Morals Is Education

: In Human Nature and Conduct (1922), Dewey concludes that “morals is education.” However, what does the statement mean for how we educate today? In this chapter, Wiberg argues that in equating morals with education, Dewey is underscoring that all educational processes have a normative dimension. The chapter connects Dewey’s idea of moral conduct in HNC to his other works on ethics and moral education. On Dewey’s account, conduct – which involves reflection, judgment, deliberation, and potentially critique of established ideas and standards – can be possible in democratic societies. But here the role of the educator is crucial. The chapter underscores Dewey’s view that moral education is not a matter of direct instruction in how to act in a moral way. Instead, the educator’s task is to support students to learn how to deeply reflect on moral issues. In this learning process, the learner’s engagement in social communities is essential for growth, an idea Wiberg connects to Hegel’s notion of Bildung . Ultimately, the chapter emphasizes that Dewey’s moral educational thinking is highly relevant in our present multicultural world as it suggests the importance of providing students with opportunities to discuss connections between various moral ideas, principles, and actions and their consequences for humanity.