The Possibility of Horizontal Tolerance. A Response to Teaching for Toleration in Pluralist Liberal Democracies

In response to van Waarden\u27s paper, which denied the possibility of horizontal tolerance between citizens, I argue that tolerance is both possible and often desirable between citizens. I also argue that a more substantive set of constraints are required for justice to be served than mere deference to whatever existing constitutions and laws happen to demand. Furthermore, where van Waarden suggested that politics consists of “a process of negotiating, bargaining, and compromising among groups with conflicting interests,” it is hard to see how this vision could motivate any educational intervention to promote people’s abilities to speak up for themselves. Put starkly: it is not at all clear why anyone has reason to educate others to potentially outlaw their own way of life on their understanding. I urge instead that the attitude of tolerance be promoted on both Rawlsian and Millian grounds

The problem of rational moral enlistment

How can one bring children to recognize the requirements of morality without resorting only to non-rational means of persuasion (i.e. what rational ground can be offered to children for their moral enlistment)? Michael Hand has recently defended a foundationalist approach to answering this question and J. White has responded by a) criticizing Hand’s solution to the Problem of Rational Moral Enlistment, and b) attempting to circumvent the problem by suggesting a Humean route which understands moral enlistment as grounded in sentiment. While I do not accept Hand’s preferred solution to the Problem of Rational Moral Enlistment, I am also unpersuaded by White’s attempt to circumvent it. Instead, making use of work by Ben Spiecker and Jan Steutel (2001), I attempt a different solution to the Problem of Rational Moral Enlistment – one appealing to reflective equilibrium rather than to ethical foundationalism as Hand’s does. Whereas Hand hopes to ground rational moral enlistment in a single, self-evident foundational justification of some moral standards, I instead hope to facilitate rational moral enlistment through a rational procedure which starts with students’ existing moral commitments and attempts to revise or expand them through a certain kind of critical reflection

When to teach for belief : a tempered defence of the epistemic criterion

Michael Hand has defended the “epistemic criterion” for “directive and nondirective teaching” in his 2008 Educational Theory article, “What Should We Teach as Controversial? A Defense of the Epistemic Criterion,” as well as subsequent pieces. Here, John Tillson defends use of the epistemic criterion in the case of what he calls “momentous propositions,” but he rejects two of Hand's key arguments in support of the criterion. This rethinking comes in light of important contributions to the debate made by Bryan Warnick and D. Spencer Smith and by Maughn Rollins Gregory, also published in this journal. Tillson begins the article with an elucidation of the directive/nondirective distinction, and then discusses some limitations of defining the distinction in terms of intention. Next, he draws attention to the problems with the “soft-directive teaching” method that Warnick and Smith advocate. Finally, Tillson provides an additional argument in favor of the epistemic criterion, an argument also grounded in work by Hand, which places emphasis on imparting knowledge alongside cultivating rationality among our educational aims

Children, religion and the ethics of influence

This thesis investigates how (if at all) children ought to be influenced with respect to religion(s). To answer this question, I develop a theory of cognitive curriculum content and apply it to the teaching of religious beliefs and beliefs about religions. By ‘a theory of cognitive curriculum content,’ I mean a theory that determines which truth-claims belong on the curriculum, and whether or not teachers ought to promote students’ belief of those claims. I extend this theory to help educators to decide which attitudes address on the curriculum and whether or not to promote them. I then apply this to the case of religious attitudes and attitudes about religions. I argue that where having or failing to have a certain attitude makes a significant difference to students’ lives, it ought to be addressed by curricula. Where failing to have the attitude is irrational, this failure ought to be remedied; where having the attitude is irrational, that attitude ought to be discouraged; and where neither having nor failing to have the attitude is irrational, that attitude ought to be introduced and discussed without encouragement or discouragement. In so far as is practicable, educators should aim to acquaint students with arguments for and against having these attitudes and initiate them into the practice of assessing their soundness. The implications of this theory for extra-curricular influence, such as upbringing in the home, are also explored

Comprehensive planning for your community

Reprinted October 1977. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

ASSESSMENT, TRUTH AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

This paper addresses the question of what should determine whether students' answers to closed questions are marked as correct or incorrect in the context of formal religious education, and when answers to open ended questions should be given more or less credit. Drawing on insights from Craig Bourne, Emily Caddick Bourne and Clare Jarmy, I argue that a combination of judged truth, and a range of well-argued cases about what ought to be believed given certain premises should constrain these assessment practices. Furthermore, I argue that if we cannot find any coherent, non-arbitrary account of how judgements of correctness and merit are in fact being made in the context of formal religious education, then this tells more against current practice's inconsistency and arbitrariness than against these constraints on how judgements of correctness and merit should be made

The Grizzly, April 17, 2014

U-Innovate! Winners Announced • UC to Finalize Peace Corps Agreement • Dance Class Brings Second Ricochet More Participation • Ursinus Students Attend History Conference, Two Receive Awards • Freshman Poet Wins National Award for Sonnet • UC Eats Kosher • Professor Houghton Kane to Retire This Year • Opinion: Autism Acceptance Goes Beyond Statistics; Friendly Advice for Dull Weekends at College • Bubba Watson Hits His Way Into Second Green Jacket • Opinion: Sleeved NBA Jerseys Should be Reconsidered • Many UC Teams Plagued by Close Losseshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1904/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 13, 2014

Annual Job, Internship and Networking Fair Brings Potential Employers to the Ursinus Campus • International Medical Corps Representative to Speak This Wednesday • History Department Holds Nazi Regime Lecture • ZBS Group to Perform in Valentine\u27s Day Improv Workshop • Recycle Mania Returns to UC • Students Bring Composting to Lower • Wismer Music Open to Input • TLI Reps to Visit Hong Kong • Opinion: Smartphones Make Communication a Chore; The Endgame of Piracy is Product Placement • Men\u27s Lacrosse Boasts Strong Senior Class • All-American Football Player Announces He is Gay • Winter Sports Regular Season Coming to Closehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1897/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 27, 2014

Second Ricochet Production Revisits the CIE Questions • New Program Mandates Additional Community Involvement on Campus • Reception to Take Place on Final Week of Brian H. Peterson Exhibit • Woodstock to Present her Research in News Consumption Lecture • Reputation of Bomberger\u27s Heefner Pipe Organ Growing • Jewish Studies Lectures Continue • Ursinus Alumnus Takes on the NFL • Opinion: Great Progress, But We\u27re Not There Yet!; Straight Wealthy White Guys Deserve a Say Too • Winter Olympic Games Come to a Close • Wrestling, Women\u27s Swimming Best in Conferencehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1899/thumbnail.jp