Abstract

Moral education is complex: its major issues are not resolvable in terms of contests between rival ethical theories. Five tasks of moral education are identified: dealing with blatant misdemeanours, developing virtues, developing skill in moral reasoning, teaching to care and enabling individuals to choose a worthwhile way of life. These are mutually irreducible in terms of their justification and capable of irreconcilable conflict in practice. Moral education must recognise such conflicts and the consequent inevitability of wrongdoing in human life as well as the need for humility this implies. The position argued for is inconsistent with, and does not imply, moral relativism.