有關教授應用倫理學的省思：教學目標與教師的道德立場

Reflections on the Teaching of Applied Ethics: Its Goals and the Issue of Advocacy

王啟義(Kai-Yee Wong)

《通識教育季刊》 3卷2期 (1996/06) Pp. 83-95

https://doi.org/10.6745/JGE.199606_3(2).0006

摘要

應用倫理學於近年日益興勃，在通識教育裡愈來愈受重視。本文旨在探討一些與教授應用倫理學課程有關的重要問題。前言簡單地介紹了應用倫理學的兩大類別。第二節旨在說明應用倫理學課程在通識教育的定位：應用倫理學屬「價值探討」的範疇，而後者在通識教育中佔有重要的位置。第三節討論應用倫理學的教學目標，指出應用倫理學課程應以培養「釐清和確定道德立場之分歧」及「評鑑道德性論證」這兩種能力為基本目標，並討論倫理學課程應否以「提高學生的品格」為教學目標。第四節探討教師的個人道德立場與其教學之關係，指出「在教授應用倫理學時，不宜有立場主張」之說不但值得商榷，而且「有立場主張」之教學法更有其可取之處：此教學法不但可以提高教學效果，教師還可以藉此教學法展示出兩種榜樣，令學生得益。

並列摘要

This article discusses some issues regarding the teaching of applied ethics in general education. In Section Ⅰ, two varieties of applied ethics are distinguished. Section Ⅱ explains why the inclusion of applied ethics as a component in the curriculum of general education is unproblematic. Section Ⅲ concerns the goals in teaching applied ethics. Two primary and reasonably attainable goals, which pertain to the recognition of moral disagreements and the evaluation of moral arguments, are identified. Section Ⅳ discusses the issue of advocacy. It is argued that (i) what anti-advocates should worry about is not so much advocacy itself as advocacy which does not meet rational standards, (ii) as a teaching method advocacy is recommendable for its motivating effect, and (iii) the advocate-teacher does the students an important service by presenting them with a model of tolerance.