The Ethics of Teaching (Thinking About Education Series)

This revised and expanded Second Edition uses a new format to invite moral deliberation in the concrete contexts of specific ethical dilemmas. Each chapter is organized to challenge thinking. First, a hypothetical "case" is presented. This case is followed by a "dispute" in the form of a dialogue that points out salient ethical issues in an intuitive way. Next is a discussion of "concepts", which brings major ethical issues to bear. Then, "analysis" shows what decisions could ultimately be reached based from both consequentialist and nonconsequentialist perspectives. Finally, each chapter ends with additional similar cases for practice, discussion, and resolution. Chapters cover such timely issues as punishment and due process, intellectual freedom, equal treatment of students, democracy, relativism, deliberation, and reflective equilibrium. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the nature of ethical thinking: asking questions, exploring options, understanding various perspectives, and making decisions - the very type of thinking skills that teachers hope to nurture in their students.