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
• as administrators
• as parents
• 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.
• students may often have certain freedoms of dress and personal grooming
previously unknown in the schools
• students may have certain rights to privacy of their lockers and personal
belongings in the school.
• 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