Contemporary Domain of Moral Education

Author: Lu Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: I have always firmly believed that moral education should be appealing. Because moral education deals with people, not things. Even if it deals with things, we must show the people behind them and their relationship with people. It deals with real, flesh-and-blood individuals, the human heart, rather than abstract concepts and cold, rationality. It deals with people's innate desire for goodness, showing their yearning for a better life and their pursuit of a beautiful existence. People—humanity—human goodness, what could be more appealing than these in the world? The problem is that traditional moral education often strays from human nature itself, from the human heart, and from people's innate desire for goodness. It preaches abstract concepts and empty principles, demanding unattainable standards and imposing a multitude of rules that contradict physical and mental development. As a result, moral education has become repulsive. What should be is not always realistic, and what is realistic is not always reasonable. Whether you are joyful or welcoming, or skeptical and fearful, the new century has already made a few solid steps forward. In these short years, many things have happened in the world we live in, though the troubles persist and may even increase, humanity has made new progress in many areas. Looking back at our moral education, I feel a strong sense of urgency: How can our moral education regain the charm it should have to live up to our rapidly developing era? Where does the future of moral education lie? This is the question of our time, and the correct answer will not come easily. As researchers in this field, we are destined to relentlessly pursue and explore.