THE ROLE OF ETHICS OF CHARACTER IN EDUCATION

Smisao ovog rada je proučavanje uloge etike karaktera u odgoju sa pozicije filozofije odgoja. U radu se povodom toga prvo iznosi oblikovanje ideje podučavanja moralnog odgoja u Staroj Grčkoj. Ocrti ideje moralnog odgoja vidljivi su već u sofista, Sokrata, te njihovih sljedbenika. Iz njihovog misaonog ispitivanja predodžbenog načina mišljenja ljudske djelatne svijesti, razvijaju se temelji za oblikovanje filozofije koja kombinira teoriju i praksu, a koju Aristotel kasnije definira u svojoj Nikomahovoj Etici kao praktičnu filozofiju. Praktična filozofija temelji se na procesu spoznaje koji polazi od nepotpuna razumijevanja stvari, tj. od njezinog ocrta kojim se anticipira daljnji tijek izlaganja, i opet se uz pomoć iskustva, vraća na prethodno tumačenje stvari. Iz Aristotelove praktične filozofije se na njenim temeljima kasnije razvija etička disciplina koja u središte svog razmatranja stavlja karakter, odnosno etika karaktera. Etika karaktera utemeljena je na ostvarivanju idealne ljudske ličnosti, a što se postiže ispravnim moralnim odgojem usmjerenim na karakterne crte. Počeci moralnog odgoja temeljili su se na Aristotelovoj praktičnoj mudrosti koja u principu podrazumijeva refleksivnu i afektivnu primijenu općih dispozicija za ispravan odabir ovisno o partikularnostima određene situacije u smislu ostvarivanja cilja ljudskog napretka. Aristotel je pod moralnim odgojem podrazumijevao habituaciju, odnosno usvajanje navika, a takva je ideja odgoja ostala pristuna i danas. Uz Aristotelovu ideju odgoja najveći je odjek imala Deweyeva ideja odgoja koji odgoj gleda kao praksu življenja. Dewey je smatrao kako je, budući da čovjek živi u svijetu stalno podložnom promijenama, bitno odgajati pojedince na način da se takvim promjenama mogu prilagoditi, te ih pripremiti na svaku moguću situaciju. Iz tih promjena proizlazi konstantna potreba za nadograđivanjem odgoja. Moralni odgoj unutar etike karaktera podrazumijeva proučavanje nekad karakternih osobina, nekad kreposti (vrlina), a nekad oboje, ovisno o tome sa koje ga se pozicije želi proučavati i/ili učiti. Bez obzira na to na koji od ova dva elementa se odlučuje usredotočiti nemionovno je kako će se na kraju razmatrati i jedan i drugi budući da su de facto usko povezani. Tu tvrdnju dokazuje i Badhwar svojom definicijom kako se moralni karakter sastoji od usvojenih dispozicija za razmišljanje, osjećanje i odabiranje na određeni način, dok vrlina pak podrazumijeva učenje ustezanja od odabira suviška i manjka u vidu emocija, želja i djelovanja. Na taj način, posjedujući vrline, reagiramo na određeni način u smislu emocija, odlučivanja i ponašanja. Veliki utjecaj u postaristotelovskom dobu na etiku karaktera imali su Nietzsche i Kant. Nietzscheove teorije obuhvaćale su kritiku društva zbog raspadanja sustava vrijednosti te samim time rušenja morala. On smatra kako se taj moral može obnoviti samo izolirianjem iz društva i poniranjem u sebe sama. Na temelju toga treba stvoriti vlastiti novi zakon i vlastitu tablicu vrlina. Prema tome, Nietzsche propagira izgradnju novih vrijednosti, morala i karaktera samo preko samoizolacije i saznanja o sebi samima. Kant s druge strane, definira karakter kao distingvirajući otisak ljudskog bića kao racionalnog. Karakter je za Kanta ono što pokazuje što čovjek želi napraviti od sebe, odnosno kakvom osobom želi biti. Pravilni karakter je pritom onaj koji slijedi ispravne principe, odnosno onaj koji je utemeljen na kategoričkom imperativu. Suvremene koncepcije većinom se oblikuju kao preslika starih koncepcija, pa tako recimo u suvremenim razmatranjima u moralnom odgoju imamo struje poput eudaimonista, konzekvencionalista, neoaristotelista, itd. Neki filozofi su unatoč svim izloženim koncepcijama smatrali kako su se psihologija, sociologija i filozofija u svojim teorijama o osobnosti i karakteru bazirali na ljudske koncepcije istih, ali su pritom zanemarili faktor preciznosti tih teorija. Filozofska razmatranja u vezi karaktera, morala i odgoja pokazuju nam kako su ove komponente izrazito teške za razmatranje, te za sobom povlače mnogo problema, no isto tako su nužne za dobro funkcioniranje kako osobe, tako i društva općenito.The main goal of this thesis is the studying of the role of the etics of character from a position of philosophy of education. Following that concept the thesis first brings up the formation of the idea of moral education in Ancient Greek. Delineations of the idea of moral education are already to be seen in the teachings of sophists, in Socrates' teachings, as well as in the teachings of their followers. From their mental examining of the image thinking of human acting thought, the basics have been developed for the tenets of the philosophy that combines theory and practise, which later is to be defined by Aristotle in his Nicomachean ethics as the practical philosophy. Practical philosophy is based on the cognition process which goes from the incomplete understanding of the matter, a.k.a. from her delineation from which the later examinations are anticipated, followed by the returning to the principal interpretations of the matter using experience.From the basics of Aristoteles' practical philosophy, later is to be developed ethical discipline which in the center of its examination puts character, so called ethics of character. Ethics of character is based on realization of ideal human personality, which is accomplished with the correct moral education focused on character traits. The beginings of the moral education were based on the Aristotelis' practical wisdom which includes reflective and affective application of general dispositions for the right choice regarding particularities of a certain situation in a way of accomplishing the goal of human development.In the terms of Aristotles' moral education was actually intended a habituation, in other words an adoption of habits, the idea which remained present even nowadays. Aside from Aristoteles' idea of education, the greatest impact had Deweys idea of education which viewed education as the practise of living. Dewey thougt, since the man is living in the world of constant changes, that it is important to educate the individuals in order to adapt to these changes and also in order to prepare them for every possible situation. According to him, those constant changes are the reason why the education is something that needs constant upgrade. Moral education in the terms of ethics of character alludes the examining whether character traits, whether virtues, and sometimes even both, depending on the position from which is to beexplored and/or thought. Regardless of the fact which of the elements one centers, it is beyond doubt that in the end both of them will be examined, since they are in fact closely connected. This statement has been in fact proved by the Badhwars' definition that states that moral character consists of the habituated dispositions for thinking, feeling and choosing in a certain way, whereas virtue connotes learning of restraining of choosing deficiency and excess regarding emotions, decisions and behaviours. The great influence on the ethics of character in the postaristotelic era had Nietzsche and Kant. Nietzsches' theories are based on the critics of the society on the grounds of collapse of the sistem of valules and therefore also of the collapse of moral. He sustains that moral can be rebuit only by ones' isolation and emerging in oneself. On that grounds one ought to built its own new law and its own table of virtues. Accordingly, Nietzsche propagates a construction of new values, morals and character only by self-isolation and cognitions on oneself. Kant, on the other hand, defines character as a distinguishing mark of the human being as the rational being. Character is for Kant that which indicates what the human being is prepared to make from himself. The right character in this case is the one that goes by the right principles, or better yet the one that endowes the categorical imperative. Contemporary conceptions are mostly formulated as the replication of the old conceptions, so that for exaple in the contemporary conceptions of moral education are to be seen currents such as eudaimonists, consequentialists, neoaristotelians, etc. Some philosophers, in spite of all conceptions presented, thought that psycology, sociology as well as philosophy in their theories on personality and character were so focused on the human perceptions of the latter, that have failed to pay attention on the accuracy of them. Philosophical studies on character, moral and education have proven to be quite difficult to examine, due to the fact that they bring out a lot of problems. Nonetheless, they are necessary for good functioning of the person, as well as the good functioning of the society in general