administrators, parents or citizens, have power and authority over students. As in other moral situations we need good reasons to interfere in the personal behavior of children (even MAKING them students is a moral choice) and we should have good and adequate reasons for our relationships with them. To explore those reasons and those areas of interchange is the moral dimension of philosophy of education. There will not be a specific place or time where we will carry on this investigation in this course. Rather, it will pervade the entirety of the course. I will try to make us face these issues at every turn. There is a tendency toward what I will call traditional behavior. That is, if a certain behavior pattern is widespread and common in a culture it tends to become regarded as "RIGHT," even "NATURAL." Often when this is the case it is very difficult to get the questions on to the floor of serious moral inquiry. We have seen this within the past 1/2 century with the questions of the relationships between blacks and whites and between men and women. There were traditional behavioral patterns in place and attitudes toward blacks, whites, men and woman which told us the place of each in society, even the "nature" of each. In the past 1/2 century the traditional views of these relationships have been severely challenged and in some significant and historical degree dramatically overturned. Thus, as we move into the 21st century we see very different views of the nature of race and gender relations and little by little behaviors toward those moral dimensions of human behavior are changing. It is often the case that intellectual attitudes change much earlier than the dominant behavior patterns of a culture. It is a central thrust of this course that our attitudes toward adults and minor students need to be dramatically (radically) reassessed and that some of our previous attitudes will be seen to not measure up to reasoned inquiry. If this is so, then it would follow that there would need to be behavioral changes which would likely follow upon these changes in attitudes. These behavior changes, if needed, would likely impact our view of what education is all about. I will take the responsibility of raising these moral issues as often as time permits, and I urge and encourage you to do the same.

http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/education/moral.html

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions U.S. Bishops, 1998 Far too many Catholics are not familiar with the basic content of Catholic social teaching. More fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately understand that the social teaching of the Church is an essential part of Catholic faith. This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics, since it weakens our capacity to be a Church that is true to the demands of the Gospel. We need to do more to share the social mission and message of our Church. Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith.... Because this commitment to social justice is at the heart of who we are and what we believe, it must be shared more effectively. We offer these reflections to address the pressing need to educate all Catholics on the Church's social teaching and to share the social demands of the Gospel and Catholic tradition more clearly.

w If Catholic education and formation fail to communicate our social tradition, they are not fully Catholic. w The focus of this statement is the urgent task to incorporate Catholic social teaching

more fully and explicitly into Catholic educational programs. This must be undertaken in the context of efforts to share the faith in its entirety and to encourage Catholics to experience the gospel call to conversion in all its dimensions. Recognizing the importance of this broader goal of Catholic education and formation, we call for a renewed commitment to integrate Catholic social teaching into the mainstream of all Catholic educational institutions and programs.

w Our social heritage is unknown by many Catholics. Sadly, our social doctrine is not

shared or taught in a consistent and comprehensive way in too many of our schools, seminaries, religious education programs, colleges, and universities. We need to build on the good work already underway to ensure that every Catholic understands how the Gospel and church teaching call us to choose life, to serve the least among us, to hunger and thirst for justice, and to be peacemakers. The sharing of our social tradition is a defining measure of Catholic education and formation.

w The values of the Church's social teaching must not be treated as tangential or

optional. They must be a core part of teaching and formation. Without our social teaching, schools, catechetical programs, and other formation programs would be offering an incomplete presentation of our Catholic tradition. This would fall short of our

mission and would be a serious loss for those in our educational and catechetical programs.

w Central to our identity as Catholics is that we are called to be leaven for transforming the world, agents for bringing about a kingdom of love and justice.

w Just as the social teaching of the Church is integral to Catholic faith, the social justice dimensions of teaching are integral to Catholic education and catechesis. They are an essential part of Catholic identity and formation.

w We seek to encourage a more integral sharing of the substance of Catholic social

teaching in Catholic education and catechesis at every level. The commitment to human life and dignity, to human rights and solidarity, is a calling all Catholic educators must share with their students. It is not a vocation for a few religion teachers, but a challenge for every Catholic educator and catechist.

w The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. It offers moral principles and coherent values that are badly needed in our time. In this time of widespread violence and diminished respect for human life and dignity in our country and around the world, the Gospel of life and the biblical call to justice need to be proclaimed and shared with new clarity, urgency, and energy.

w The Scriptures say, "Without a vision the people perish" (Prv 29:18). As Catholics, we

have an inspiring vision in our social teaching. In a world that hungers for a sense of meaning and moral direction, this teaching offers ethical criteria for action. In a society of rapid change and often confused moral values, this teaching offers consistent moral guidance for the future. For Catholics, this social teaching is a central part of our identity. In the words of John Paul II, it is "genuine doctrine" (Centesimus Annus, no. 5).

w As bishops and pastors, we believe the Church's social teaching is integral to our

identity and mission as Catholics. This is why we seek a renewed commitment to integrate and to share the riches of the Church's social teaching in Catholic education and formation at every level. This is one of the most urgent challenges for the new millennium. As John Paul II has said, "A commitment to justice and peace in a world like ours, marked by so many conflicts and intolerable social and economic inequalities, is a necessary condition for the preparation and celebration of the Jubilee" (Tertio Millennio Adveniente, no. 51).

w We strongly support new initiatives to integrate the social teachings of the Church more fully into educational and catechetical programs and institutions. Many catechists and Catholic teachers do this every day by weaving these ideas into curricula and classrooms. They introduce their students to issues of social justice. They encourage service to those in need and reflect on the lessons learned in that service. Yet in too many schools and classrooms, these principles are often vaguely presented; the values are unclear; the lessons are unlearned. We support the task force's clear call for new efforts to teach our social tradition and to link service and action, charity and justice. w We call on publishers of Catholic educational materials to continue and to strengthen efforts to incorporate the principles of Catholic social teaching into all materials and disciplines in addition to providing resources specific to Catholic social thought.

w The test for our Church is not simply have we "kept the faith," but have we shared the faith. As we approach the jubilee of the Lord's birth, we seek to support and to encourage renewed efforts to make the social dimensions of our faith come alive in caring service, creative education, and principled action throughout the Catholic community.

w Catholic education is one of the most important forums for sharing and demonstrating our Church's commitment to human dignity and social justice. Catholic educators and catechists can best share this message of hope and challenge for the future. We support and encourage them for this holy work. http://www.ndpteachers.org/justice/catholic_education.htm