Contemporary Connections

The moral education of our children

To what extent do and should our schools seek to provide foundations for the moral character as well as the intellectual development of our children? Does virtue theory have a place in our educational institutions? Which virtues, if any, ought particularly to be cultivated? Use the links below to develop further your own view on these questions.

Character development and moral education
Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character (http://www.bu.edu/education/caec/) General information for educators, parents, and students, including useful FAQs section; from the very influential character education program at the Boston University School of Education



Character Counts! (http://www.charactercounts.org/) Home page of a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian coalition devoted to character education



The Character Education Partnership (http://www.character.org/) Home page of a nonpartisan group devoted to educating children to be compassionate and responsible citizens



Character Education: Free Resources (http://www.goodcharacter.com/) Set of materials for students in high school, middle school, and elementary school from goodcharacter.com



National Character Education Center (http://www.ethicsusa.com/) Assortment of newsletters, articles, links related to character education, etc.



Studies in Moral Development and Education (http://tigger.uic.edu/~lnucci/MoralEd/index.html) Site containing overview of moral education approaches, classroom practices, assessment tools, etc.



Character Development Links (http://www.ethics.org/character/index.html) Large set of links from the Ethics Resource Center



Character Education Resources (http://www.teachvalues.org/icce/Resources1201.htm) Collection of links from the International Center for Character Education



Character (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03584b.htm) Catholic Encyclopedia article

Core virtues and values
The Six Pillars of Character (http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/MED/MED-6pillars.htm) Account of central virtues advocated by the Josephson Institute of Ethics



What We Teach (http://www.jeffersoncenter.org/what.htm) Overview of values emphasized by the Jefferson Center for Character Education



What is good character? (http://www.cortland.edu/c4n5rs/char_v.htm#good%20character) Discussion from the Center for the Fourth and Fifth R's: Respect and Responsibility

Applied ethics The study of ethical theories can be important for clarifying and refining our moral perspectives. However, as Aristotle notes in his Nicomachean Ethics, ethics is ultimately a practical discipline. Reflecting on ethics is not merely an intellectual exercise. It's an activity that can have a significant impact on how we lead our personal lives and on how we organize our societies. The links below may serve as a useful springboard for investigating various applied ethics topics that invite questions relating both to morality and to legality. General applied ethics resources
Applied Ethics (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/a/appliede.htm) Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy article



Ethics Updates (http://ethics.acusd.edu/) Extensive collection of ethical theory and applied ethics links; maintained by Lawrence Hinman (University of San Diego)



Applied Ethics Resources on WWW (http://www.ethics.ubc.ca/resources/) Large assortment of applied ethics links from the Centre for Applied Ethics (University of British Columbia)



Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (http://www.scu.edu/ethics/) Site containing articles, cases, briefings, etc. and applied ethics links from Santa Clara University



Social Issues (http://www.clearinghouse.net/cgi-bin/chadmin/viewcat/Social_Sciences___Social_Issues/soci... ) Collection of links on a variety of applied ethics issues from the Argus Clearinghouse



Ethics Web Sites (http://www.lapraik.com/cordeaux/Philosophy_Ethics/ethics_web_sites.htm) Set of links mostly to applied ethics sites; maintained by J. Cordeaux



Applied Ethics links (http://www.epistemelinks.com/Main/Topics.aspx?TopiCode=AppE) EpistemeLink link collection



Ethics Case Studies (http://ethics.acusd.edu/resources/cases/HomeOverview.asp) Assortment of particular cases for ethical discussion from Lawrence Hinman's Ethics Updates (University of San Diego)

The sanctity and quality of life
Sanctity of Life (http://www.faithnet.freeserve.co.uk/sanctityoflife.htm) Discussion from Faithnet



Against the Sanctity of Life (http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/sanctity.htm#Preventive%20Killing) Article by Peter Suber (Earlham College) in favor of focusing on quality of life rather than sanctity of life, an issue with repercussions for euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, and other issues

Euthanasia (overviews, arguments against, arguments for)
Euthanasia (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761562836) Encarta article



Euthanasia (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/euthanas.htm) Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy article



Voluntary Euthanasia (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/euthanasia-voluntary/) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article



Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide (http://www.religioustolerance.org/euthanas.htm) Detailed overview of the issue and current legal situation from ReligiousTolerance.org



Euthanasia (http://www.faithnet.freeserve.co.uk/euthansia.htm) Discussion from Faithnet; overview of different sorts of euthanasia and brief arguments for and against allowing voluntary euthanasia



Euthanasia and End-of-Life Decisions (http://ethics.acusd.edu/Applied/Euthanasia/index.html) Collection of video resources, links, bibliography, etc.; from Lawrence Hinman's Ethics Updates (University of San Diego)



International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/index.htm) FAQs, information about advanced directives, the situation in the Netherlands, etc. from a perspective that opposes legalization



Euthanasia.com (http://www.euthanasia.com/) Collection of articles from organization against euthanasia



The Hemlock Society USA (http://www.hemlock.org/default.asp) Home page of organization "promoting end-of-life choice"



FastAccess (http://www.euthanasia.org/index.html) Site containing a great deal of information about euthanasia, arguments pro and con, etc. by EXIT, a group in favor of voluntary choice over end-of-life decisions

Abortion (overviews, pro-life arguments, pro-choice arguments)
Abortion (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761553899) Encarta article



Abortion (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/a/abortion.htm) Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy article



Abortionfacts.com (http://www.abortionfacts.com/) Collection of information about various aspects of abortion and articles supporting various positions



bortion: All sides of the Issue (http://www.religioustolerance.org/abortion.htm) Detailed overview of the issue, current legal situation, and arguments on various sides from ReligiousTolerance.org



Abortion (http://www.agi-usa.org/sections/abortion.html) Collection of fact sheets and reports on abortion from the Guttmacher Institute; general information, although by pro-choice supporters



Abortion (http://www.faithnet.freeserve.co.uk/abortion.htm) Discussion from Faithnet; reasonably balanced overview, although by pro-life supporters



Abortion (http://www.friesian.com/abortion.htm) Detailed discussion of flaws in the key arguments used by both pro-life and pro-choice advocates; by Kelley Ross (Friesian School Proceedings), a pro-choice supporter



Responsibility and the moral permissibility of abortion (http://www.utexas.edu/courses/hilde/Philhandouts/Abortion(Myers).html) Discussion arguing that responsibility depends on how a woman got pregnant by William T. Myers (Birmingham-Southern College)



Abortion and Ethics (http://ethics.acusd.edu/Applied/Abortion/index.html) Collection of video resources, links, bibliography, etc.; from Lawrence Hinman's Ethics Updates (University of San Diego)



On Combating Abortion and Euthanasia (http://www.cin.org/jp2ency/aboreuth.html) Letter of Pope John Paul II against abortion, May, 1991



The Ultimate Pro-life Resource List (http://www.prolifeinfo.org/) Collection of materials relating to abortion and the pro-life stance



National Right to Life (http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/) Home page of pro-life organization with information on medical and legislative issues



The Moral Question of Abortion (http://www.ohiolife.org/mqa/toc.asp) Online book by Stephen Schwarz taking a pro-life position



Abortion (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01046b.htm) Catholic Encyclopedia article; detailed discussion of history of issue and Catholic Church's stance



Abortion (http://bostonreview.mit.edu/BR20.3/thomson.html) Article for the pro-choice position by Judith Jarvis Thompson for the Boston Review, 1995



NOW and Abortion Rights/Reproductive Issues (http://www.now.org/issues/abortion/index.html) Pro-choice resources from the National Organization for Women



The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) (http://www.naral.org/index2.asp) Home page of organization emphasizing importance of freedom of choice; contains links to current news articles, legal cases, etc.



National Abortion Federation (http://www.prochoice.org/) Home page of pro-choice organization with fact sheets, discussion of legal issues, etc.



Why Abortion is Biblical (http://elroy.net/ehr/abortion.html) Essay by Brian Elroy McKinley arguing for biblical support of abortion

Capital punishment/ death penalty (overviews, arguments against, arguments for)
Capital Punishment (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761570630) Encarta article



Capital Punishment (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/c/capitalp.htm) Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy article



Capital Punishment (the Death Penalty) (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12565a.htm) Catholic Encyclopedia article discussing history of capital punishment across the world



Capital Punishment Statistics (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cp.htm) Statistical information about those sentenced to the death penalty from the U.S. Department of Justice



Capital Punishment--The Death Penalty: Pro and Anti (http://www.religioustolerance.org/executb.htm) Detailed overview of the issue, current legal situation, and arguments on both sides from ReligiousTolerance.org



Punishment and the Death Penalty (http://ethics.acusd.edu/Applied/DeathPenalty/index.html) Collection of video resources, links, bibliography, etc.; from Lawrence Hinman's Ethics Updates (University of San Diego)



Website Against the Death Penalty (http://www.web.amnesty.org/rmp/dplibrary.nsf/index?openview) Arguments against the death penalty from Amnesty International



The Death Penalty and the Catholic Church (http://www.americancatholic.org/news/deathpenalty/) Site with information on the death penalty and the Catholic Church's opposition to it



Executing the Innocent (http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Huma/HumaLine.htm) Article opposing capital punishment by Elizabeth A. Linehan (St. Joseph's University) for Paideia



The Case Against the Death Penalty (http://www.aclu.org/library/case_against_death.html) Lengthy discussion by Hugo Adam Bedau (Tufts University)



Capital Punishment and Human Rights (http://radicalacademy.com/capitalpunish.htm) Essay on the incompatibility of accepting both natural rights theory and capital punishment by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty (The Radical Academy)



The Ultimate Punishment: A Defense (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/angel/procon/haagarticle.html) Article in favor of capital punishment by Ernest van den Haag (Fordham University)



Speech in Favor of Capital Punishment (http://ethics.acusd.edu/Mill.html) Speech given in 1868 by John Stuart Mill; text from Lawrence Hinman's Ethics Updates (University of San Diego)



Wesley Lowe's Pro Capital Punishment Webpage (http://www.wesleylowe.com/cp.html) Detailed set of arguments for the death penalty



Pro-Death Penalty.com (http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/) Collection of resources from a group in favor of capital punishment



The Death Penalty: A Defense (http://w1.155.telia.com/~u15509119/ny_sida_1.htm) Online book supporting capital punishment by David Anderson

Affirmative action (overviews, arguments for, arguments against)
Affirmative Action (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761580666) Encarta article



Affirmative Action (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article



Affirmative Action (http://www.ncpa.org/~ncpa/pd/affirm/affirm.html) Links to discussions of its effects, enforcement, etc. from the National Center for Policy Analysis



The Affirmative Action and Diversity Project: A Web Page for Research (http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/) General resources on the issue from Carl Gutierrez-Jones (UCSB)



The Affirmative Action Debate (http://www.puaf.umd.edu/IPPP/1QQ.HTM) Overview article by William A. Galston in Philosophy and Public Policy



The Law and Politics Book Review (http://www.unt.edu/lpbr/subpages/reviews/bergeast.htm) Detailed reviews by Steven Kautz (Emory University) of one book against affirmative action and another for it



Literature on Race, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism (http://ethics.acusd.edu/Applied/Race/index.html) Collection of video resources, links, bibliography, etc. including material on affirmative action; from Lawrence Hinman's Ethics Updates (University of San Diego)



Why do we need affirmative action? (http://www.unlv.edu/Finance_Admin/Diversity/Affirmative%20Action/Why1.html) Moral and financial arguments supporting affirmative action by Ann Casados-Mueller



Ten Myths about Affirmative Action (http://www.socialpsychology.org/affirm.htm) Responses by S. Plous (Wesleyan University) to opponents' arguments against affirmative action



NOW and Affirmative Action (http://www.now.org/issues/affirm/) Pro affirmative action resources from the National Organization for Women



Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration By Any Means Necessary (http://www.bamn.com/) Home page of organization supporting affirmative action



Affirmative Action: Affirming Another Kind of Racism (http://www.rationalreview.com/archive/guestcolumnists/aaronbiterman050102.html) Article summarizing arguments on both sides but concluding against affirmative action; by Aaron Biterman for the Rational Review



Affirmative Action Can't be Mended (http://www.cato.org/dailys/12-15-97.html) Article against affirmative action by Walter Williams (George Mason University)



Adversity.net (http://www.adversity.net/) Home page of civil rights organization "for color blind justice"



Affirmative Action search results (http://search.cato.org/query.html?col=allcato&qc=allcato&pw=100%25&rf=0&qt=affirmative+ac... ) Collection of articles generally opposing affirmative action from the CATO Institute

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