Moral education: A comparative study of the Confucian, Platonic and Kohlbergian approaches

This study examines the philosophies and practices of moral education of three groups of thinkers, two classical and one modern. To attain this goal, it first compares the philosophy and practice of moral education of Confucius and Mencius of Chou China with those of Socrates and Plato of Athens based on the Confucian Four Books and the Platonic Dialogues. Then, it examines the theory and practice of moral education of Lawrence Kohlberg of the United States in light of the classical wisdom of the Chinese and the Athenian thinkers. The ultimate purpose of this study is, first, to see the similarities and differences in their approaches to moral education and secondly, to gain some fresh ideas to suggest for the improvement of our own approaches. The first five chapters are devoted to the study of the two classical groups. Chapter 1 surveys the histories of Chou China and the City-State of Athens to see what existing human conditions prompted our thinkers of two separate worlds to found moral education, and explores their reasons for thinking that moral education was the only way to improve their worlds. Chapter II studies the Confucian and the Socratic/Platonic conceptions and analyses of human nature and their theories on man\u27s educability in moral excellence. Chapter III examines the aims of moral education given by both groups and their justification for designating moral education a special education in moral excellence. Chapter IV studies certain qualities and qualifications identified by both groups as essential in their teachers and students for moral education. Then, it compares the methods they used and their reasons. Chapter V examines the curriculum selected by each group and the reasons for including only certain courses in it. The chapter also examines many virtues defined and discussed by both groups. Chapter VI explores the theory and practice of moral education of Lawrence Kohlberg against those of the classical thinkers. It also assesses Kohlberg\u27s contributions to modern day moral education. Chapter VII summarizes the study and offers my own conclusion