Can Ethics Be Taught?
Michael Pakaluk, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
When I ask whether ethics can be taught, I mean by someone standing up in front of you and speaking, as in a classroom. Someone speaks about the virtue of courage for instance. He defines courage. He emphasizes that courage is standing firm in the midst of reasonable fears, not in the absence of fear. He distinguishes courage from traits that may look like courage but are not courage. He gives examples of courage.
Has he imparted courage to those who listen to him? Obviously not. His listeners will not be one whit more courageous by having listened to him speak. And yet courage is perhaps the most decisive virtue. No one does the right thing under pressure without courage.
Someone once defined Unitarianism as a feather bed to catch falling Christians. I’ve wondered whether the idea that ethics can be taught in the classroom isn’t the same. Some people now say: “Jesus was not God but rather a Great Moral Teacher.” Well, if ethics cannot be taught, Jesus had nothing to do.
The result is that we must desperately hold onto the teachability of ethics if we are “in the Christian tradition” but not really believing Christians. All the courses on ethics in universities of Christian foundation (“methods of ethics,” “types of ethical theory”) arose after those institutions became secularized.
“But what is the Sermon on the Mount,” you say, “if not teaching ethics? Jesus taught ethics; therefore ethics can be taught. Moreover, we are supposed to imitate Jesus. Therefore, we should teach ethics ourselves.”
May I call attention to all the ways in which the Sermon on the Mount was different from a classroom lecture?
Read the entire article at The Catholic Thing
Resources to use to Show Children Ethics, Virtues and the Love of God
Your Parish that provides the Holy Mass and all the Sacraments that bring grace to your family to receive and accept the Truth of God.
Your Parish School and/or Religious Education Department (CCD, RCIC and VBS)
Catholic Homeschool Community Your place to connect, to foster friendships, and joyfully travel this homeschool life!
The Most Effective Means of Teaching about Virtue is Showing Virtue. Below are some places to find stories of Saints, Heroes and Ordinary People who Exhibit the Virtues of Love
Everyday Graces: A Child’s Book of Good Manners by Karen Santorum
Under such headings as “Honor Your Mother and Father,” “Please, Thank You, and Other Kind Words,” “Be Considerate at the Table,” “Good Sportsmanship,” and “Respecting Our Country,” Everyday Graces gathers stories and poems that will develop and enrich the moral imagination. This marvelous anthology features classic selections from such well-known authors as Hans Christian Andersen, Beatrix Potter, Mark Twain, Frances Hodgson Burnett, C. S. Lewis, Max Lucado, and Arnold Lobel, as well as forgotten gems that deserve a new hearing.
FORMED (The Catholic Faith on Demand) can be compared to Netflix for Catholics. It provides excellent Catholic study programs, movies, audio presentations and eBooks. Catholics can get free access through most parishes. Many videos for children about the bible, Sacraments, Mass, Saints, Virtues, cathechesis, etc.
The Brother Francis Store is an excellent resource for books, DVDs, downloads, prayer cards, games, etc. about the Sacraments, Saints, Virtues, Catechism, etc.
Sophia Institute Press books and Gifts for Children and Families
Ascension Press The Ascension Kids brand is dedicated to creating faithfully-Catholic, high-quality resources for children ages Toddler – 12. Discover books, gifts, and curriculum that will delight their imaginations, inspire their curiosity, and strengthen their faith.
TAN Books Books, audiobooks, home school lesson plans, courses for children and families.
LifeCraft began as a blog by philosophy professor John Cuddeback (Christendom College). There is a craft that empowers you to fashion a vibrant life for yourself and your loved ones. Through weekly reflections, summer retreats, free courses, and online meet-ups, LifeCraft teaches the craft that empowers you to fashion a vibrant life for yourself and your loved ones.
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