Modern Teacher’s Public and Private Morality: An Approach Inspired by Philosopher Zehou Li

Introduction

It makes little sense to exempt teachers from moral responsibility, no matter what era, for “education and teaching are inherently moral enterprises” (Carr 2000, p. 187). Even the most progressive liberals hold moral education by highlighting an unprejudiced approach. However, in existing debates on the morality of teachers, the question has usually been framed in terms of a difference of degree – from maximal moral criteria to minimal moral expectations for teachers. On the former paternalist and maximal viewpoint, explicit commitments are required to certain beliefs and values derived from religious, cultural, or other justified authorities, and, accordingly, teachers are expected to be moral exemplars of these ideals and conduct. In the latter liberal conception, a more vigilant attitude toward any presupposed system of principles is manifest, and, by contrast, a minimalprofessional ethics is set out for teachers who, on this account, are morally neutral in the...