Theology Department
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The Character Education Pages from the University of Chicago reflect that one of the major goals of schools has always been to affect the values, habits, and social behavior of students. "Indeed, Aristotle believed that the development of good character was the primary purpose of education; this priority on character over intellect has been shared by schools associated with certain religions, by military academies, and by some private schools. Early American educators believed that public schools could form the characters of students, and that positive effects on character would ensure that the republic would survive the many stresses and strains to which it was subjected," the website's authors say. Character Education Resources offers access to a variety of material dealing with character education. On its home page, they offer this from author Thomas Lickona: "An anonymous sage wrote, 'When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.' In conducting our national debate about character education, it is helpful to keep in mind that character education is not a new idea. It is an idea as old as education itself; indeed, it is the school's most important mission. The current national character education movement is returning us to that ancient wisdom." The Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education supports "the universal and essential search for meaning as necessary to the development of young people of conscience and community. It serves as a national resource for schools to encourage the moral, ethical, and spiritual development of young people. The CSEE supports community service by providing resources and a network for schools' involvement in community service and service learning. It develops programs and services which encourage a school climate of open ethical and religious inquiry and expression, and instruction in world religions and ethics as essential components of a complete education." The Curriculum Initiative promotes "the study of religion and ethics in independent high schools. It encourages teachers to incorporate texts of ethical reflection into their humanities classroom, sponsors assemblies, in-service days and Ethics Days at specific independent school campuses, and sponsors an annual Summer Institute for teachers and administrators from around the country on 'Teaching Ethics: Texts and Techniques.'" The emphasis of the Curriculum Initiative is on the Jewish tradition, and the use of Talmudic texts in the teaching of ethics. The Ethics Center is an "ethics clearinghouse" on the web. Inside, you'll find interesting ethical cases, case analyses, ethical problem-solving methods, and categorized links to other ethics sites. The Religion and Ethics Newsweekly magazine on PBS deals with a variety of issues; program summaries and transcripts are available at this site. Its links page is helpful as well. The International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life
at Brandeis University "exists
to illuminate the ethical dilemmas and obligations inherent in global and
professional leadership,
with particular focus on the challenges of racial, ethnic, and religious
pluralism. Examining responses to past conflicts, acts of intervention,
and failures to intervene, the Center seeks to enable just and appropriate
responses in the future. Engaging leaders and future leaders of government,
business, and civil society, the Center crosses boundaries of geography
and discipline to link scholarship and practice through publications, programs,
and projects."
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