DIALOGUES ON MORAL EDUCATION
DIALOGUES ON MORAL EDUCATION
by John Wilson and Barbara Cowell
Summary: This volume deals with the major issues confronting persons and societies wishing to lead the moral life, issues such as relativism, peace, virtue, the conflict between societal authority and individual autonomy, selfishness versus altruism, culture versus counterculture, hedonism versus duty, the relationship between divine law and human law, and the struggle between knowing what is right and doing what is right.
Spirit of the Book; Unlike so many books on moral education, this book makes its profound points in a witty and sprightly way which makes the book highly educational because it is so interesting. This book does not in any way sacrifice its depth and richness by being charming and entertaining; in fact its very charm and its entertaining qualities make it all the more educational.
What this Book Gives You: This book gives you what few other books on moral education can give you, namely a finely crafted interchange of the pros and cons of many of the most important positions and problems in moral education. These pros and cons are presented not in dry prose form but in a witty exchange of viewpoints which bring home more deeply the major issues in moral education and the moral life.
Distinctiveness: Why this Book is Special: This book is truly distinctive among all books in moral education and the moral life because it is written solely as a series of highly interesting and engaging Socratic dialogues in which many of the major positions on morality are mulled over, debated, and resolved. This dynamic method of presentation assures that major moral issues take on a kind of real life and pressing concern not easily attained by other writing methods.
Major Features: Major features of this lovely book include: (1) an exploration of many of the most important problems and issues in moral education and the moral life; (2) an actual encounter between the pros and cons of the major positions in morality; (3) ways to help other persons improve their moral life. This senior author of this book is one of the major figures in moral education of the 20th century.
Chapters
1. First Steps in Examining
Morality
2. Morals and Religion
3. Moral Reasoning and Divine Law
4.
Moral Aptitudes and Virtues
5. The Methods of Art
6. Other Methods of
Moral Education
7. Conclusion
Praise for this Book: This delightful book has received ample international and national praise.
LAWRENCE KOHLBERG, probably the greatest of all 20th century psychologists of moral development, writes: " I recommend this book to all those interested in moral education. John Wilson and Barbara Cowell have written in a lucid and entertaining way. Their views on the importance of cultivating rational autonomy in moral education, their arguments against moral relativism on one side and 'moral majority' indoctrination on the other sise, are skillfully presented in a replay of Plato's Republic in which Cephalus is the 'moral majority' father, his son the counter culture relativist, and Socrates the presenter of Wilson and Cowell's beliefs on a variety of issues central to moral education.
KEVIN RYAN, one of the nation's leading experts on character and moral education writes: " This book is a thoughtful and provocative primer on moral education. The authors have accomplished this task in an engaging and witty manner. This book covers the core issues in moral education with refreshing clarity."
MONICA TAYLOR, editor of the JOURNAL OF MORAL EDUCATION STATES: "This volume is a brilliantly instructive and stimulating simulation of the Socratic dialogues skillfully adapted to clarify contemporary moral concerns for the average reader. A clever and witty introduction to modern moral education."
DON COCHRANE of the University of Saskatchewan writes: "I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Wilson and Cowell's achievement is considerable. The imaginative distance created for us by the dialogue form of writing makes the arguments presents in this book all the more effective."
Price and
Such:
170 pages List Price:
$16.95 ISBN 0-89135-035-7