Social scientists have suggested that all societies adhere to certain universal values. One form or another of the Golden Rule, for example, appears in all cultures. It may follow that, if we want to rise above cultural relativism, we might adopt values that humans seem to share and agree on already. The author of this article dismisses various…

How schools can be restructured to make them sources of ethical experiences is discussed in this article; responses to the author's point of view by other writers are printed at the end of the article. (JD)

Discusses the controversy surrounding amniocentesis (used to detect and abort mongoloid fetuses) as an example of the ethical and social assessments that must be made with new scientific and medical developments. (JR)

Most criticisms of American schools are too broad and are off-base. The first criterion in evaluating education should be its contribution to character formation. Students cannot cope with authority figures, rules, and routines; a school structure that teaches them to regulate themselves is needed. (PP)

Presents a communitarian rationale for character education. Communitarians believe that individual liberties depend upon bolstering the foundations of civil society: families, schools, and neighborhoods. Lists four core areas of focus: character education in the schools, building and rebuilding communities, policies to strengthen the family, and…