In the context of the recent revival of virtue ethics, the notion of character formation under the rational guidance of Aristotle's notion of "phronesis," or practical wisdom, has been exalted as the principal aim of moral education. However, this is not unproblematic insofar as the promotion of Aristotelian "phronesis" seems…

Effects of cuteness-perception on individual cognition, emotion, behavior have significant implications for moral education. On the one hand, cuteness perception will make individuals think that moral violations are more serious and lead to tougher moral judgments; on the other hand, cuteness perception can activate moral emotions such as…

In this essay, Mark Jonas argues that there are three broadly held misconceptions of Plato's philosophy that work against his relevance for contemporary moral education. The first is that he is an intellectualist who is concerned only with the cognitive aspect of moral development and does not sufficiently emphasize the affective and conative…

This article addresses the question of why the emotions children and adolescents anticipate in the context of hypothetical scenarios have been repeatedly found to predict actual (im)moral behavior. It argues that a common motivational account of this relationship is insufficient. Instead, three links are proposed that connect cognitive…

In the post-Kohlbergian era of moral education, a "moral gap" has been identified between moral cognition and moral action. Contemporary moral psychologists lock horns over how this gap might be bridged. The two main contenders for such bridge-building are moral emotions and moral selves. I explore these two options from an Aristotelian…

Moral intelligence is newer and less studied than the more established cognitive, emotional and social intelligences, but has great potential to improve our understanding of learning and behavior. Moral intelligence refers to the ability to apply ethical principles to personal goals, values and actions. The construct of moral intelligence consists…

As role models, mentors serve as moral exemplars to their proteges. Yet, since the mentoring literature gives scant attention to the mentor's role in protege moral education, mentors are largely unwitting participants in this process. Grounded in research from moral psychology and philosophy, this article provides guidance to mentors who want to…

Society is in turmoil that can be termed a moral crisis the result of dogmatic materialistic worldviews. A more holistic framework for moral development based on the tripartite theory that considers cognitive, affective and conative domains and capacities is presented along with some guiding principles as an answer to the needs of the modern…

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

Conceptions of morality and moral education are in need of reexamination in this time of global transformation. Historical views of morality and moral education are briefly presented, the commonalities and implications of these conceptualizations discussed and their influence on civilization briefly explored. The modern-day conceptions of morality…

The paper reviews L. Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning and its relationship to cognitive development of children. R. Feuerstein's theories of mediated learning experience (MLE) are reviewed, and remediation for individuals deficient in cognitive functions is addressed. The paper notes the existence of deficient cognitive functions, specifically…

Using the main proponents of contemporary moral philosophical positions, this article examines the fruitfulness of teaching ethics to children and youth and questions whether such study has practical consequences, and if this is a necessary consideration for the study of ethics. (Editor/RK)

Sophomore and senior female students from traditional and progressive high schools were interviewed to determine stage of moral development (Kohlberg scale) and epistemological development (Perry scale). On both scales, progressive school seniors scored higher than traditional school seniors. Seniors' mean scores were significantly higher than…

Kohlberg, inspired by Piaget's cognitive developmental approach to moral development, expands the structural cognitive approach through more systematic longitudinal, cross-cultural, social class, and educational research. (Author)

By omitting the private and positive dimensions of morality and focusing on a single dimension of moral experience, interpersonal value conflict, Lawrence Kohlberg's Moral Development Program presents a one-sided interpretation of ethics--one which in educational practice is likely to produce morally imbalanced students. (Author/LC)