The concept of ethics is extremely broad, and any discussion of the subject will include a variety of influencing factors. Individuals and groups talk conveniently of ethics when it suits their purposes, but resistance is quick to appear when there is any talk of restricting choices and personal liberties. When it comes to teaching ethics in a school setting, educators can be stuck between a relativistic society and a desire to instill objective values in their students. Can ethics be taught in school, or should teachers simply abandon any hope of ever coming up with an effective curriculum?
Lack of moral barometer
Ironically, countries like the United States have worked extremely hard to remove specific ideologies from the school setting. While this may be seen as a move towards freedom, it also puts an immense amount of faith in the behaviors of humanity. There remains an undying belief that humans are capable of living in a state of harmony in modern society, but unfortunately there is much evidence to prove otherwise. The standard ethical theme today is one of “tolerance,” but unfortunately this is a moving target that fails to recognize that it is simply an adjustment to recent history. If society were honest, they would admit that they are promoting “slightly more tolerance” but not necessarily universal tolerance.
The limits of case studies
To teach ethics, teachers will sometimes use cases studies or supposedly real-life examples. These may be fine for the sake of discussion, but there are limits to this type of exercise. The human experience is mental, but there are also physiological elements attached to making decisions. This is the same problem that is experienced when teaching sex or drug education. Humans experience temptation that goes beyond a mental decision-making process. Therefore, ethics case studies may engage part of the mind, but they cannot replicate the physical temptation that may accompany certain situations. When faced with ethical dilemmas, the principles taught in the classroom may be quickly abandoned.
Lack of reinforcement
Ultimately, ethics education often fails because the student may lack reinforcement in other aspects of their lives. When the student goes home they may not have positive parental or sibling role models. In addition, peer pressure is immense in the school setting, which means that a lesson on ethics may be instantly dismissed if a group of friends does not agree with what was taught. Learning about ethics is a total experience, and educators should not be surprised if their material does not take hold just because it was covered in class.
Making an attempt anyway
Despite all of these hurdles, educators still need to try. Society may be working against them, but there are students who will hear the message and attempt to live lives that are filled with positive and beneficial decisions. What outsiders need to understand is that “more education” will not cure the shortcomings of society. Individuals may naively believe that “most people are mostly good most of the time” but today’s world continues to move towards a state of moral relativity. Given the choice, humans will often decide to do what is best for them personally, and not what is best for the greater moral good.
Sources:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-relativism/
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/canethicsbetaught.html
