Motivation and Methodology in Moral Education

Abstract

Two basic worries about moral education are considered. The first ‐‐ whether there are or are not fundamental principles of reason and procedure which govern moral decision‐making ‐‐ is argued to be unnecessary, since there plainly are some such procedures. The second ‐‐ how and in what direction pupils should be motivated to attend to such principles ‐‐ is a more complex and difficult matter, which has to be tackled whatever one's particular philosophical views on morality. It is argued that the proper object of motivation is primarily allegiance to certain principles of rationality and justice, natural sympathy or personal benevolence being regarded as desirable but too fragile.