ABSTRACT
In the theoretical analysis we find yet again a practical tool for moral education, for it is a fairly easy task to devise a set of ‘moral situations’ and, for each one, to list examples of each of the possible types of response. One can then discuss these responses with the class, first of all eliciting from them which response they would favour themselves, and then as a group considering the merit of their choice. There are two main aspects of direct moral education: one is language-centred, the other is problem-centred. The former seems to me to require a fairly ‘formal’ approach, building up step by step an understanding of the evaluative and prescriptive uses of language. The latter, too, can be treated in the same way, but should at least be extended and varied with all sorts of discussion, including ‘neutrally-chaired’ discussions as recommended in the Schools Council Humanities Project.
