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Activism, teaching, and moral philosophy
Abstract
I suggested that some of the world's troubles may be relieved if social change is driven by activism which is informed by moral philosophy. Teachers who are social activists may illustrate a way to ground their work as both teachers and activists in reflection which provides clarification of assumptions and a moral basis for social action. They might also show a way to cope with criticism of activism as mindless or dangerous as well as criticism of moral education and controversial issues education as biased or lacking in objectivity. I interviewed six teachers of science or social studies who are social activists outside the classroom. Their concerns included feminism, environmentalism, politics, community, racism, abortion, violence, poverty, prolife and nuclear issues. I discussed with them their lives, work and thinking and found a wide range of experiences and views. Yet all their views fit in the range of views described by philosophers as teleological (consequence-based) or deontological (rule-based). They were also philosophical in their own right. I concluded that the moral basis of their activist and classroom work justified disclosure of their views to students, and sets their work as a model for the encouragement of student and citizen activism in the 'real world'.
Subject Area
Curriculum development|Education philosophy|Secondary education
Recommended Citation
Grossman, Kenneth Walter, "Activism, teaching, and moral philosophy" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9132859.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9132859