Moral sciences and the role of education
Tobias Krettenauer
Abstract
In the first 20 years of the 21st century, research on morality grew exponentially in social sciences and related fields. A corresponding upsurge in the field of moral education has not been observed. It appears that there is a widening gap between the science of morality and the field of moral education, which once were closely interconnected fields. The present paper explores why this gap occurred and what could be done about it. It is argued that today’s moral sciences are markedly more pluralistic and diverse than moral psychology in the past. This opens ample opportunities for moral sciences and moral education to engage in a constructive dialogue. Specifically, an evolutionary-developmental account of human morality allows for a deep integration of both fields. Within such a framework moral education becomes an indispensable part of the emerging discipline of moral sciences.