Shaping Students' Character, Not Just Their Minds

• In Event: 46.069 - The High Cost of Secularism on the University in the Age of Pluralism

Abstract

Contemporary academic institutions emphasize the intellect and place very little emphasis on the state of the heart, i.e., whether a person is loving and a person of character (author, 2010; Noddings, 2003). At all levels of education, whether the K-12 classroom or tertiary education, methodology and the mind are emphasized at the expense of pure motives and virtue (Deboer, 2002).
Modern society has paid a price for this emphasis. For example, during the 2008-2009 severe economic recession a myriad of Americans complained about the degree of corruption that was evident among many Wall Street financiers and politicians (Muolo & Padilla, 2008). It is ironic that U.S. leaders, now largely in their 50s and early 60s, were in the first generation to be raised in a public school environment where character education was absent (author, 2010). Interestingly enough, no one ever called these individuals stupid and devoid of intelligence. Their problem was not a lack of IQ, but rather one of lack of integrity. In fact, far more of the nation’s problems appear related to lack of love and character rather a dearth of intelligence. Whether it is gang violence, racism, illegal drug usage, or rape, many of the nation’s problems have more to do with issues of virtue than intelligence (Ryan & Bohlin, 1998).
The United States began emphasizing intelligence over virtue in a series of stages. Part of the current emphasis grew out of industrialization and John Dewey’s emphasis on each teacher being a specialist. H. H. Horne, a professor at NYU, warned about the consequences of adopting Dewey’s emphasis on methodology at the expense of love and the state of one’s heart (Egan, 2002). Another major development was the removal of character education and prayer from schools in 1962 and 1963. Not only did this create a major void in the public school curriculum, but Piaget’s disciples insisted that this void be filled with more standardized tests. Ironically, nearly all of the nation’s most famous educators believed that virtue and character were the centerpieces of school instruction (James & Tanner 1993). Friedrich Froebel believed that moral education was the foundation on which all other forms of education were to be built. Mann (in Kliebard, 1969, p. 73) declared that without this emphasis on love and spirituality, “the race can never fall so low that it may sink still lower."
Today, higher education and all levels of instruction, is dedicated almost solely to developing the mind. That is indubitably a worthy goal, but entirely insufficient. In the scholarly world today, the salience of the spiritual and love are diminished in favor of exposing the student’s mind to a vast array of different opinions. Student anger at some of these opinions is, unfortunately, joined by neither a love that can overcome that anger nor the character to go from complaining to actually making the world a better place. If higher education is to become everything it can be, the current emphasis needs to broaden significantly.

495 words

Author

• William H. Jeynes, California State University - Long Beach