Considering Cosmopolitan Ethics in Music Education

• In Event: 60.084 - Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: 60.084-16 - Music Education SIG Roundtable: Ethics, Policies, and Partnerships

Abstract

This philosophical inquiry posits an interpretation of cosmopolitan ethics, a subset of deontological ethics, and argues that such a theory holds more promise for contemporary music educators than other prominent schools of ethical thought. First, writings from feminist ethics and poststructuralist ethics are synthesized to clarify aspects of cosmopolitan ethics. Second, two hypothetical cases are used to illustrate the probable benefits of deontological ethics over consequentialist and virtue ethics. Third, the advantages of cosmopolitan ethics over Kantian deontological ethics as well as the potential drawbacks of all deontological ethical theories are discussed. Finally, this inquiry posits the ongoing practice of “considering ethics” and poses guiding questions concerning music educators’ ethical engagement within their multiply-situated contexts.

Author

• Lauren Kapalka Richerme, Indiana University - Bloomington