Encyclopaedia of Value and Moral Education

Moral and Value Education is closely related to the democratic way of life. Since democracy means rule by the people who are supposed to be free and equal it assumes a core of shared values and citizens who are committed to these values. Education therefore has to maintain the balance between not violating individual freedom and yet encouraging moral commitment to democratic values. There are some philosophers in the western world like Japio Puolimatka who maintain that it is possible to educate in democratic values in ways that foster the development of the rational and moral autonomy of children only within the moral realist context. Citizens should become conscious of the processes that have moulded their values and develop the capacity for evaluating them as well as those prevailing in society as a whole. These are some such questions which need attention. If education does not cultivate the capacity for personal reflection, how can the democratic principle of rule by the people be realized? If citizens do not form authentic convictions about values relevant for the guidance of the society, in which sense do they exercise ultimate power in society?

Some arguments in favour of moral and value education have been advanced by other philosophers as well. The essence of democracy is in moral values expressed in societal procedures and human relationships and in critical citizens who are committed to these values. The continuity of democratic society presupposes that citizens are both critical and committed to democratic values. Without moral truth there is no adequate reason for critical persons to come to definite conclusions about values. Since each person has the right to make his or her own value choices, education should provide with the capacity to make them in a rational frame work on the basis of the best available information. An indoctrinatory teaching approach cannot foster the development of democratic foster the development of democratic convictions. Educational authority should not be used for ideological purposes. Rational convictions presuppose a learning process which discloses the human potential for being critical and the formation of convictions which stand critical scrutiny. Democratic convictions should be taught without indoctrination. If they cannot it is hard to justify their teaching at all.

The present set is the first reference work to be published on this most important but neglected on this most important but neglected area. It is hoped that the scholars, teachers, readers, students, educationists, planners and people connected with advancement of human society will welcome this publication.