RT Article
T1 Moral Education Through the Fostering of Reasoning Skills
JF Ethical theory and moral practice
VO 27
IS 1
SP 41
OP 55
A1 Meyer, Kirsten 1974-
LA English
YR 2024
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1892099543
AB The development of reasoning skills is often regarded as a central goal of ethics and philosophy classes in school education. In light of recent studies from the field of moral psychology, however, it could be objected that the promotion of such skills might fail to meet another important objective, namely the moral education of students. In this paper, I will argue against such pessimism by suggesting that the fostering of reasoning skills can still contribute to the aims of moral education. To do so, I will engage with the concept of moral education, point out different ways in which reasoning skills play an essential role in it, and support these considerations by appealing to further empirical studies. My conclusion will be that the promotion of ethical reasoning skills fulfils two important aims of moral education: First, it enables students to critically reflect on their ethical beliefs. Second, it allows them to explore ethical questions in a joint conversation with others. Lastly, I will refer to education in the field of sustainable development in order to exemplify the importance of these abilities.
K1 Competences
K1 critical reflection
K1 Moral discourse
K1 Reasoning skills
K1 School
K1 Teaching philosophy
DO 10.1007/s10677-023-10367-3