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A Necessity of Character Education to prevent moral problems on level of Society, introduction
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The Character Education Initiative
A Project of the
Universal Peace Federation
Introduction to the UPF Character Education Initiative
What Is Character Education?
Character Education = Conscious Effort
to Instill Virtues
“Character education is the deliberate effort to help people understand, care about, and act upon core ethical values.”
Dr. Thomas Lickona, author, Educating for Character
Educating the “Head, Heart, Hand”Drs. Kevin Ryan and Thomas Lickona
• To know the good
• To care about the good
• To do the good
Why Do We Need Character Education?
Explosion of Moral Problems in Society
Premarital SexDivorce
Alienation from Traditional Values
Leads to Alienation of Youth from Society
Youth Don’t Know Who They Are or Where They Are Going
Rising Youth Suicide Rates
Rising Teenage Pregnancy Rates
Rising Youth Violence and Crime
Drug Abuse
Alcohol Abuse
Unwholesome Media and Entertainment Influences
Character Education Has Always Been Part of Education
• Since Plato, educators have accepted moral instruction of the young as part of their educational mission
• Many universities, including Harvard,were founded to train clergy
Character Education Declined in the Twentieth Century, in Part Due to Science
• Logical positivism—everything should be empirically provable
• Theory of relativity applied to the moral realm
• Personalism—morals are everyone’s to choose
Moral Relativism: Whose Values to Teach? “Virtues” Not “Values”
• Values are subjective
• What people value may vary from culture to culture
• Values change
• Virtues are universal
• Virtues are admired everywhere
• Virtues do not change
Yet Virtues May be Used for Good or Bad Purposes
• A strong-willed dictator• A diligent terrorist• A conscientious computer hacker• A generous thief
Therefore, UPF Teaches Virtues within the Framework of Three Basic Life Goals
Three Basic Life Goals
Mature Character
Positive Contribution
Loving Relationships
The Three Life Goals = A Purposeful Life
• To attain mature character
• To develop loving relationships with family and others
• To make a positive contribution to society
Character Develops through Four Spheres of Love in the Family
• A child’s love for parents
• A sibling’s love for brothers and sisters
• A spouse’s love for husband or wife
• A parent’s love for a child
Altruism = the Virtue of Virtues To live and work for the benefit of others
Altruism encompasses all the other virtues
The Family is the First School of Love and Relationships
The Oliners’ study of rescuers during the Holocaust showed that altruistic
people come from loving families
The UPF Character Education Initiative Emphasizes
• Virtues and ethical principles common to all cultures
• The family is the first school of love• Three Basic Life Goals• Altruism is the organizing core virtue• Home, school, community
UPF’s Discovering the Real Me Character Education Curriculum
• Utilizes the power of story
• Age-appropriate books, covering ages 5-18
• For use in homes, schools,
community venues
Discovering the Real Me, Books 1-4
• Elementary level: Aesop’s fables and classic fairy tales
Discovering the Real Me, Books 5-8
• Adolescent level:
Stories of realistic situations, and moral dilemmas
Discovering the Real Me, Books 9-12
• High school level: Character-based sexuality education, relationship, communication, and leadership skills
Character Education—Important and Necessary Part of Education
Tomorrow’s Test:
How did I show altruism this past week?
Food Drive = A+
Advanced Technology Means We Must
Use Our Powers for Good, Not Ill
“The greater our material power, the greater our need for spiritual insight
and virtue.”
Arnold Toynbee, British historian, Civilization on Trial
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the U.S., Knew the Value of
Character Education
“To educate a man in mind and not morals is to educate a menace to
society.”