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Toward an Ethics for Being Educated Essay

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Toward an Ethics for Being Educated

ABSTRACT: The regulative ideal of being educated is construed through features associated with the conduct and aspirations of faculty in higher education. These features include autonomy of mind and its presuppositions in self-knowledge and ability to inquire. These features as well cover having the identity of an educated person, implying evaluation of the products of the mind in logic and language, motivation to maintain an education, and the deep convictions and attitudes characteristic of the academic, humanist, and scientist. Finally, these features encompass knowing how to apply professional methods in reading and evaluating professional literature, identifying what is potentially educative, …show more content…

As there are differing school programs and educational doctrines there would be differing accounts of being educated. Diversity of educational institutions indicates that being educated could involve possessing one of a number of differing collections of knowledges, beliefs, personality attributes, and skills.

In light of this reality, the question, "What are the common attributes which all educated persons share?" is hardly answerable in an interesting and detailed way. Few characteristics seem to be common to all educated persons that make them such. Even general attributes like being literate and knowledgeable appear to be contradicted by the sort of educational program that is task oriented and devoid of book learning. The second sense is, then, beholden to whatever the writers of educational programs make of it.

The third sense is the regulative ideal of being an educated person. The ideal is unclear, in that, its understanding is shaped by differing doctrinal commitments, orientations in educational theory, and traditions. A version of the ideal specifies perfections which perhaps no one could fulfill. Each version, however, presents criteria which can be used to regulate conduct directed toward its realization. In this respect, it is much like the ideal of honesty. Opinions vary about what counts as honesty. Divergence of opinion is founded in differing ethical systems or moral philosophies. On any of its conceptions perhaps no

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