HERBART'S CONCEPT OF MORALITY IN EDUCATION AND ITS ROLE IN AMERICA

Educational views of Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841), a German philosopher and educational theorist, became revived and transformed by his later disciples and reached American education during the last two decades of the nineteenth century. It was the purpose of this study to: (1) delineate Herbart's concept of morality in education, (2) determine its adoption by American education within the context of the Herbartian movement, and (3) determine its influence upon, and its change and further development within American education. The basic source of data was the library, and the method employed for collating and interpreting data was a careful analysis of content.;The American Herbartians were not strict followers of Herbart. The moral aim held by them is not Herbart's original version but one that has been shaped and developed by the American conditions. From the beginning its interpretation is broad in nature and less in the direction of a precise analysis. Thus the moral aim includes both individual and social morality. The concept of individual morality is referred to in terms of "moral character," and the quality of the moral character is analyzed in terms of "moral insight," "moral disposition," and "moral habit." Herbartians, however, did not agree on the precise meaning of moral character or equivalent expressions. The concept of social morality is expressed as "citizenship" and calls for socialized individuals possessing "social good will," "social intelligence," and "social habit." John Dewey, beginning with Herbartian premises, further broadened the social aspect of morality, which gave rise to his concept of "social efficiency" as an educational aim.;The moral aim contributed to the contours of American education in several important ways. The aim gave a definite unity to the theory and practice of education. It recast the curriculum in that it brought new principles for the selection and grade placement of subject matter. It generated a shift in the treatment of subject matter, moving the emphasis from "form" studies to "content" studies. It replaced the doctrine of formal discipline and thereby relieved the instructional process from much drill and memory work.;Herbartianism was a teacher-centered movement in education. It was superseded by Progressive Education as the emphasis changed from teaching to learning.;The study shows that Herbart postulates the entire instructional process from his educational aim of morality. His concept of morality is derived from his ethics. He determined that the only secure basis for morality is the good will itself as defined by his five moral principles, termed "inner freedom," "perfection," "benevolence," "right," and "equity." The corresponding task set for moral education is to render the pupil's will morally good. Since will-attitudes are shaped by interests, the immediate goal for instruction is to create and develop many worthy interests. The person with a broad range of interests has the breadth of culture which will enable him to judge circumstances in a manner that seems morally best. Morality is to be taught through the subject matter of instruction which, in addition to its practical value, is to be utilized also for its moral potential. In Herbart's curriculum subject matter is grouped to correspond to the pupil's natural interests.