Matthew Clayton, David Stevens [see EJ1233331] and Laura D'Olimpio [see EJ1233332] have advanced a series of objections to arguments I set out in my recent book "A Theory of Moral Education" -- in particular to the problem-of-sociality justification for basic moral standards. Here I reply to their objections.

In "A Theory of Moral Education," Michael Hand claims that a directive moral education that seeks to persuade children that a particular conception of contractarian morality is justified can be undertaken without falling foul of the requirement not to indoctrinate. In this article, we set out a series of challenges to Hand's argument.…

This article defends the use of narratives about morally exemplary individuals in moral education and appraises the role that 'nudge' strategies can play in "combination" with such an appeal to exemplars. It presents a general conception of the aims of moral education and explains how the proposed combination of both moral strategies…

In "A Theory of Moral Education," Michael Hand defends the importance of teaching children moral standards, even while taking seriously the fact that reasonable people disagree about morality. While I agree there are universal moral values based on the kind of beings humans are, I raise two issues with Hand's account. The first is an…

Two influential tragic incidents in 2011 are discussed in connection with the cultivation of morality in Japan. One is the suicide of a junior high school student due to bullying in his school--a scandal which eventually led to the country's redefinition of the status of moral education in the school curriculum. The other is the huge earthquake…