Views on Teaching Ethics and Morals

Abstract

While ethical theories represent systematic reasoning processes for the analysis of value‐laden problems and can therefore be taught, morals are highly personal and cannot be learned in the usual manner. This paper outlines a system for categorizing ethical theories based on the classification of action versus result, self versus other, and the definition of what is to be achieved—either a search for happiness/contentment/fulfillment or a meeting of contractual obligations to society or to one's religion. These classifications define a feasible space for the categorization of ethical theories. This paper also argues that while ethics should be taught at our engineering colleges and universities, morals cannot and should not be taught. University students will, however, use their parents, peers, and especially their professors as role models for the continued development of their moral values, and this places an additional and often unanticipated responsibility on the faculty.