An Introduction to Moral Philosophy and Moral Education

217 Pages·2007·1.08 MB·English

by  Robin Barrow

An Introduction to Moral
Philosophy and Moral Education
Most introductions to moral philosophy, in one way or another, delineate the
field and introduce the reader to various moral theories and arguments. An
Introduction to Moral Philosophy and Moral Educationis different in that it
eschews the traditional, historical approach and the use of names and schools
ofthought as organizing devices. Focusing on the ideas themselves, it keeps
jargon to a minimum and with a wealth of examples from drunkenness
to torture, from cell-phones to tax evasion, this compelling book brings
philosophy and everyday reality firmly together.
This book seeks to present and argue for a moral theory which draws on
most of the major theoretical positions to some degree, but it also spells out
the limits and boundaries of such a theory. In doing so, it exposes a number
of common confusions and misunderstandings about morality, and presents
astrong argument for some indisputable truths in relation to the moral sphere.
Divided into four parts, the book covers the key issues within moral
philosophy:
• Part I provides a lucid and powerful account of the nature and limits of
moral theory, sharply distinguishing it from religion.
• Part II outlines a positive moral theory by exploring the defining prin-
ciples of morality and the reasons for being moral.
• Part III distinguishes moral values from others such as ecological, health
and safety, and sexual values.
• Part IV is concerned with the implications of our moral understanding
for moral education.
While the book concentrates on argument and ideas, a commentary to each
chapter provides historical context and contemporary reference points. It will
prove an invaluable resource for students of both education and philosophy.
Robin Barrow is Professor of Philosophy of Education at Simon Fraser
University, Canada.
Other books by Robin Barrow
What Use Is Educational Research? Injustice, Inequality and Ethics
Adebate
(co-authored with Lorraine The Philosophy of Schooling
Foreman-Peck)
Happiness
Plato
His precursors, educational thought and Radical Education
legacy
The Canadian Curriculum
Academic Ethics Apersonal view
(co-edited with Patrick Keeney)
Plato’s Apology
Language, Intelligence and Thought
Common Sense and the Curriculum
Utilitarianism
Acontemporary statement Plato and Education
Beyond Liberal Education Greek and Roman Education
(co-edited with Patricia White)
Moral Philosophy for Education
Understanding Skills
Thinking, feeling and caring Plato, Utilitarianism and Education
ACritical Dictionary of Educational Sparta
Concepts
(co-authored with Geoffrey Milburn) An Introduction to Philosophy of
Education
Giving Teaching Back to Teachers (co-authored with Ronald Woods)
Acritical introduction to curriculum
theory Athenian Democracy
Language and Thought
Rethinking language across the
curriculum
An Introduction to
Moral Philosophy
and Moral Education
Robin Barrow
First published 2007 by Routledge
2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
©2007 Robin Barrow
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Acatalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Acatalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN 0-203-94622-7 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0–415–42102–0 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–42103–9 (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–94622–7 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–42102–7 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–42103–4 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–94622–0 (ebk)
For Alexandra and Natasha,with all my love

Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
PART I
Understanding the natureand limits of moral theory 19
1 Integrity: a shared moral value 21
2 Religion, nature, and intuition as possible sources of
moral truth 32
3 Some distinctions and some mistakes 43
4 Rights and procedures 58
PART II
Outline of a moral theory 71
5 Principles that define morality 73
6 Reasons for being moral 82
7 Relativism 90
8 Second-order principles 101
viii Contents
PART III
Some implications of the moral theory 117
9 Moral vs. social, ecological, and sexual values 119
10 Moral vs. health and safety values 134
PART IV
Moral education 151
11 Moral questions in education 153
12 The question of moral education 166
13 Forms of moral education 180
Bibliography 194
Index 203
Acknowledgements
I am especially indebted to Devi Pabla for her help in the preparation of
this book. Thanks are also due to Professor Jack Martin, Professor Tasos
Kazepides, Professor Ruth Jonathan, Dr Ieuan Lloyd, Professor William
Hare, Professor Howard Woodhouse, and Dr Patrick Keeney for their
comments and advice. I should also like to thank my editor, Anna Clarkson,
and all her staff at Routledge: it has proved a pleasure to work with them on
publishing both this and a previous volume.