Morals/Values education in schools

[Dr. Oza]

i had to write a 5 page essay on this and present it in class and i did, i argued that since morality is verrryy subjective and relative that it should not be taught and that whatever parents wish to teach their kids shud be taught home, also that since we can already expect the diffusion of basic local ( in this case, western) morality to be expressed through the community and media as a whole, it is unnecesary

thoughts???

do you think that schools should teach kids about values and morals?

[hellheaven1987]

Yes, but not in special class.

[MaryPoppinCaps]

To me school is an extension of the community so inadvertently morals will be learned in that environment as well. As for a specific class, morality would be hard to teach due to the many differing opinions, values, and concepts in religion, philosophy, and culture. However, western society - and humanity on the whole - holds many core beliefs on morality so such a class would not be impossible. Although, it may be unnecessary due to the many other facets which these simple norms are first learned, like parents, peers, media, and community.

So, morality as a lesson should not necessarily be banned from school, but it is most likely taught on a subconscious and sociological level rather than an objective class, which would be unnecessary and highly impractical due to differing opinions and perspectives.

[Nietzsche]

To me school is an extension of the community so inadvertently morals will be learned in that environment as well. As for a specific class, morality would be hard to teach due to the many differing opinions, values, and concepts in religion, philosophy, and culture. However, western society - and humanity on the whole - holds many core beliefs on morality so such a class would not be impossible. Although, it may be unnecessary due to the many other facets which these simple norms are first learned, like parents, peers, media, and community.

So, morality as a lesson should not necessarily be banned from school, but it is most likely taught on a subconscious and sociological level rather than an objective class, which would be unnecessary and highly impractical due to differing opinions and perspectives.

*boggle*

What the hell does that even mean?

Liberal arts use to be about moral instruction. The entire concept of a liberal education used to center around developing the character of individuals. Morality was every bit a part of that. Before relativism crept into education and essentially destroyed it, moral instruction was as important as scientific instruction, mathematics, logic, language... you get the idea. Once the State became provider of education, the dissolution began and education went from developing the mind and character to doing neither.

[MaryPoppinCaps]

I'm practicing using many words to say a whole lot of nothing.

But really what is confusing about it?

[removeduser_487563287433]

i had to write a 5 page essay on this and present it in class and i did, i argued that since morality is verrryy subjective and relative that it should not be taught and that whatever parents wish to teach their kids shud be taught home, also that since we can already expect the diffusion of basic local ( in this case, western) morality to be expressed through the community and media as a whole, it is unnecesary

thoughts???

do you think that schools should teach kids about values and morals?

You're correct in that morality is completely subjective, however, you have not considered that in a country there are going to be universal morals that have been a part of our culture and our ancestors' cultures for thousands of years. It is completely acceptable, and right, for schools to teach children not to bully, for example.

[Fiyenyaa]

We should teach critical thinking to kids. A decent morality is the product of a rational mind - it may vary and people will always have different opinions - but teaching kids how to think is infinitely preferable to teaching them dogma of any kind.

[kesa82]

We should teach critical thinking to kids. A decent morality is the product of a rational mind - it may vary and people will always have different opinions - but teaching kids how to think is infinitely preferable to teaching them dogma of any kind.

I was going to say , " EXACTLY !!! "

But then I remembered, most of the really nice , helpful people I met so far in life were simple, if not down right stupid.
Sophisticated people ( like myself ) are sophisticated in obfuscation. Sophisticated in avoiding responsibility. Sophisticated in decadence. sophisticated in corruption.

[Fiyenyaa]

I was going to say , " EXACTLY !!! "

But then I remembered, most of the really nice , helpful people I met so far in life were simple, if not down right stupid.
Sophisticated people ( like myself ) are sophisticated in obfuscation. Sophisticated in avoiding responsibility. Sophisticated in decadence. sophisticated in corruption.

This may be true of you - it is not a universal truth. There are plenty of people who are both extremely intelligent and "nice."
Not only that - critical thinking is not intelligent, it's just a cogent way of thinking that allows people to reason.

[Zimmer]

Damn right kesa82. One ought to rely on character and loyalty and such things and not pretend to be smart. A man should rely on his strengths. If smartness is not your strength, then don't pretend to be smart. I know I'm not a genius myself so I try to be ambitious, determined and kind to succeed in life.

[basics]

" do you think that schools should teach kids about values and morals?"

Sipahizadi,

Schools should not only teach values as well as morality, they should be seen to be exactly that by example.

[Dr. Oza]

well like i said, basic morals like not stealing whatnot are already diffused through society without need for schools, but i think schools teaching this would lead to dangerous things

a couple generations ago, hanging out with black people was immoral and against the values of society ... but do we think like that now?

and a hundred years ago women were expected to stay home and cook, and anything other than that was immoral, but what about now

if we were to force our current thoughts about life on our children, it would only hamper the development of the future that they will forge, one of their own moral views

[basics]

" a couple generations ago, hanging out with black people was immoral and against the values of society ... but do we think like that now?"

Sipahizade,

That is quite true but morality won over most long before it hit the US. That said, would you hang out with a black person if you knew he or she was dealing in drugs. No you wouldn't any more than you would hang out with a white person doing the same. It is not immoral to avoid those that you are not comfortable with. It shows that you have values and if the values have merit then so do you.

There are many things that to the individual feel wrong but that doesn't mean they are immoral especially if their values stand up to scrutiny within their own society. That why we have laws, some being good and others not so, nonetheless we try to abide by them for the benefit of the whole and when we don't like or want them our system is such that we can vote in new lawmakers.

Perhaps it is better to say that morality and values lie in how we as society care for them at what is called the bottom of the heap, whether infirmity or poverty because the law tells us that all are equal and should be under it. It is these things that schools in my opinion should teach as fundamentals, even starting at the most common of faults, bullying. All these things however are only as good as the strength of the law in practise.

[Bovril]

Maybe schools should talk in some philosophy and religion class about the various key moral issues taht concern the community they are situated in. Of course teachers will never be nuetral, and neither will a curiculum be. But both can be guided by thoughtfull people apointed, hopefully, by the community concerned.

[JohnShepherd]

Values are objective, not subjective. But that statement deserves another thread.

The society and the state, and by extension, the education system should help its students to develop virtue.

[Nietzsche]

Maybe schools should talk in some philosophy and religion class about the various key moral issues taht concern the community they are situated in. Of course teachers will never be nuetral, and neither will a curiculum be. But both can be guided by thoughtfull people apointed, hopefully, by the community concerned.

I honestly think you would be hard pressed to find enough teachers capable of even understanding the importance and subtleties of many philosophies and religions. Ignoring the obvious problem of objectivity, I don't think our teachers in our public schools have the slightest clue about the importance of religious and philosophical issues. Teachers now are basically highly paid babysitters with the side effect of providing basic reading and math skills. More and more colleges are becoming the place where english and mathematics are finally learned.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Wait, what does drug dealing have to do with hanging out with black people. There's an implication there basics but I will give you the benefit of the doubt.