Aristotelian Character Education
Routledge Research in Education Series

This book provides a reconstruction of Aristotelian character education, shedding new light on what moral character really is, and how it can be highlighted, measured, nurtured and taught in current schooling. Arguing that many recent approaches to character education understand character in exclusively amoral, instrumentalist terms, Kristjánsson proposes a coherent, plausible and up-to-date concept, retaining the overall structure of Aristotelian character education.

After discussing and debunking popular myths about Aristotelian character education, subsequent chapters focus on the practical ramifications and methodologies of character education. These include measuring virtue and morality, asking whether Aristotelian character education can salvage the effects of bad upbringing, and considering implications for teacher training and classroom practice. The book rejuvenates time-honoured principles of the development of virtues in young people, at a time when ?character? features prominently in educational agendas and parental concerns over school education systems.

Offering an interdisciplinary perspective which draws from the disciplines of education, psychology, philosophy and sociology, this book will appeal to researchers, academics and students wanting a greater insight into character education.

1. Introduction: What is Aristotelian character education? 2. Some Persistent Myths about Aristotelian Character Education 3. Measuring Virtue for Aristotelian Character Education 4. Phronesis and Aristotelian Character Education 5. Can Aristotelian Character Education Undo the Effects of Bad Upbringing? 6. Towards Method: Dialogue and Aristotelian character education 7. Educating the Educators: Teachers and Aristotelian character education 8. Concluding Reflections

Kristján Kristjánsson is Professor of Character Education and Virtue Ethics, Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham, UK.