The place of identity formation in the education of children

Thesis

The place of identity formation in the education of children is a question that concerns parents, educators, and scholars across the academic fields of political philosophy, developmental psychology, identity studies, educational philosophy, and theological ethics, among others. It is an example of the kind of issue of public concern to which Christian ethics has a great deal to offer, both in methodology and substance. This dissertation uses the framework of James Davison Hunter’s “faithful presence” to engage in an interdisciplinary consideration of this question, resulting in practical recommendations as well as a lens of analysis through which to consider why this question is so vexing to modern liberal democracies.

The structure of the dissertation is to first map the question of the place of identity formation in the education of children, next to establish the dominant approaches to the question in the United States of America, and finally to outline an alternative. In Chapter One, we consider that basic anthropological assumptions are needed to approach this question, and look to Karl Barth’s theology of baptism. Chapters Two and Three address two dominant errant approaches, which we group under the provocative titles, “The Heresies of Nature” and “The Heresies of Nurture.” Key interlocutors include John Dewey, Lawrence Kohlberg, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Danielle Allen, and Patrick Deneen. Chapter Four outlines an alternative approach, built on the thought of Nicholas Wolterstorff and significant engagement with Alasdair MacIntyre’s theory of the relationship between a social practice and a virtue. The final chapter contains the conclusion that, considered well, the place of identity formation in the education of children leads us to consider a life of learning through the framework of a virtue, which we call always learning.

Authors: Gum, ER

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-z56xynyzq
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: moral identity theory; identity; moral formation; education
• Subjects: Education; Education, Secondary; Philosophy of Education; Christian ethics