Considering the Purposes of Moral Education with Evidence in Neuroscience: Emphasis on Habituation of Virtues and Cultivation of Phronesis

Abstract

In this paper, findings from research in neuroscience of morality will be overviewed to consider the purposes of moral education. Particularly, I will focus on two main themes in neuroscience, novel neuroimaging and experimental investigations, and Bayesian learning mechanism. First, I will examine how neuroimaging and experimental studies contributed to our understanding of psychological mechanisms associated with moral functioning while addressing methodological concerns. Second, Bayesian learning mechanism will be introduced to acquire insights about how moral learning occurs in human brains. Based on the overviewed neuroscientific research on morality, I will examine how evidence can support the model of moral education proposed by virtue ethics, Neo-Aristotelian moral philosophy in particular.Particularly, two main aims of virtue ethics-based moral education, habituation of virtues and cultivation of phronesis, will be discussed as the important purposes of moral education based on neuroscientific evidence.

Examining Phronesis Models with Evidence from the Neuroscience of Morality Focusing on Brain Networks

“…In virtue ethics, some works have proposed that evidence from neuroscience, besides traditional psychology, can provide insights into philosophical inquiries (Han 2016;Navarini 2020;Han 2023). Virtue ethicists interested in phronesis have referred to nonneuroscientific psychological studies, e.g., the Neo-Kohlbergian model of moral functioning and ethical expert model, to support the validity of their phronesis models as overviewed above (Kristjánsson 2013;De Caro et al 2021;Darnell et al 2022).…”

“…For instance, Han (2023) referred to findings from large-scale neuroimaging analyses and the Bayesian learning model to propose the purposes of moral education based on virtue ethics, i.e., habituation of virtues and cultivation of phronesis. Although this work did not address phronesis exclusively, it may suggest that neuroscience can be a tool to examine topics in virtue ethics.…”

“…Second, educators may consider moral exemplars impactful sources for phronesis cultivation (Han 2023). Although I mentioned that educators should employ educational activities to promote connectivity and coordination between different components, it is hard to imagine how they might look.…”

Augmenting morality through ethics education: the ACTWith model

“…Exemplars demonstrate moral virtue which may be emulated. Considering human neurology including the mirror-system and self-related processes central to moral cognition (Han 2017(Han , 2023Koenigs et al 2007;Young and Koenigs 2007), exemplars are imminently relatable. They are also motivational; more than remembering to apply some principle, students want to become that person.…”

Considerations for effective use of moral exemplars in education: Based on the self-determination theory and data syntheses

“…Moral educators have widely utilized moral exemplars to motivate students to emulate moral behaviors presented by the exemplars (Athanassoulis and Han, 2023; Han, 2023a; Kristjánsson, 2006; Sanderse, 2012). For instance, textbooks for moral and character education employ the stories of moral exemplars to inspire and motivate students to emulate moral behaviors (Han et al, 2018b).…”