Education, Philosophy and the Ethical Environment

This book offers a critical and thought-provoking analysis of some of the fundamental questions about the nature and purpose of education. It builds on an analogy between the familiar idea of our responsibility for the physical environment and the less familiar idea of our responsibility for the ethical environment. It addresses many ideas developed in debates about values education but sets each within the overarching idea of the ethical environment, including: - the idea of relativism and the contrary claim that there are universal values - the liberal fear of indoctrination - the relationship between values and sense of identity - the demands of pluralism. Graham Haydon is an award-winning author in this field. His perspective is philosophical in orientation, yet he draws on contemporary sociology and social theory, and addresses the issues in international contexts. Education and the Ethical Environment will appeal to those involved in education at different levels, including students of the philosophy of education, practising teachers. Furthermore, policy-makers concerned with developing curriculum priorities will find this a very interesting guide.