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Public schools need ethics, not religious education : Comments
By Glen Coulton, published 2/7/2010Religion, especially Christianity, is not essential to the teaching and development of a sound ethical sense.
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Your definition of ethics seems to be open to either utilitarian or eudaemonistic interpretations but precludes the Kantians. It you added the words "right and wrong" with regard to behaviour we would be approaching a broader conception of ethics. Then again, this would not sit well with your plug for situationist ethics which a priori precludes intrinsically evil acts such as torture (or as Aristotle would have it - adultery).
As regards the grounding for ethics, you will find that it is often found within religious traditions. The principles may be abstractable but I think it simplistic to believe that secular humanism is objective in a way that religous faith traditions fall short. Remember, not all Christians are fundamentalists and not all rationalists are rational.