This article questions whether the study of normative moral theory and its application to particular moral problems has a beneficial effect upon someone seeking to improve the quality of their moral thinking. A broad outline of the conception of moral thinking underlying moral theory and applied ethics is considered, particularly the logical…

Examines how the principles and virtues of Confucianism holistically meet moral education's requirements. Discusses justice, equality, and truthfulness as Confucian principles and the character virtues (wisdom, courage, compassion, and love) necessary for living the moral life. Stresses understanding motive, arguing that the moral person desires…

Compares the operational and sociomoral reasoning maturity of 70 deaf children with that of a sensory unimpaired control sample. Tests subjects individually on three Piagetian tasks, story pairs, and the concept of justice. Finds slower development of operational reasoning in the deaf children but comparable development in sociomoral reasoning.…

Contemporary approaches to moral education are influenced by the "domain theory" approach to understanding moral development (Turiel, 1983; 1998; Nucci, 2001). Domain theory holds there are distinct conventional, personal and moral domains; each constituting a cognitive "structured-whole" with its own normative source and sphere of influence. One…

Outlines an instructional approach for teaching moral thinking, based on considering consequences of alternative options. Discusses R. M. Hare's two-level theory of moral thinking, and cautions against relying solely on critical thinking for moral education. Suggests students must learn open-minded thinking, be aware of the consequences of their…

Reports on a longitudinal study of four toddlers and the relationship of the development of moral awareness to maternal communications. Concludes that a 17-18-month period is a crucial transition period and calls for research into the relationship between emotional development and moral awareness. (CFR)

Maintains that universities have a responsibility to engender "..some sense of minimum universal values" in their students and to influence the adoption and promotion of these values in their lives. Considers ways that a university can accomplish this goal through a code of ethics, innovative management, and the impact of senior teams.…

Investigates teachers views of forgiveness and institutional pardon for conflict resolution at school. Asks questions related to forgiveness and forgiving. Shows that teachers endorse forgiveness as social expectation, a humanitarian, moral response to conflicts at conventional levels. Argues that teachers do notperceive forgiveness as related to…

The purpose of this paper is to offer a rationale for the teaching of moral education in the schools. (Author)

The purpose of this article was to question assumptions and explore limitations of the hypothetical moral situation approach by examining certain logical features of moral judgments in both hypothetical and non-hypothetical contexts. (Author/RK)

Lawrence Kohlberg thinks that Utilitarianism and Rawls' theory of justice are formal elaborations of different stages in the psychological development of moral reasoning. Also that there are psychological reasons to favor the stage of reasoning of which he thinks Rawls' theory is an elaboration. Attempts to show that Kohlberg has confused ethics…

Some objections (EJ 156 226) to an earlier article of mine (EJ 123 711) concerning the use of hypothetical moral situations in moral education are first examined. It is then argued that to characterize morality as a wholly "public" or "private" affair is mistaken, as moral decision-making must involve a combination of both…

The moral judgments of three groups of children were compared: mildly educationally subnormal (ESN(M)) children who are also maladjusted, stable ESN(M) children, and stable children of approximately average intelligence. Results showed intelligence to be the determining factor. Intellectually less able children scored less well on a test of moral…

Author takes the contention that the method by which Wilson (Introduction to moral education, 1967, pp76-7) seeks to give philosophical justification to his moral criteria, central to his position, is basically unsound, since it rests upon an illegitimate conflation of two or more conflicting systems of ethics. (Author/RK)

A teaching plan for a moral education program aimed at the children of nonbelievers, which the Union of Freethinkers would like implemented in the curriculum of Finnish schools, is outlined. (RM)