John Dewey’s Ideas of Moral Education
Abstract
I would like to research Dewey’s philosophy of education and its moral issues in context of contemporary debates. Dewey pointed out many moral educational problems which are topical also nowadays (in Slovakia too). Education tends to socialize its members. Dewey focuses especially on the quality and value of the socialization which depends upon the habits and goals of the group including its morality. According to him, to have a large number of common as well as moral values, it is necessary to offer to all the members of the group an equal opportunity to receive them. The commitment of society to education is a familiar fact. For the reason it is necessary to build connections among teachers, schools, parents, families and society. Dewey emphasizes necessity to look upon such moral values like honesty, loyalty, perseverance, amiability, as moral goods and also some rules for other values – balance, harmony, etc. They are very important as norms or criteria of judging the benefit of new experiences that parents and teachers are usually want to teach them to the youth. Moral values provide the norms and models that guide us to satisfaction and meaning. Dewey’s philosophy of moral education is expressive about the duty of the teacher in moral education of students. He emphasized the influence of intellectual environment the minds of young generation.